Truck de India Book Review: Interesting in Parts but Too Heavy for a Travelogue

Truck de India! by Rajat Ubhaykar takes you on an adventurous trip across India through the lens of truckers. It’s a hitchhiker’s guide to Hindustan but also quite a mixed bag of information. The book is interesting in parts but too heavy for a travelogue.

My Rating:

❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍

"Interesting in parts but too heavy for a travelogue."

Check Truck de India! on Goodreads

What the Book is About

Rajat Ubhaykar, a journalist by profession, embarks on an unplanned hitchhiking across India, traveling with truck drivers. He journeys from Mumbai to Srinagar, even traversing Nagaland and Manipur, while capturing the warmth and wit of the truckers he meets along the way. The book starts as a fascinating travelogue, giving a rare glimpse into the lives of truckers, their culture, and their struggles.

What Works?

The book shines while it focuses on the daily life of truck drivers—their witty remarks and unique customs. Ubhaykar succeeds in dismantling the myths surrounding the trucker lifestyle and highlights their sense of camaraderie. His hosts are warm, humorous, and candid, making the travel portion of the book enjoyable and insightful.

What Falls Short?

While the book is engaging as a travelogue, it deviates into journalism sometimes. Ubhaykar shifts focus from life on the road to explorations of India’s history, economy and cultural nuances. These detours into detailed analysis make the book feel more like a research journal on India’s logistics system.

For those picking it up as a fun road-trip read, these diversions might feel tedious. The book loses its charm when "journalist" Rajat overshadows "traveller" Rajat. The content becomes too dense for a casual read.

Who Should Read It?

If you're someone researching India's logistics and transportation sector, this book can be a valuable reference. It has first-hand experiences and detailed insights into truckers' lives.

Final Thoughts

Truck de India! starts as a fascinating, unique look at truckers' lives but ultimately gets bogged down by heavy details and deviations from the core travel narrative. The book offers plenty of substance; just don’t expect a breezy read.

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