True Love: Stories Told to and by Robert Fulghum

by Robert Fulghum

Here is the beloved former minister's new collection of real-life love stories that are so unusual, so unlikely and so inspiring that you'll find yourself brushing away tears!

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Romance, Humor, Short Stories, Inspirational, Relationships

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1997

About the author

Robert Fulghum is an American author, primarily of short essays.

Reviews

[Theresa ♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup, I read through all of these stories! I didn't skip a single one!

WHOOOOOOOO HOOOOO my first Robert Fulghum book! I've been wanting to read a book of his since I saw this huuuuge picture frame in my biology classroom.
It was the main article of "All I Really Needed To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten". MY FAVORITE ARTICLE EVER!

So anyway, this book...this book...this book...
Is pretty short.

It's made up of these short love stories (short meaning "2-4 pages long each") that have been sent to the author from all over the country, and of course, the stories he gathered while sitting in a coffee shop beside his sign that said, "Tell me a love story and I will buy you coffee and make you famous."
JEEZ, that seems outgoing! I WANNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT SOMEDAY!

This book might be short (about 200 pages long and the print isn't very tiny), but I COULD NOT read all of it in one sitting. Like the author advises, YOU SHOULD READ A COUPLE OF STORIES AT A TIME!
DON'T GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING ALL AT ONCE!!

And I figured out why.

After reading through A BUNCH OF THEM, I noticed how I was starting to speed-read a little through them. I was turning the pages a little faster each time.
I don't know why, but it just started to happen.
I stopped reading when I did this.

The next day, I pulled the book back out and started reading a little more again, and my reading pace had returned to normal.

I have NOOOOO idea why that had happened to me, but seriously. Read a couple of them a day. Read slowly and understand the stories instead of zipping through. (Unless...you're capable of zipping through and sucking in every word of every story. I don't think I can do that too well.)


Anyway, I liked the idea of this book in the first place. I liked how the author wanted to create a book filled with love stories.
These stories are short. They're not long, descriptive, absolutely melodramatic romances. They're long stories short. And they were written by all sorts of people with all sorts of different handwriting and thoughts.
I can't judge on whether or not I liked the love stories. And since there were all sorts, there were a few that didn't make sense to me and a few that did.
What I can judge is the author's perspective. AND I LOVED HIS PERSPECTIVES!
Robert Fulghum, to me, is a VERY VERY WISE MAN!

"There is a lot of pain in these true love stories. Love causes pain. Love cures pain. And love is a pain. Where love is, pain is never far away. Love will fill your heart, break your heart, and heal the heart that's broken."

Love is confusing. It can occur with "both sides of the coin". It can make you feel happy when you have it and totally depressed when it's taken away. It's weird and hard to understand, and you can't see it or touch it or hear it coming...or smell or taste it, but it can affect the heart and the mind so much.
How? Why? What? I have no idea.

Anyway, his perspectives were very accurate. He's thought about the consequences of love. In this book there was a quote that said something along the lines of "As long as you live, love one another and take the consequences."

If you love someone, you should be willing to take the consequences, no matter what. If you're thinking, "Um, I don't think suffering through this is worth it," then do you really love them?
LOVE CANNOT BE DOUBTED, can it??


Anyway, this guy knows what he's talking about. It's not just some love advice book where the advice given look like

"1. Flirt with power.
2. Fluffing your hair is attractive to guys.
3. Do not come on too strong."

There are some books like that.



Oh, plus, do you believe in love at first sight?
I don't. Not a single bit.
There was a story in this book that stated that you should become friends before you become lovers with emotions and all that mushy stuff. I TOTALLY AGREE.
What if you see some hot person and you go out with them only to discover that underneath that thin layer of good-lookingness, there's a little devil ready to pounce on you?
What if you see some...not-as-hot person and you wrinkle your nose and say "ew" when if you decide to get to know them a little better and actually look into their eyes, they could be able to hold your hand and smile at you in a way that seems to hypnotize you? Hmm?


ANYWAY, this book seems to show ALL SORTS OF STORIES, from the kind of love where all that happens is that you just look at the person and they're caught in your view right away to the kind that takes years to weave.
You don't know what kind of love story you'll be reading next. Its a lot like a box of assorted chocolates that don't come with the flavor guide thing. There are all kinds of flavors, but which one are you gonna get when you get to it?

But some of these stories are so short that they seem fast, as if it just HAPPENED. I'm not sure if love can just happen in the blink of an eye, but yeah.



What I probably like most about these stories is the fact that it is possible for a couple to get together and STAY together, right to the end, through all the consequences and stress and hardships that you can find in life.
I love knowing love like that exists. It's not just some fairytale that I've been dreaming.
I'll grow up, show someone that I know how to love them, and I'll live through those fairy tales in reality! They exist, I know they do! And this book's stories proves that.


So yes. FOUR SPARKLY SPARKLY STARS FOR THIS BOOK!!









If you're a fellow review reader, I just want to add one thing more.

Run after what you care about. If the person you love turns away from you and tells you they want to be alone--well do you seriously think someone who's upset would want to be alone?!
Run after them. Tell them you love them. Show them. And don't regret it.

[Norah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Túto knihu som mala rozčítanú od roku 2019 a ak by ste za rok mali prečítať jednu knihu, od ktorej chcete, aby vám pohladila dušu, je to rozhodne táto.
Kniha je súborom kratších správ od rôznych ľudí, ktorí rozprávajú svoje milostné príbehy. Niektoré šťastné, iné menej šťastné. Osobne som si ju nechcela dať na jeden šup, pretože je útla a tento koncept sa mi tak páči, že som nechcela ani dôjsť na koniec. :D

[Esther Warnke oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collections of love stories, even though most of the stories told are not love stories in the common use of the phrase. It's a feel good book with anecdotes on every aspect of love.

[Rav · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collection of stories in this book is admirable, however I only enjoyed a few of the stories. Love is a topic very dear to me, and a lot of my life and ethics are based around the idea of romantic love, and I must admit, my personal values and biases unfortunately influenced my enjoyment of the book.

On the positives, it is a very easy book to read; light reading, with numerous happy stories of love. There is a good mixture of stories, ranging from childhood puppy love, to deep emotional connections between young men and women active in the dating scene, yearning for Mr/Mrs Right. There are also stories of platonic love, and one or two fleeting, sensual romantic affairs from holidays. Finally, a few stories are about love in the older years, and the importance of being with a soul that shares your destiny, when the days of beauty and passionate love are numbered.

I give a lot of credit to the author for being true to his title, and including love stories free from overt sexuality and hedonism. All the stories in this book speak of love in one form or another; whether it be the pleasures of romantic sensual love, to the deep emotional bonds of mutual existence, to the love of sharing dreams and happiness together. It is free from many modern ills of the pursuit of pleasure without love, and the meaningless chase of sex as a recreation, without the wholeness that is added by love.

Improvements could be stories that divert from the "love at first sight" theme, and attraction to love based initially on superficial aspects such as physical beauty, wealth and personality. It would be great to see more stories about love where the partners met as friends, or were attracted to each other based on mutual enjoyment, or shared values and dreams - and love blossoming and growing from this. It would be also great to see love stories from other cultural backgrounds, such as Asian/Arabic/Indian subcontinental, where notions of arranged marriages, and partnering based on wealth or status can complicate partners drawn in romantic love.

TlDr: Easy read of love stories with happy endings and good moral messages. I wouldn't take any advice from here for the real, complicated world of love however.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine PostSecret, but more than just a sentence, and without pictures.

Robert Fulghum invited people to tell him true love stories - not stories they'd read about, but stories they had experienced. He's compiled a group of them for this book. The stories are short - a page or three at most, and cover all different aspects of love... the beautiful and the painful.

It's a great book to pick up and set down - the stories taken all at once are a bit overwhelming. That being said, I read it in two sittings, and almost cried over several of the stories. It's a look at love that's not overly sweet or too good to be true - it feels real.

A good read-aloud with a friend or a loved one.

[Uncle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm changing my review! I decided to re-read three of Fulghum's books that I had not liked at first. This is one of them. 15 years later, I'm finding that I really missed the boat on this little gem. Unlike Fulghum's other books, this is a compilation of stories sent in by readers / fans of his previous books. These stories are short, true essays on everyday people's experience of love. Some are touching...some are heart-warming...some are heart-breaking and most put a smile on your face. I'm glad that I've chosen to re-read this one and give it a second chance. It's worth the read if you're in the right head space for it.

[Eva Francova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poslouchala jsem jako audioknihu.
Co je to opravdová láska? Láska může být hluboký cit, který přestojí veškeré nástrahy života a dožije se pětasedmdesátiletého výročí svatby, stejně jako letmé gesto, jedno slovo, hluboké přátelství… Robert Fulghum a jeho čtenáři ukazují, že nikdy nemůžeme mít právě tu láskou, jakou chceme. Jedině ta láska, kterou doopravdy žijeme, je opravdová.

Milé, romantické, veselé, ale i smutné. O všech druzích lásky se tu dočteme (si poslechneme). Některé příběhy jsou od autora, ale většina z nich je z dopisů jeho čtenářů. A s tím mám bohužel problém. Ty příběhy jsou natolik krátké, že než se do nich člověk ponoří, už je konec. Některé jsou opravdu krásné a dojemné, ale některé mi přišly až trošku hloupé. A navíc, nejsem úplně povídkový typ, raději mám delší příběhy.

Pro romantické duše jako stvořené. Ale chce si to dávkovat po částech, jinak hrozí předávkování láskou :-)

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book was born of hundreds of stories. Before the internet, people shared their stories with the author by letter. Love stories big and small. A moment, and a lifetime, and everything in between. The idea that some people are a page in your book, some a chapter, and some are woven throughout your entire book. There is value in each and every kind of love.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having come out of my first real relationship, I've naturally gravitated towards anything love related. Experiencing love as I had in this relationship was like no other experience I've had before, and it's left me intrigued/enchanted/enamored with the feelings and concepts of love (both positive and painful). This book was the perfect choice for me given my mindset. Fulghum relates personal anecdotes from all sorts of strangers, from toddlers to seniors, about love in all of its manifestations. Fleeting love, passionate love, tried-and-true love, lustful love, love that cannot be explained, secret love, love you'd assume only happens in fairy tales, love that never leaves you, love that pains you to your core. I read this book because I wanted to immerse myself in love, and I needed to know that other people have been through the emotional trip that I went through because of love. On both accounts, this book delivered.

[Michael John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh... That pretty much sums this one up. The fact that money from the sales of this book go to Habitat for Humanity earned the book it's second star. Most of the stories were pretty forgettable. The one that stands out in my mind was about a student who tracked down the former owner of a used textbook and became friends with her. She was much older but in the end she said if they both had been the same age, they might have gotten married. You see, as I have gotten older, I have found that love is a much deeper well than just a committed couple. Most of the stories are about such relationships and sometimes read like a bad hallmark card. But one of the lines I liked was "love is holy" and that seems to reflect more of what I wanted from this book. This book may be great for a mass audience, but it's treatment of love in some ways seemed superficial to me.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few authors who can truly write for any age. I love everything about this book, especially his method of collecting the stories. As with all of his books, it's something you can read starting in the middle, put down for a month, and come back to start somewhere completely different. And every bit that you read makes you feel more human and more content. I always feel like I have truly gotten "it," whatever it is, after reading Robert Fulghum.

[Claudia Harrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give it 3 and 1/2 stars but I can so I gave 3. 4 would be to many for my own taste. But at the same time how do you rate other peoples experiences. This book has a bunch of "True Love stories" written or told by ral people some of them cute, some suprising and some very endearing. It very entretaining. If you like to read stories you'll like this book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book still read it to this day. It opened my eyes to many forms of love. It also helped me to look for love is the strangest of places.

[DHY · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like some of the stories although not all of them

[Marek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Podtitul knihy zní: Příběhy Roberta Fulghuma a jeho čtenářů.

V knize nalezneme krátké příběhy o lásce. Většinou se jedná o příběhy čtenářů, několik příběhů napsal autor. Byl to autorův nápad, aby mu čtenáři posílali své příběhy o lásce a některé z nich pak vydal v této knize. Autor má smysl pro humor, příběhy se mi celkově líbily, i když často byly hodně krátké. Celkový zisk z této knihy šel na konto organizace Prostor pro lidskost.

O tématu láska by se dalo napsat hodně věcí. Někteří lidé se zamilují na první pohled, mají svatbu a žijí po boku do konce svého života, což je romantické. Někteří lidé se zamilují, aniž by to věděl jeho protějšek a nemohou ho vymazat ze své mysli do konce svého života. Někteří lidé se zamilují, ale stáhnou se do ústraní ať už z jakýchkoliv důvodů. V této knize se tyto příběhy nacházejí. Často se v jednotlivých příbězích dočteme o láskách ze střední školy, o absolventských setkáních a samozřejmě se v knize nachází úplně ty nejčistší dětské lásky. Uvádím příklad milostného dopisu holčičky, která měla 8 let: „Milý Billy, jestli mi neřekneš, že mě miluješ a nepudeš se mnou na autobus, tak se zabiju a tebe zmlátím. Miluju tě a už brzy si tě chci vzít. Susy.“ Láska má mnoho podob a kvete v každém věku, ať už je člověk mladý, anebo v rozkvětu. Na opravdovou lásku není nikdy pozdě. Důležité je, abychom si s dotyčným člověkem rozuměli a chvíle, které s ním strávíme, aby byly pro nás příjemné a obohacovali nás.

Autor je oblíbený v Česku a několikrát jej navštívil. Pro mě to byla úplně první kniha, kterou jsem od něj přečetl. Láká mne ještě kniha VŠECHNO, CO OPRAVDU POTŘEBUJU ZNÁT, JSEM SE NAUČIL V MATEŘSKÉ ŠKOLCE, případně další knihy. Nepochybně se bude jednat o oddechové a humorné knihy s autorovým nadhledem.

Citáty z knihy:

Láska je ze tří čtvrtin sen a jedné čtvrtiny realita. Problémy nastávají, když se nezamilujeme do reality, ale do toho snu. Ale opravdovou láska najdete, teprve až když se zamilujete do obojího.

Opakem lásky není nenávist, ale lhostejnost.

Každá láska špatně skončí - dříve nebo později.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

To bylo tak krásné... pohlazení po duši. Nemám ráda, když se mi říká, jak má vypadat láska, zvlášť od médií a umění si to nerada nechávám říkat, protože mi vždycky přišlo, že všechny ty lásky, o kterých jsem slyšela, jsou úplně jiné než ta moje. A přece - tahle knížka se snaží ukázat tolik různých druhů lásky. Nesnaží se vás přesvědčit, že milovat někoho nebo nějakým způsobem nebo z nějakého důvodu je správné. Protože každý jsme jiný a každý milujeme jinak, což ostatně ty desítky dopisů od Fulghumových čtenářů dokazují. Přemýšlím, jaký příběh mě zasáhl nejvíc, ale bylo jich několik a v podstatě každý dopis mi něco dal. Úvahy o lidech, charakterech, o lásce k věcem, o lásce a přátelství, o lásce a sexu, o tom, má-li být láska krásná nebo bolestivá zkušenost... Jo, místy to bylo trochu hořkosladké, ale vždy maximálně upřímné a opravdové. K dokonalosti tomu možná chybělo to, že mě sice všechny příběhy svým způsobem zasáhly, ale vlastně ve mně nezpůsobily nic hlubšího. Pousmála jsem se. Zasnila jsem se. Pobavila jsem se. Některé příběhy byly i dost smutné. Problém s o/Opravdovou láskou možná v tomto případě je v tom, že nejdůležitější je pro mě ten můj osobní příběh a historky neznámých lidí, které ani nemám šanci hlouběji poznat, prostě nedokážu uchovat, navíc prostě neznám jejich pocity a nemohu jakýmkoliv způsobem soudit jejich lásku. Dává to smysl?

[Bento · Rating 4 out of 5]

ฟูลกัมขอให้คนเล่าเรื่องรักของตัวเองให้ฟัง ทั้งรักที่พังทลาย ก่อรูปขึ้นมาใหม่ รักใสซื่อ รักประหลาด อาการปิ๊ง ถ่านไฟเก่ายามแก่ ฯลฯ กระชับ เข้าใจง่าย หลายเรื่องประทับใจมาก อ่านทีแรกๆรู้สึกเบื่อ เพราะมันไม่กรี๊ด ไม่แรง ไม่มีตรรกะอะไรหนักๆเข้ามา เรามองมันเป็นเรื่องหยุมหยิม(มองผิด) ควรอ่านครั้งละเรื่องสองเรื่อง แล้วปล่อยให้เรื่องราวค่อยๆซึมผ่านเข้าไป กลายเป็นว่าความสั่นสะเทือนไม่ได้เกิดขึ้นที่สมอง แต่ไปเกิดที่หัวใจ! อเมซิ่งนะ การได้พบเรื่องราวที่กินใจ เป็นเรื่องในชีวิตจริงๆ แม้จะดูเชยๆ และต้องให้เวลาร่างกายได้ย่อยเรื่องราวเหล่านั้น แต่กลายเป็นรสชาติงามประหลาด ในโลกที่อะไรๆก็รวดเร็วปรู้ดปร้าดแบบนี้ การทำอะไรช้าๆบ้างมันก็ดีนะ😊
ขอสดุดีให้แก่ความรัก ขอให้รักจงเจริญ🙏

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the author is wont to do, he chose one of the more important topics to being human: love. Coverage spans from mostly romantic to familial and fraternal. Variations go from infatuation, fleeting, and imaginary to deep, lasting, and indelible. Different permutations are shared from first crushes to ones that got away and from 50-60 years of marriage to trysts and infidelity. Through the several stories shared with the author, he curates them expertly, adding his commentary when needed and presenting them in a spectrum of the types of love that we as humans are capable of experiencing.

[zuz.kovi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Fulghum books just never disappoint. This one is again a collection of short stories/observations from life, but this time all the stories have one theme in common - true love. And I mean, true love in all its forms. Some of the stories are definitely not what would you think of in the first place, like those romantic rom-com scenarios, and they rather describe love at first sight or platonic love. But in the context of the book they just all make sense... because, isn't this type of love also part of "being-a-human" experience? And what is true love really?

[Carol Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books you leave in the bathroom and read a story or two at a time. He says that all love ends badly. Posh. I have fond memories of people I won't see again. Some of the stories were interesting. None really left a mark. And if love is an action verb, I didn't see a whole lot of that. And for what it's worth, that love one feels seeing the stranger in a yellow shirt is called fantasy, not love.

[Joanne Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read by one of my favorite UU authors.

In the same lively storytelling vein as "All I needed to Learn I Learned in Kindergarten," and "It was on Fire When I Laid Down on It." Fulghum has written another book filled with wisdom and humor. These are not his stories, but he has collected them into an anthology about love and wisdom that manages to be heartwarming without being sappy.

[John Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've ever read.

Ever.

Mr. Fulghum shares an assortment of love stories, most surprising the reader and giving one something to think about after nearly every story.

My suggestion is read the book like one consumes a fine bottle of wine - slowly. Read a story or two and let it sink it. Spend more time thinking about the book than reading it.

Then share it with others who need hope or are enjoying incredible love.

[DaShannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Fulghum must-read, actually, I listened to this one in 1997 on cassette tape I think. I love his other books- All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It. This on focuses on the theme of love. Fulghum tells the love stories of many and how love endures, triumphs, and grows.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good little book which told stories of love, or honestly set an alarm the love stories we hear in fiction. The stories are short enough that you can read one or two and put the book down and come back later, summer funnier than others, but most you could hear the ring of truth in them.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that Fulghum!

[Jen Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this book to end!

[Miranda Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sbírka milostných příběhů; krásný nápad. Není nic hezčího než láska vyprávěná životem, opravdová láska.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just a short, delightful little read of true love stories as told to the author. There is nothing but feel good enjoyment here!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tolik lásky na jednom místě pohladí po duši i na srdíčku. Nádhera.

[William C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. Written well. You can learn about yourselves reading these book.