Nerds That Geek Book Review: 'Sideways'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Ah the road trip. We've all been there. The open road before us, the wind whipping about the car with only good tunes and good company at our side. In my family, the road trip was a semiannual tradition. We'd pack up the old station wagon and trek out toward Phoenix to see my extended family.

For many years I enjoyed these little trips, but as the years progressed, it was all that quiet down time between destinations while I was trapped in the backseat with my siblings that began to force me to re think the value of the road trip. In fact, as the years have progressed, I have made great effort to avoid them at all costs. Yet as the wonders of stories are wont to do, I have started to question that logic, courtesy of author Rex Pickett and his novel...Sideways.  

Sideways is the story of two best friends/drinking buddies, Miles and Jack. Miles is a struggling author and Jack is a working actor in Hollywood. But Jack's days of being a single man are coming to an end as he prepares to marry the love of his life, prompting Miles to take him into the heart of wine country for one last road trip as bachelors. While the plot sounds simple and cozy, it is anything but. Sideways is a fascinating and hilarious book, as since the road trip these two men embark upon ends up becoming so much more. We learn quite a bit about Miles and Jack and in many ways these two men turn out to be anti-heroes in every sense of the word and that's where the book grabs hold of you by providing such vivid characters. These two men are incredibly flawed, and you will quickly discover you want to learn more about them and who they are. You'll spend plenty of time wondering why Jack questions the sanctity of marriage and you'll think him a scoundrel for his actions when all is said and done.  

But Miles is the true centerpiece of this story. He is a man filled with demons that torment him daily and he is doing his best to find that slice of happiness in either his work as an author or in life with someone he can finally love. His internal torment drives him to do desperate and questionable things, in fact both characters will force you to raise your eyebrows on more than one occasion but that's the beauty of this tale. We can relate to these guys. They may be amplified in their actions for the sake of the story, but who among us hasn’t felt as lost in life as Miles? Or who hasn’t been afraid of truly opening ourselves up to those we love just like Jack?  

Yet another wonder of this book is the fact that it balances the bitter with the funny. There are many times you'll find yourself laughing out loud at the crazy situations that these two goofballs get themselves into and the book is famous for its incredible detail when it comes to wine. But what I loved most about this story was that it brought back the wonder of the road trip for me. That moment when we finally see the city in our rearview mirror only to be replaced with the open road and the wonder of tomorrow, where we are free of worry and the burdens of the world...if only for a little while.  

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