This book picks up where the first volume left off, following the Spanish writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez as he continues his global lecture tour in the 1920s. It's not a novel with a traditional plot, but a real-life travelogue of his journey across the United States and into Asia.

The Story

The journey kicks off in the roaring heart of 1920s America. Ibáñez travels from New York to Chicago, then across the vast American landscape to California. He’s fascinated and often overwhelmed by the sheer scale and speed of American life—the skyscrapers, the cars, the relentless energy. He meets movie stars in Hollywood and observes the stark contrast between immense wealth and social struggle. From San Francisco, he sets sail across the Pacific, landing in a Japan that feels like another planet. Here, he trades jazz for geishas, trading the frantic American pace for serene temples and intricate social rituals. The "story" is simply his day-to-day experiences: his conversations, his observations, and his personal reflections on everything from politics and art to food and fashion.

Why You Should Read It

I love this book because it’s like watching a brilliant, opinionated friend send you postcards from the edge of the world. Ibáñez doesn’t just describe places; he feels them. His excitement about American innovation is genuine, but so is his criticism of its materialism. His respect for Japanese culture is deep, yet he’s openly confused by some of its customs. He’s not a neutral observer, and that’s what makes it so compelling. You’re getting a very personal, unfiltered reaction to a world that was changing faster than ever before. Reading it, you don't just learn what those places looked like; you get a sense of how they felt to a curious outsider at that exact moment in history.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect read for anyone who loves armchair travel, history, or sharp cultural commentary. If you enjoy books like Bill Bryson’s travelogues but wish they were set a century ago, you’ll feel right at home. It’s especially great for readers curious about the 1920s beyond the flapper clichés, offering a ground-level view of America’s rise and a traditional Asia on the cusp of modernization. Just be ready for a viewpoint that is very much of its time—Ibáñez’s perspectives are fascinating, but they are decidedly his own. Approach it as a conversation with a witty, insightful, and occasionally provocative travel companion from the past.