I was in Big Sur about this time last year and saved this for a nostalgia read in hopes of a love letter to a place I love. And how disappointed was I. This book is barely an ode to such a stunning landscape and part of the world. It is about a drunk sad lonely man unsure and unhappy with fame. Racism and misogyny abound through its pages and the lyrical lines and descriptions do not outweigh the worse parts of the book.