Hobo: A Young Man's Thoughts on Trains and Tramping in America

I really have no interest in this subject of hobos, to be frank, but about a week ago I saw this book lying on a library table and started skimming it. It looked good. Hey, for free, I'll give it a shot. Well, just five minutes ago I ordered it from an independent seller. I want this part in my collection, and would like to read it again. That should tell you how entertaining I found this strange book. "Strange," it is, indeed. It's the colorful style of writing, the descriptions that "Eddy Joe Cotton" uses that caught my attention and kept it for the length of the book. In fact, it was hard put it down, even though I disagree with most things he said. It is simply a bizarre account of young kid's first month of riding the rails, eating out of rusty tin cans, surviving the elements and meeting a whole bunch of characters along the way. It's humor, sadness and adventure all rolled into one uniquely-told account. "Hobo" definitely is different, and worth the read, especially if you appreciate a man who knows how to use words.

While many people criticize Cotton for his work, I find it to be an extremely funny and personal account of a young, somewhat cynical but always grounded, man who has one helluva journey. Too often the status quo in exactly how to write this or write that get in the way of a darn good story. This is a piece that will make you think and make you laugh. It is the most entertaining piece I've read in years. The author possesses a decidedly patriotic air while illuminating the unique aspects of our American culture. A must read.

This is not, as some reviewers would have you believe, a juvenile attempt at autobiography, or a ripoff of Kerouac. Neither is it a work that is undeserving of praise, or trite. Instead, the author instills a great deal of poetry and threads it through the years of collective experience he had being homeless. The only thing I wish he had included more material on was the topic of fitting into society, of feeling like he couldn't reintegrate. He was basically on his own at 16 (not nineteen as it says above in the review). I find it both amazing and heartwarming that he finally reached a point in his life where he wanted to finally turn things around, through a literary achievement that tells a very American saga.It's gorgeous prose, and though he skips over time a lot, the stories he tells are both beautifully told and gritty, about people forgotten, or shunned by society, sometimes victims, sometimes insane, sometimes dangerous, sometimes just throwaways. It's a fascinating look at the gypsy culture in this country as well as how people really survive that way. I really recommend it if you're looking for that sort of read. Parts of it are uncomfortable but really, I found it a profound book, with meditations on the American dream and the American reality that was very cutting and nostalgic at the same time. I wouldn't ever welcome that life, the taste of it I've seen is enough, but yeah, his book is very well written. I suppose part of me liked it so much because it didn't shy away from talking about the things that make America exactly the hazardous place it is, and why. He really exposes a great number of things that make you go "wow, I am so glad I wasn't there to see this in person". Especially given what the current administration idealizes, this book is a perfect antidote for the person willing to say America is the best country on earth. This book is a wake up call to the people who tout the "no child left behind" act, and the lack of insight that is our system, one that constantly, irrecovably overlooks.

Hobo was a funny and adventurous read. Cotton's humor alone made this book worth buying. What I found most fascinating about Cotton's story was the pure and simple way in which it was told. He's a hobo, though he never once admits to it in the book, and I wouldn't expect complicated plots, overdeveloped characters or long impressive words from such a character. The story is much more powerful as it is - a colorful adventure told with integrity by a vagabonding storyteller. I recently saw a copy of Hobo in my local library, which means that it must have it's place somewhere in our American culture.

Hobo is a beautiful and simple story. I read the entire book in only a few days and found it mystifing. The characters were a rough cast but at the same time kind hearted and interesting. Eddy Joe Cotton does a good job telling the reader of his insights without being too overbearing. I would never have known this world existed, nor would I have had the feeling of being there if I wouldn't have read Hobo. It was heart warming educational trip.