In the spring of 1982, the Argentinian author Julio Cortázar and his wife Carol Dunlop decide to drive from Paris to Marseille, a 790 km (450 mi) trip, and to write about the trip. This seems simple (and boring) enough, right? However, the master humorist and surrealist and his wife decide to turn this trip into a scientific expedition and exploration of all of the rest stops along the route. They plan to visit two rest stops per day, and there are 70 stops along the way.

After consulting travel diaries by Captain Cook and Marco Polo, and ensuring that they have sufficent supplies to prevent scurvy, Cortázar ('El Lobo') and Dunlop ('La Osita', or 'Little Bear') embark on their epic journey, led by their faithful Volkswagen beetle van 'Fafner' ('the dragon').

The 33 day trip is filled with bizarre and hilarious episodes, including a near-fatal encounter with a swarm of carnivorous ants, confrontations with suspicious gendarmes and highway workers, and the constant threats of large trucks and sports cars traveling at impossible speeds. The voyagers also discover a site where witches were tortured and executed, which other travelers naïvely mistake for a children's playground.

In the latter part of the journey, the entries become more introspective and philosophical, and are infused with the love that El Lobo and La Ostia share for each other. A joyful sadness also permeates the last pages, as deceased friends are mourned and loved, and the end of the journey is celebrated with wine and tears.

This travelogue/flight of ideals/love story is unlike anything I've ever read, and, although it drags in a couple of spots, preventing me from giving a five star rating, is highly recommended. ( )

It is not possible that you have read anything else like this book. Unless you are cold-hearted, miserable and vicious, it is likely that you will embrace it, wish it to continue indefinitely and then admire its moving and unexpected conclusion. Two poetic and imaginative people, very much in love with one another, document a journey from Paris to Marseille that moves through two highway rest stops per day. The travelogue, the photographs, and the ruminations are all made to glow by the intensity and playfulness of Cortazar and Dunlop's relationship and literary talent. Give this book to people you love. ( )

It's an amazing book.
When you read the first pages, you realize that this is not really a fiction book but neither a real travel story.
It's intriguant. As I was reading it, I was trying to figure which one wrote what.
Its a beautiful love story and seriously,
you will see the highway really differently after you read this book. ( )