Singleton

by Jack Cady, Fajer Al-Kaisi (Reading)

Singleton is a truck driver. Traveling the highways of the '50s, he lives a life of truck stops, lonely waitresses, and endless cups of coffee. His is the story of a man, his truck, and the open road.

Genres: Fiction

MP3 CD

Published May 10, 2016

About the author

Winner of Nebula, Phillip K. Dick, World Fantasy and Bram Stoker awards.

Obituaries:
in Seattle PI
in Peninsula Daily News
in Seattle Times
from Komo News

Reviews

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Cady wrote largely about working men, good at what they do, in difficult circumstances. They are often haunted (sometimes literally) by their past, and have trepidations about the future. Cady often wrote about the type of precision work, often dangerous, that he himself experienced in his life. It gives his books a credibility not often found in books by authors who have simply researched the topic.

In 'The Jonah Watch', Cady drew on his experience in the Coast Guard to recapture the feeling of putting your life at risk constantly, and relying on those with you. This book, 'Singleton', is about a long haul trucker (who used to be in the Coast Guard) who is excellent at trucking but haunted by his Coast Guard past and previous love life, and stumbles through an ongoing relationship with a woman he sees only occasionally. He has other difficulties with his brother's family as well.

Cady is somewhat of a transcendentalist and writes about the feelings that are evoked by working at something you're really good at. He reminds me a little of Steinbeck who was fascinated by working men. Cady's prose is meticulous (he taught writing at a number of colleges) and effective at evoking a mood and highlighting interior monologue. It's a pleasure to read him. Kudos to Underland Press for reprinting a series of his books in affordable trade paperback formats.

[Trux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved most everything about this book, particularly the solitude. After reading some Raymond Carver it was nice to come back to Cady who was kind of a peer and neighbor to Carver but with a spirit and tenderness Carver lacks. I appreciate that Cady writes characters who love women and that he has a genuine empathy and respect for his woman characters. I'd go so far as to say the love is palpable in his books instead of other dudes who are like, "I'm going to write characters representing the gritty realities of misogyny!" Instead you read a book like this one and get a fuck-crush, because . . . yeah.

You can tell Cady wasn't just writing a story about a truck driver; he WAS a truck driver. Not just a wandering artiste pretending to be a trucker, but a real working man. The details of little moments in this book are exquisite plus I love reading someone else grasping and feeling just on the verge of understanding, sensing something just a little shifty and electric beyond the realm of the ordinary.

I wish I'd have copied down a few choice passages to share, but I didn't so you'll just have to read it yourself. Be forewarned, though, that there are some depressing areas. Not like bombs and war-torn bodies exactly, but just like . . . real ordinary fucking depression, the kind that regular people get. The payoff was not bad, though. Not bad at all.

[Steve Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're thinking (as I was) this will be a freewheeling tale of the open road, you'd be mistaken. It's a brooding character study of a troubled 50-year old who shuns human contact and also happens to be a truck driver. As such, it's an interesting read but hardly a page turner. The writing is skillful and beautifully crafted, but more than once I had to ask, "Where is this rig heading?"