Customer Reviews

On the Road with Charles Kuralt

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful book that recaptures the many stories from his on the road segments for TV. He finds the most interesting people and places; his stories tell of the inner passions of ordinary people. Another great book with similar stories--and great pictures--is Positively Connecticut by Diane Smith. She says she was inspired by Kuralt's work.

Terry

After reading this book, I felt a sense of renewal and satisfaction that there are still candles lending their beams to the world. I picked up this book for a report at school. I thought that it would be just another boring book that we are often forced to read in school. Wrong-O! I loved it! From the team that had lost every single one of its games to the train depot that served soldiers during WWII, I found myself emersed in each of the stories. Each of these average Americans had a not so average story to tell...

Charles Kuralt had the gift of seeing a story in the littlest thing. He took the thread of everyman's life and wove a tapestry of America and then gave it as a gift to us.

Charles Kuralt's On the Road segments always provided a nice break from the serious stories that dominate the evening news. Also, his segments revealed the positive side of "every day" America. So when I saw Kuralt's book based on those segments, I was excited to read it.

While traveling America, Kuralt uncovered some amazing stories. One of my favorites concerns a dirt farmer from rural Arkansas who had little formal education, but who spent twelve hours a day reading the classics and educating himself. Another is about a small-town Missouri doctor who charged whatever his patients could afford to pay him. These great short stories (most are 3-4 pages long) make On the Road easy and fun to read.

Though I liked the book, there are a few problems. One is that many of the stories are very slight; Kuralt goes on about hamburgers, misspellings on signs, and other trivia. In another chapter, he discusses a woman - Pat Baker - who built a public park in Reno, Nevada. What Kuralt doesn't mention is more interesting. After Kuralt's death it emerged that - unknown to Kuralt's wife and kids - he kept a second, "secret family" with the Baker for 29 years. It is difficult for me to like Kuralt after learning about his decades-long deceptions.

On the Road contains verbatim transcriptions from Kuralt's CBS reports. I remember some of the dialogue. Though there are many black-and-white pictures, at times, the book suffers without the visuals in the original reports because the dialogue alone was not intended to tell the entire story.

In short, On the Road contains some good vignettes about obscure Americans that Charles Kuralt gathered during his many years at CBS News.

This is not the first audio of his we have listened to. They are all good. He was a great traveler and story teller, so we have his stories left to hear. It is a short audio but very interesting.

Charles Kuralt is missed because he took the road less traveled and brings it to your heart. A gifted man, who sought out the stories of people not known to the public for great things nationally and yet now they are. Been enjoying reading other books by him too. Will possibly purchase DVDs by the author too. CBS would be wise to publicize and reissue the books & stories. They could replay specials and add them to other news programs. They could sell them to PBS or other stations to air too.

I've never seen Charles Kuralt on television. This book is my only experience with him, and that may explain the review that is to follow.

This is the most insipid, cheese-ridden pile of bushwah I've even had the displeasure of picking up. Perhaps Kuralt has an indefinable quality that somehow brings some authenticity to the words that are printed on these pages, but the material itself is just terrible.

I was reminded of a Simpson's episode in which Bart Simpson wins admiration from everyone by peddling schmaltzy "human interest" stories on a children's news program they've started. Now, the fact that I watch Simpson's and am criticizing Kuralt may be indicative of a generation gap that is the root of the problem, but I don't see how anyone of any age could give credence to the heavy-handed moralism that Kuralt trots out, not just occasionally, but in virtually every single segment.

A truly do appreciate the value of nuanced, small town life and the individuals who dare to go against the grain in some way. But is it necessary to spotlight someone who has given their nine children rhyming names (Terry, Sherry, Jerry, etc.)?

There's something about Kuralt's line that seems insincere. Clearly, at times, he's stretching to find greater meaning in something that is maybe a little interesting, but ultimately meaningless. This leads me to think that all of it is insincere, that Kuralt is going to find the cuteness and greater meaning in everything, truth be damned. Even aside from the heavy-handed schmaltziness, it seems like a lot of the people portrayed in this feature are being capitalized on. Some of the people will certainly be ridiculed by most of the viewers; at any rate, they have had their quirky individuality processed and used for the very corporate interests that they flout.

If you are a fan of Charles Kuralt, I think that the tv segments that you fell in love with should probably be where your love affair ends. Kuralt may be a winning personality and a good salesman; if that's true, I recommend that you stick with the news broadcasts, where you can enjoy him as he grew famous: a little bit at a time.