What readers think of The Story of Arthur Truluv, plus links to write your own review.

While the subject of Berg's book is not new, her characters make the novel a lovely way to spend an afternoon on your porch. 85 year old Arthur Moses and troubled teen, Maddy, have more in common that you would imagine. They first meet in a cemetery where each has gone to combat the loneliness they feel. They end up rescuing one another and the intertwining of their lives and the development of their relationship is what gives this book a sweetness we don't see much in our world today. A nice respite from things we are exposed to daily.

'The Story of Arthur Truluv' is not 'A Man Called Ove'; it is not 'The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper'; it is not 'The Little Paris Book Shop'. It is a short novel with engaging characters that the young adult reader may find they want to learn more about.
I struggled to stay with the novel. The writing style is simple without that hook that I need. Tweens may identify with the story line.

This was a sweet story about three lost souls and how they find each other and mend and meld together. It is standard fare about love, loss and second chances given to all three characters, each in their own way. It is a little repetitive concerning Arthur and his going to his wife's grave every day. it was also a little predictable. it was an okay novel.

Arthur Truluv is my introduction to Elizabeth Berg's writing. Her straight forward, unencumbered prose drew me quickly into the disparate lives of Arthur, Maddy and Lucille. By the end of the story, I felt rather well acquainted with the featured trio of characters. The plot allowed each one to develop as an individual and to grow into warm, loving relationships with each other. Lucille's persona jumped off the pages. Arthur's gentle nature and insight into the needs of others became a major theme. But Maddy overcame her troubled childhood with such alacrity I deemed too good to be true. I enjoyed reading the book. But without malice, I feel as if Elizabeth Berg for me is one and done.

I enjoyed the light hearted book by seasoned author Elizabeth Berg. I've read almost all her previous books and didn't find that this one had the depth that the others did. She does a good job of having three people who are each alone and somewhat unlikely to have connected with each other, form a family unit that supports each characters needs. I would call it a light feel-good read. I think the take away is that we can all be a friend to someone and that we all have different strengths and needs. We need to be aware and open to what life brings us.

This is a sweet little predictable book; very typical of Elizabeth Berg. For readers looking for a simple, feel good beach read, you won't be disappointed. For others, looking for good, meaty literary fiction this is not your book. Some of the characters are fairly well developed and others not at all. The plot is quite contrived and all the tension that might have been explored is quickly and easily brought to not-quite-believable fairy-tale closure.

How can you not be charmed by an elderly widower who visits his wife's grave every day for a lunch date? The Story of Arthur Truluv is one such delightful book, which quickly pulled me in, but left me wanting more. Arthur and Maddy, the troubled teenager he "rescues", are easy to visualize (could a movie be in the offing?) I wish that I had a better sense of some of the details in their lives. Little details, like how long would Arthur have to wait for the bus home from the graveyard, and is there a covered shelter available. And big details, like how Maddy's relationship with her father and her classmates deteriorated so badly. I found the neighbor, Lucille, a bit irritating and more comic relief than a character I really wanted to get to know better. This could be a good book club selection, with discussions going into aging and bullying, for example. However I prefer my books a bit "meatier"; this was more like Lucille's orange blossom cookies; delicious but not nutritious enough for the making of a meal.

I was looking forward to reading a new novel by Elizabeth Berg, but I was sorry to find it disappointing. It's a sweet tale of the relationships of a lonely widower, a solitary teenage girl, a never married neighbor lady, and a lovable cat. A nice story, but it just seems too predictable and unrealistic although the themes of acceptance, self-actualization and love are worthwhile and well developed. Maybe my problem is that I can't help comparing it to "A Man Called Ove" which has similar themes and cemetery scenes, plus a real punch of humor and three-dimensional characters conveyed in more depth.