dodo19809893

You know, I thought this book couldn't possibly be as good as I remembered it. But it really really is. It is exquisitely paced and laid out and drawn and balances Bechdel's story with her father's very well. And yes, it is maybe a little snobbily literary (Camus, Proust, Anais Nin, Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Wilde off the top of my head) but it is essential to the nature of the characters. So two of the basic themes are important ones. First: family and memory. She makes it clear that her dad was intolerable a lot of the time, but also that there was a lot of good in him and you couldn't really take one without the other. She doesn't absolve him or condemn him and it is such a fine line that I think she walks it really well. Fun Home is both critical of and sentimental about parents with obvious flaws and great passions. Which is perfect - because that's pretty much how life is. Second: Sexuality and self-discovery, I think? She's a little bit less expertly ambivalent on this, but that's ok. Her coming-out process is a literary one, and that's cool. The responses of her parents to her coming out is fascinating -- it is nice that she shows her mom's response:- "my life is tied firmly at this time to family and work, and I see your choice as a threat to both of these." Her mom got a pretty raw deal, and I am glad we get some of her story. Addendum: On further reflection, I think she (unintentionally, maybe} expresses the initial sense of bravery/idealism of people who act on their gay leanings, and how, ultimately, that life is not going to be all roses and sunshine, making that choice is not a panacea. It is all tied up in the rest of your life, and your family even, no matter what you'd like to think. That's what this book says to me. But probably not to everybody. The literary courtship of her parents is quite nice, and all the typewritten letters between their family make me miss my typewriter alot. But yep, I think it's a must-read for anyone who has ever had parents or had a sexuality or liked books. There you go.

2023-06-07 16:49