Customer Reviews

Truck: A Love Story (P.S.)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Michael Perry is a true writer. He knows how to turn an apt phrase and hits on what is True in life. His earlier book, Population 485, is one of my favorite books (it made me smile and made me cry) Where Perry succeeded greatly with Population 485, he nearly succeeds greatly here. Perry writes on the real deal about people-- the funny, the sad, the admirable, the eccentricities, as well as vulnerabilities and covered-up vulnerabilities (and his own vulnerabilities too) This is where he is wonderful, especially since he is down-to-earth. Perry has lots of human insights in Truck, however they come in a more-meandering writing style. Perry is still a great read, particularly when he is writing about human beings. Read Population 485 if you haven't been introduced to Perry yet; there is little out there that is any better. Truck is very much worth reading, easily worth 5 stars if it had a tightened focus. If you have particular interest in truck restoration(International Harvesters in particular); and/or in the daily delights of gardening -- then you may find these increased meanderings wonderful. Population 485 moved with more urgency but also had the delightful mix of insights and was a fast read. I've been living with (in?) Truck for nearly a week now, soaking in a couple chapters a day. So like the centerline chats Perry describes (shooting the breeze in the middle of the road, one vehicle stopped alongside another) Truck is a book that takes time. On reflection, Perry's meandering isn't a fault as much as it is an accurate depiction of his life. Appreciating and inhabiting this world takes time.

What a wonderful voice! He has a knack for choosing just the right words to bring the people to life. The story could be sentimental but it's not. It could be Lake Woebegon, but it's funnier. Michael Perry knows how to make you laugh, but even better than the words on the page is him telling the stories behind the stories. I listened to him read from his books, and this book zoomed right to the top of my Christmas list.

I flat love this book, just as I did Perry's previous work, "Population 485." But I have to admit, we live in parallel universes: We both call a gas pedal a foot feed (I think we both learned to drive on farm tractors), both had our marriages sanctified by dear friends who happened to be pseudo-ministers of tax-dodge churches, both have second lives as EMS volunteers in rural towns, and both have written books about restoring old vehicles that are actually books about our inner secrets. Michael Perry's book is way better than mine, and I'm glad of that, because his is not really about rebuilding a 1951 International Harvester pickup but about falling in love with his wife Anneliese as a middle-aged loner worried by commitment. May their marriage last forever and may this book be read and appreciated just as long, for it's a work in which every word is carefully chosen, something so rare in an age of lazy writing. It's a book about the glory of true love, and I'm sure that Perry knows John Prine's words....

While TRUCK: A LOVE STORY is a follow-up to the author's best-seller POPULATION: 485, no prior familiarity with that memoir or Perry is required to fall in love with TRUCK. Here are three main themes: restoring a 1950s International Harvest truck, cultivating a garden, and discovering romance late in life - all of which blend beautifully in a story of colorful small-town characters and enchantment. Love on many different levels is the theme unifying all, creating a delicate, involving story which will appeal to general-interest audiences - even those with no prior connections to trucks or small towns!

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

There is something romantic about old trucks and Michael Perry doesn't leave you wondering what that is. His thoughtful, poignant, ALIVE storytelling sets the stage, brings you to the scene (whether that be tinkering, book signing or kissing) then ultimately takes you for an exhilarating ride down the backroads of both countryside and life.

The moment I got done reading this book--the first I've read with his byline--I purchased everything the man's written. Yes, there is something romantic about old trucks, storytellers and yes, even sneezing cows: Michael Perry.

I first read perry's Population 485 and fell in love with his quirky style and incredibly descriptive writing. He truly proves his caliber in Truck. A great read that I couldn't put down. I was fortunate to meet Mike at a book signing in Northfield, MN. He is so humble, and great to visit with. You truly meet the man in his writing.

An incredible read. Highly recommended.

This is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. I enjoy re-reading certain parts of many other books but I'm on my third time through Truck since I got it two years ago.

The title can be a little deceptive because this is not just about a truck. This is a story of the pleasures of a simple life intermixed with the unique life of an author, but an author with the ability to bring out the little details that most of us overlook about our own lives.

It is a love story about: an old truck and its restoration by a not so experienced mechanic, gardening by a not so expert gardener, cooking by a not so great chef, finding a new girl friend at a certain point in life, with many great commentaries and descriptions about everyday life.

Look for the little side-bar on cheap boom-boxes, country music, and NPR.

Enjoy it, again and again and again like I have.

This book was fun. I laughed out loud at some of the situations and/or verbage. The author has the ability to laugh at himself, give credit where it is due, and make the best of most situations. Thumbs up!!

Another great one from Mike Perry! I'm a stoic, and I had tears in my eyes at times. Hilarious, moving, and honest - I'd read the phone book if it were written by Mike Perry.

Try - Truck by Michael Perry.
I just finished an easy read book by a fellow from Wisconsin. He calls it a love story. I guess you will find three or more love stories in the book. But the prime is a 1951 International Harvestor L120 Pickup Truck. He writes: "Those of us who covet International Pickups nurture a perverse sort of pride. Open the cab and you may catch a whiff of geek. As trucks go, International lacks the pop culture resonance of a Ford or Chevy, nor do, they have the arcane appeal of the rarities --- say a Studebaker. International is somewhere in the dull middle, associated more with plowed fields than the open road."
I found parts of the book so laughable that tears came to my eyes. Truth be told - as a boy I lived just blocks from an IHC showroom. There stationed in 12-foot wide showroom windows were trucks in all their glory. No mere auto could compare. Perry peeks into company history and smears it across the pages like jelly on bread making it so tasty - you virtually eat it up. The sidebars about Wisconsin and the love for his sister and brother-in-law never seem to end and you don't want them to.
When you read: "My truck is an ugly truck. I bought it for $150 bucks from a guy named Ron." You can feel reality. Ron had swabbed it with a coat of pink primer and many chapters later you find that it was not primer it was two cans of different paints mixed together to have enough to do the job.
Anyhow - I'll go off and try to read his other books "Population 485" and "Off the Main Street". If, you only have the time and money for one book this year. Try - TRUCK by Michael Perry