Dodge City by Patrick deWitt review
This tale of a 60s college dropout driving across the US to avoid being sent to Vietnam is committed to both readerly pleasure and literary artifice
TL;DR
- The novel "Dodge City" by Patrick de Witt is a road trip story set in the 1960s.
- The protagonist, Leland "Lee" Clarke, a UCLA dropout, drives across the US to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.
- Lee plans an L-shaped route to visit his estranged family members before heading to Canada.
- De Witt's writing style is characterized by literary artifice, unique prose, and a blend of humor and melancholy.
- The book is noted for its focus on the past and emotional reckoning, moving away from the typical self-discovery narrative of road trips.