Driving Mr. AlbertA Disappointing Trip

Driving Mr. Albert: A disappointing trip

Driving Mr. Albert, written by Michael Paterniti, is an extension of his award winning article. At first glance Driving Mr. Albert seems to be a very appealing premise, and a good read. However, upon reading the book I felt cheated in some way, almost as if I had read a Clancy novel, too much useless information, and not enough story. The novel does not function well as a travelogue, that part of the novel seems secondary to the saga of Einstein, Thomas Harvey and his Tupperware filled with brain sections, and the author’s relationship with his girlfriend.
First of all, the novel does give us a few highlights of travel destinations along the road from New Jersey to California, like the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, a short history lesson and moral oration follow the brief description of the museum. However, Paterniti is often inconsistent with his approach to the travelogue; it is either too vague, or descriptive to ...