...a near-perfect escape from these anxious times ... The Story of Arthur Truluv is sweet and light and completely free of politics. It’s about love, hope and second chances. Miraculously, Berg’s slim story — it runs just over 200 pages — manages to settle into these themes without being sugary or cliche ... In some ways, Berg’s book is a fantasy that challenges the reader to cast aside cynical assumptions and see the good in people and in the world ... I finished Berg’s novel in one long sitting on that gray afternoon. For several days afterward, I felt lifted by it, and I found myself telling friends, also feeling overwhelmed by 2017, about the book. Read this, I said, it will offer some balance to all that has happened, and it is a welcome reminder we’re all neighbors here.
Berg again shows her gift for creating appealing characters whose lives change in unexpected ways ... While Berg takes some improbable narrative turns, her well-drawn characters hold sway in the novel. Who can resist the kindhearted Arthur ... I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with these lovable people in Berg’s world of unabashed optimism. Sometimes that’s just what’s needed.
Berg writes with a knowing hand about each character’s angst and anguish ... Truluv is a novel for these contentious times. We could all use a bit of Arthur's ego-free understanding and forgiveness of fellow human beings.
Fans of Meg Wolitzer, Emma Straub, or Berg’s previous novels will appreciate the richly complex characters and clear prose. Redemptive without being maudlin, this story of two misfits lucky to have found one another will tug at readers’ heartstrings.
The life-affirming messages are far from subtle, and the fine line between sensitivity and sentimentality is often breached. Aims for profound but settles for pleasant.
Berg’s novel is as comforting as Lucille’s fresh-baked cookies, with plenty of charm and memorable characters. Readers will be taken by this story about how friendship can defy any generation gap and how it’s never too late to find a new purpose in life.
