Monday, May 15, 2017

Non-fiction Review: Fun Home



Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
by Alison Bechdel

Overall Rating: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters 5/5
Writing: 4/5

Alison Bechdel is also the author and illustrator of Dykes to Watch Out For. This graphic novel follows Bechdel through her early life and details her relationship with her father, who ran a funeral home and died when she was in college. It also maps her coming-out story and how her relationship with her family affected the person she became.

Fun Home is funny, discomforting in places, and honest. While this bills itself as a "family" tragicomic, it is more about family than it is family-friendly. There is nudity and content that would probably make most parents think twice about allowing a younger teen read it, though it is a stellar offering for adults and older teens.

I really enjoyed this insightful examination of family dynamics and how they can affect us, personally and formatively. I did find the story to wander a bit aimlessly, though, which happens sometimes in memoirs. A great read, though, and one I would highly recommend.

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