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The Car Thief Theodore Weesner 9780802137630 Books

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The Car Thief Theodore Weesner 9780802137630 Books

I was totally transported into the gritty and real world of Alex Housman- a troubled teen struggling to find himself against huge odds- abandoned by his mother, and raised by an alcoholic father, who works the second shift at the Chevy plant in Flint, MI. The Car Thief, was so full of truth, heartbreak that had me thinking about other great coming-of-age novels like Catcher -in -the Rye. It should be on every high school reading list. Kudos to the publisher for bringing this terrific book back to life for as an e-book for a next generation of 'Car Thief' fans.


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The Car Thief Theodore Weesner 9780802137630 Books Reviews

The Car Thief, republished as an eBook in 2012 by Astor & Blue and now available in paperback also, was Theodore Weesner’s first novel, originally published by Random House in 1972. Weesner, a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, went on to publish several more novels and a collection of short stories and is said to be, though nearing 80, working on a memoir and a new novel.

The book tells the story of young Alex Housman, in 1959, in Detroit, a sixteen-year-old car thief. He is driven to steal—but not to steal, exactly, Alex is a joy-rider—out of boredom. He lives with his alcoholic father, has memories of being abandoned by his mother and separated from his younger brother, is ashamed of the squalor in which he now lives. He’s a smart kid, but doesn’t apply himself in school. But, of course, getting caught is the best thing that could happen to him, and after a stay in a juvenile detention center he’s on his way to rehabilitation. He’s seen what the future can be, and he wants no part of it. It’s a fragile recovery, though, with pitfalls and setbacks. The great tension of the novel is the reader's fear that Alex will make a mistake and backslide, and his journey unfolds against the drama of life in his dysfunctional family.

It’s a coming-of-age story, one that is based closely on Weesner’s own life. The biographical note on the author tells us that his home life was similar to Alex’s and, like Alex, he was charged with car theft as a teen. The coming-of-age genre refuses, unfortunately, to go away, and so it’s hard to imagine that readers today will care much about Alex and his 1959 problems. We’ve got more than enough contemporary coming-of-age stories as it is, and way bigger problems.

Still, it’s a compelling read. Alex is a troubled kid, and if we don’t exactly like him, it’s not hard to sympathize. If he doesn’t behave well toward girls—and he doesn’t—he hasn’t had very good role models. His father is a drunk and his mother disappeared years earlier, resurfacing only long enough to take her younger son away. And if he doesn’t make very good choices, it’s because he gets no guidance. Alex is left to fend for himself most of the time—cooking, laundry, house cleaning—and school doesn’t interest him at all.

Fortunately, though, after his arrest, he is aided by two men who understand where he’s coming from. Without them, Alex’s life would take one tragic turn after another. That, maybe, is the message here. You can’t expect a kid to grow up and get it right without someone showing the way. In this case, it’s Mr. Kelly, who runs the juvenile detention center, and Mr. Quinn, his probation officer and counselor. From them he gets discipline and advice. In them he sees men who have come from similar backgrounds who have risen above their youthful mistakes. He sees that he doesn’t have to end up like his father.

We can’t expect kids to figure everything out by themselves, the book appears to be saying. We have to show them the way.
extremely slow moving. boring where was the book going. I did not enjoy reading this book. tHE BOOK STARTED NOWHERE AND ENDED UP NOWHERE
none
The main character in this story was very introspective and the vast majority of the content lacked dialogue and action. If you're looking for a story showing the mental processes of a rather disturbed young delinquent, then this might be the book for you.
Should be a mandatory read for ALL teachers, school boards, law enforcement and any who have contact with children. Usually an underlying reason for behaviors.
It has taken me more than 30 years to get around to reading this novel since first hearing about it from friends who were students of Ted Weesner at UNH. I read the first few pages recently and wondered what had taken me so long--but then again, you only get one first reading of a great book.

I probably can't say much more than has already been said about this book. The economy of the writing has the classic effect of directly evoking emotion and response in the reader. No emoting and interpreting from the author; just reader inside the story with the characters. (Just!) I do have to confess, and this is a compliment to Ted Weesner, that the first 20 pages of this book made me so anxious I had to stop reading. I was fascinated by the character and and drawn into his story--except the incipient danger and horror was so real, I couldn't stand it. I put it down for a few days, and then, because I'm a writer, I knew for a fact the book couldn't continue this way.

Car Thief made a deep impression on me. I can't recommend it highly enough. My only regret about waiting so long to read it, is that I missed the chance to put it into the hands of two decades' worth of students--

And it did.
I was totally transported into the gritty and real world of Alex Housman- a troubled teen struggling to find himself against huge odds- abandoned by his mother, and raised by an alcoholic father, who works the second shift at the Chevy plant in Flint, MI. The Car Thief, was so full of truth, heartbreak that had me thinking about other great coming-of-age novels like Catcher -in -the Rye. It should be on every high school reading list. Kudos to the publisher for bringing this terrific book back to life for as an e-book for a next generation of 'Car Thief' fans.