First Printing: 1965 by Viking
Cover Art by Sal Barracca
Illustrations by Nicholas Krenitsky
My copy was printed in 1971 by Ballantine Books, and I got it from the "Free to Good Home" box at my local library.
First of all, I apologize for my small hiatus from writing. Life got crazy- let's move on!Peter S. Beagle wrote one of my favorite books of all time: The Last Unicorn. I watched the movie religiously as a kid.
Okay, maybe I still watch it with questionable regularity.
I may or may not have it on in the background while I write this.
To put it simply, I am a super-fan of The Last Unicorn.
Somehow, the glow of my Unicorn obsession blinded me from the fact that Peter S. Beagle has written more than one book. Therefore, I cannot exaggerate my surprise at the familiar name shining up at me from the bottom of a box marked "Free".
I See By My Outfit was published in 1965, three years before The Last Unicorn. This book is a true story, looking back on the journey of Peter and his best friend, Phil Sigunick. Peter was living in New York, while his love, Enid, was living in California. He decided that it was time to relocate, and Phil wanted to join him. A cross-country move is difficult under normal circumstances, but the two friends really upped the ante. They made the move traveling on their beloved motor scooters, Jenny and Couchette. With as much supplies and food that the scooters could hold, they set out in the cold April of 1963.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
The number one thing to take away from this book is that it is a really bad idea to go on a journey with no money and no plan on a temperamental motor scooter.
Okay, maybe that's more of a number-two thing.
Peter and Phil waltz into many people's lives in this book, and I think they took away more than they could have imagined. They play on antique guitars with the guys at Harry's Loan Office in Kansas City. They discuss agate stones and the illusion of time with the Beckmans. They try to help a prostitue named Jilly sell a fur coat. They may have had to sleep in a cruddy tent with nothing to eat but spaghetti and mayonnaise, but in return they got these rich experiences with these amazing people. This book brings to life the importance of getting out there and seeing the world and the people in it. That spirit still stays with me, as I'm sure it does with Peter and Phil, long after the joshua trees danced and the scooters rolled up Enid's driveway.
Favorite Quote:
"I say 'Listen to me Rabbi, listen. I'm an older man than you are, I want to tell you something. You always find what you look for, always. You want to see, I don't know, bad people, bad women, thieves, drinking, murder, filthy, you would see all of that you want. It is in your head what you want to see, bad women, gambling, you took it to Paris with you. But for me, if I would go to Paris, you know what I would see?'... 'I would see books and great paintings, I would go to museums, I would go somewhere I could hear great music. That is what I would do in Paris, that is what I would see, because that is what I want to see. The other things, the bad women, you could see them if you want to, but myself, I don't want to see them, so for me they are not there. I don't see them. You take it all with you, what you want to see. I would see good people, great paintings.'"- Mr. Abel from Harry's Loan Office, page 55
I See By My Outfit is currently out of print. It must be purchased through a used bookseller.
