The Car Thief - A Book Review

Originally published in 1973, The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner has been republished by Astor + Blue Editions.  

From the back cover: The Car Thief is acclaimed as “one of the best coming-of-age novels of the Twentieth Century.” Theodore Weesner’s modern American classic is now re-launched for a new generation of readers to discover.

Set in Detroit in circa. 1959, sixteen year-old Alex Housman has just stolen his fourteenth car and frankly doesn’t know why. His divorced, alcoholic, working class father grinds out the night shift at the local Chevy Plant looking forward to the flask in his glove compartment.

Fighting to survive, Alex and his father face the tough realities of estrangement, youth detention, and even violence as their lives hurtle towards the climactic episode that the New York Times hailed as “…one of the most profoundly powerful in American fiction.”

I am not sure how this publisher found me. I didn’t really matter to me… they sent me an email asking me if I was interested in reading and reviewing this novel and after reading the above caption I was in. What interested me the most was to see if a novel, written in 1973, touted as one of the best…. Could stand up to today’s writing styles.

Mr. Weesner has definitely written a masterpiece. The fact that it was written thirty nine years ago does nothing to diminish the characters, ambience and sheer cruelty of growing up in less than ideal conditions. Alex Housman is nothing less than a troubled youth and yet he is just so likeable! He has no idea what compelled him to do what he did, but the path he set into motion from his actions altered his life forever.

After reading a short bio on Mr. Weeser you can’t help but wonder…. Fact or fiction?

I highly recommend The Car Thief. It is one ride you will not soon forget.

This book was sent to me from the publisher for an unbiased review. There has been no compensation of any kind.