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The Road to Los Angeles Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Road to Los Angeles


This posthumously published novel was way ahead of its time when written in the 1930's. Its ethos still seems contemporary today. It introduces the character Arturo Bandini a young man struggling with his desire to be a great writer. Bandini is forced to work in a fishery cannery by his uncle to support his mother and sister. He is wretchedly alienated from his fellow workers and family by his Nietzchean self proclaimed belief that he is a writer.
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Bandini struggles to find sexual fulfillment through his collection of pictures of naked women to his sister's and mother's knowledge. He exacts revenge for his tortured life on crabs, fish and insects. He has a crush on the librarian at the local library and to get closer reads the books that she reads. He uses grandiose vocabulary to gain superiority on everyone he speaks to. He gains inspiration and writes a short novel for hours on end finally feeling fulfilled in his life. Unfortunately both his mother and sister read the novel and his sister finds it silly. Bandini is revenged and embarks on the road to Los Angeles. This brilliant and forgotten coming of age novel of a struggling writer is magnificent!
The review of this Book prepared by John Marcel



Chapter Analysis of The Road to Los Angeles

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Plot & Themes

Tone of book?    -   thoughtful Time/era of story    -   1930's-1950's Poverty, surviving    -   Yes Kind of living:    -   general poverty story Family, struggle with    -   Yes Struggle with:    -   Mother (or standin)    -   Uncle    -   Sister Internal struggle/realization?    -   Yes Struggle over    -   vague finding self/purpose in life (i.e. no plot to book) Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Ethnic/regional/gender life    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   writer Age:    -   a teen Ethnicity/Nationality    -   Italian Unusual characteristics:    -   Extremely cynical or arrogant

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   7 () United States    -   Yes The US:    -   California City?    -   Yes City:    -   Los Angeles

Writing Style

Amount of dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Road to Los Angeles

John Fante Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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