Puha Road

by Barry Crump

If the handle of spade was going to break; if the tree was going to come back down across the car; if they were going to close just before you got there; if the tractor was going to back through the fence into the boss's wife's ornamental goldfish-pond; if the paint was going to get split on the poodle - it always had to happen when Muxy was around. In fact it's hard to imagine how this Muxy could ever be even remotely successful at anything - but his good luck is as devastating as the bad, and with this intriguing brew Crump takes his latest characters on a search for employment that takes them to the bottom of the barrel, to the top of of the heap, and on to an unexpectedly-touching ending at Puha Road. Good Crump - Good entertainment.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

New Zealand author of semi-autobiographical comic novels based on his image as a rugged outdoors man.

Crump worked for many years as a government deer-culler in areas of New Zealand native forest (termed "the bush"). He wrote his first novel, A Good Keen Man, in 1960, based on his experiences as a government hunter. It was a fictional account of a young hunter who has to suffer through a series of hunting partners who are often unsuitable for the job. This novel became one of the most popular in New Zealand history,

Crump died in 1996 of a suspected aortic aneurysm. At the time of his death he was living at Ohauiti with his fifth wife, Maggie.

abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is almost a kiwi version of “On the Road,” but then it isn’t. It’s the happy go lucky tale of Gavin and Mugsy as they stumble through life. Sweet at times.

The reader of the audiobook detracted from the story quite a lot - I don’t recommend the audiobook. He pronounced “conspicuously” as “conspitiously.” And seemingly suffered from punctuation blindness.

[Gena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dropped a star due to the narrator of the audiobook.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're battling to get past the first third, push on, it's worth it.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Crump books with excellent characters and a typical NZ story.
One of his best books.