Book #7 - Fun Home

The book: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

What is this book about: This book details the relationship between Alison Bechdel and her father, particularly related to the father’s death, Bechdel understanding her sexuality, coming out as a lesbian, and learning that her father is a closeted homosexual. Also, it’s a graphic novel.

Why did I read this book: It was named best nonfiction book of the year by Entertainment Weekly, and best book of the year by Time.

What did I think of this book: Man oh man, did I ever think about this book. Today I sat and read the book and just took notes on it—that’s how much I thought about the book. I won’t type them all out here, because it would probably ruin the book for others who might read it, but suffice it to say that there is a lot to ponder. At one point I wrote “nature of truth” down. Heavy.

My thinking was centered around the question of this book as a graphic novel…could it have been a regular novel (ignoring the fact that Bechdel is a gifted artist)? What was the point of pictures? I ended up drawing a complicated chart that pitted pictures against words against literature. In Bechdel’s family, words usually failed…they did not have real conversations, and even Bechdel’s diaries started to betray her when she lied, or stopped keeping them. Literature worked a little better, but those are someone else’s words. Literature was what kept them together, but it’s artificial to only be able to relate your life to literature, to only identify your family members as characters. So what I decided was, the pictures were what was real. She couldn’t lie or hide behind the pictures. The pictures showed what was actually going on.

Anyways, people should read this book so we can discuss it. Just don’t read it on the bus if you are bashful, because some of the pictures have naked people.

What was my favorite part of this book: The use of literature to explain the family. I guess that’s essentially saying that I liked the whole book, because that’s a recurring motif. The poignant ways that Bechdel illustrates the ways in which words fail us.

What did I learn from this book: I can’t say I learned anything per se, but it’s a beautiful book that presents life lessons (for lack of a better term) in new ways.

What grade do I give this book: A