Days of the Endless Corvette

Meet one of the most endearing protagonists since Huck Finn: Earl Mulvaney, the small-town Southern hero of Man Martin's debut novel. Have your box of Kleenex handy for Earl's heartbreaking obstacles as he cares for his mother, pursues his Corvette dreams, and woos his childhood sweetheart. Yet Martin's novel combines tragedy and comedy, and you will laugh out loud plenty. In short, your spouse is going to think either you're drunk or going through "the change" while you read the book, but your book club will understand. (And yes, you should read Days of the Endless Corvette with a few friends; it is a novel to share.) Earl's got to put his dreams into action among idiosyncratic small-town Southern characters you'd swear were real--they're that funny. The population of Humble County includes a mechanic who believes that cars evolved from fish and a trailer-restaurant owner who cleverly bypasses the county's alcohol and hunting restrictions. Another town resident endlessly pines for a lost love, not the wife who left him, but the dog she took with her, Digger. Whether this cast is chasing down bees or putting out various fires, the book's wise and winking narrator loves a good joke, so humor scatters down almost every page. Yet Martin's playful and innovative technique doesn't sacrifice soul, which makes this a novel for all lovers of great Southern literature. Days of the Endless Corvette is in part about bringing a hero from boyhood to manhood, but along the way, it touches on everything from Schrodinger's cat to Civil War treasure. The novel is also about lovingly sharing stories, of the meaningful transformation storytelling brings. One of the characters tells his son, "If you love what you do, every day is like a vacation." Reading the book, you will know that you are in good hands, that the author loves what he does, and that you and he are taking a wondrous ride together.

Forrest Gump meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with a southern twang. OK, you literatis probably wonder what I mean by this. The protagonist is awkward, introverted but talented mechanically, and he lives in a world of ideas to replace the human element that he finds so stressful. His star-crossed love object broke his heart (and mine) when she marries a dumb jock because of pregnancy, while the protagonist is still working on second base. The references to southern living are refreshing in that they don't depend on bigotry or center around food. This was a captivating story and an enjoyable summer read, notwithstanding that it was the author's first novel, which for other persons has sometimes resulted in a product only a mother could love. This first novel has appeal to all, and indicates the author has a good future.

While I'm no Southerner, by the end of Days of Endless Corvette Man Martin had the map of Humble County engraved on my heart with Gumm Creek under Daisy's diner running straight through the center of it. I felt as intricately and mysteriously a part of this small Georgia town as the elusive narrator of the novel, seeing right into the hearts of these characters. While the talented and practically sainted mechanic, Earl Mulvaney is the epicenter of the story, fascinating characters ripple outward in Deepstep, Georgia. Martin manages to perfectly capture the ache and promise of a coming of age - reading, I remembered exactly what it felt like even if I never could have described it independently. The story moves seemlessly from the time in which anything is possslbe to the point at which many cards have already been played with poignancy and beauty simultaneously. This novel is a journey you'll be delighted to have taken, and surprised at just how Southern you may feel at the end of it!

Days of the Endless Corvette is a story full of heart and High Sweetness with so many spices thrown in. Humble County, GA would be a great place to call home because of her flaws, not just in spite of them. This community allows a world of unexpected goodness, even kindness from, say, a used car dealer or the biggest jerk on the high school football team. Humble county is a magic place where some people see a pile of auto parts, but others have the ghostly hologram experience of seeing a 1953 Corvette appear and disappear. It's a community where arguably, the craziest man in town, Earl, the young mechanic, also serves as the community confessor as citizens spill their innermost thoughts at his feet as he works under their cars. My only question to Dr. Martin is, does one use the Baptist pronunciation for Humble County... `Umble County? What an amazing first novel! I couldn't be more thrilled for this brilliant humorist and I can't wait for more. At this moment, I'm on the road in a coffee bar raising a caffeinated toast: may your words be endless, Man Martin.

I finished Endless Corvette this morning. It is WONDERFUL. It has it all. Thank you for the moments of delight as I read every word. A tall tale, it may be, but the truth is there. As with all great literature,I safely walked through the issues we ALL think about and enjoyed the trip.