Travels With Charley: Not a Total Liar

After I read about the expose of Steinbeck's book, I went to the source and read what the other writer uncovered about Steinbeck's journey, and compared it with what Steinbeck actually wrote. I found that he lied about some things but not about others. It was a good lesson to me to be careful about what I read, the conclusions I draw, and what I believe from others.

The writer who investigated this estimated that he spent about 1/3 of the journey alone with Charley, and believed that Steinbeck didn't camp often. I noticed in the book that after the initial set-up of the traveling/camping theme in Steinbeck's first chapter, he doesn't exactly say he's alone all the time, and he doesn't state where he's sleeping every single night. So this is an omission for the sake of the story not an outright lie.

Would it make a difference to me to know that his wife was likely sitting next to him on the journey and that he stayed in nice hotels? I think it would have changed the flavor of the book slightly but I don't think it is a big deal by itself.

More important to me is the idea that he might have made up whole scenes. The writer who re-created his journey says a few of the episodes did not happen when and where Steinbeck said they happened, but no one can say whether they happened or not. I don't think that makes the whole book a lie, but it casts doubt on the book. Perhaps he had these experiences in different times and places and brought them together in this book, or perhaps he just misremembered dates and places. Or maybe he made them up altogether. We are never going to know.

I think about this issue in conjunction with the next book we read, "In Cold Blood". The book says the killer Hickock had a great memory, and I'm certain the police took excellent notes. However, there is so much of the book that Capote must have made up. How could he, for example, know that Mr. Clutter ate milk and an apple the day he died, when the man was alone at breakfast?

These details made me wonder how much artistic license Capote took as well. And how much of it matters?