Customer Reviews

I See By My Outfit

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first read the original version when I was in high school in the early 1970's. It was a memorable book for me then. It remains an extremely well-written story about touring America. It a story about adventuring, discovering the country, opening yourself up to real adventure and the kindness of strangers, and the love of motor scooters as a means of transport. The author and his friend rode the classic Heinkel Tourist scooters. It inspired my own dream of doing a cross country motor scooter tour. A few years after I read it, I hitched alone across the 2/3 of the nation; it was a similar positive and challenging experience. Otherwise that dream stayed dormant for decades. Fast forward to a few years ago - I bought an early edition of the book on Amazon and reread it. Wonderful - the story hadn't lost anything with time; a classic story about the optimism of youth and the 1960's. Now at 52, I purchased a 2007 Vespa GTS three months ago and I'm learning how to ride as a total beginner (with much more caution that I would have had at 18!). The dream is still alive...the back roads of America await.

For a much more serious but equally interesting book about two-wheeled touring, I also recommend the 1970's classic "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

This is one of the most charming books I've read in ages. Two fuzzy-faced little guys, two dorky motor scooters, one mission: New York to California in 1965. The way Peter S. Beagle writes, it's easy to see why everyone he and his friend Phil encounter wants to adopt them. He is kind, witty, and genuine. There's no attempt to be hip (how hip can you pretend to be on a motor scooter?) He not only observes the physical and emotional landscape, he also describes what he sees with such freshness that it took my breath away.

I See By My Outfit is an autobiographical story of a cross-country trip with a friend, completely unlike anything else Beagle has written. Don't expect unicorns. But this is still a great story, and definitely worth reading, even if you normally only stick to fantasy.

a great little book, very entertaining and well written. Some of the scooter episodes could have been more detailed, but all in all a good read.

I have always loved this book since I read it in the 60's. Every few years, I would dust it off and reread it because it always made me laugh and sigh. I'm very happy that it is back in print and available through Amazon. You will love reading this "journal" as two guy friends head from the Bronx to sunny California, full of ironic humor, curiosity, and Peter Beagle's incredible ability to write as an old friend would speak and share his observations with us. All the fun of traveling across America without any of the hassles!

Simple concept . . . author Peter Beagle and his frind Phil travel New York to San Francisco on a pair of scooters. In 1961.

A couple of prototype hippies. I'm not sure I cared much for their world view, and several times detected hypocrisy. But Beagle is a smart guy and keen observer of things and interpreter of people.

A nice balance between the chain of interesting and generally good people that encountered, and the experience of riding a motor scooter coast to coast (sum it up -- COLD). Great treatment of both the individuality and quirks of people, and the quirks and nuances of the scooters.

I was struck by how timeless the story seems. It almost could have been written this year. There seems to be too much to say to squeeze into a review. I'll just say its an easy read, always interesting, and closes fairly satisfying. Easy to read in short sittings and was never hard to put down after a brief session.

I really enjoyed the story, liked the way Peter Beagle describes scenes. He's one of my favorites so I'm not going to find a book by him I don't like.

I received this book new from Amazon and it had about ten blank pages. No pages numbers or anything.

I bought this book not sure what it was about but it was recomended because of the "road trip" tag which came off the motorcycle tag. It really does have a scooter, well two scooter's but it may have been a car, or a bicycle. The author is very well read and can at times go off on tangents. It is well written and i think has it's audience but it wasn't for me.