Author: Alison Bechdel
# of Pages: 232 (paperback)
Genre: Graphic Novels, Autobiography, LGBT
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the Fun Home. It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.
Review: I only read this because someone had it lying around, and I was able to borrow their physical copy. I ended up wavering between 3 and 4 stars but decided on 3 because I became less engaged as I got further along in the book.
Fun Home is a graphic novel, but unlike other comics (i.e. the manga that I read), it contains the story of the author's life; an autobiography through comics that she drew herself. It is a standalone book (if it had many like a manga or was a Marvel comic, I wouldn't be writing a review for it).
I love this unique way of story telling; it examines Bechdel's relationship with her father and how the characters grappled with being LGBTQ+. This story could have been easily told in a traditional novel format (no pictures), but Bechdel's comics add such a nice personal twist to the story. I enjoyed being able to read her story but easier see each point of her life she describes the way that she experience it.
Classic literature is an important part of her life, thus she makes many references to the books she's read. This was tolerable at first but if you haven't read the same books, some of the references to the characters might be lost. She also goes back and forth through her life's timeline which can be a bit confusing as far as remembering the chronological ordering of her major life events.
Overall, a good and quick read. I would recommend this book if you have an opportunity to read it but only if it is convenient.
No comments:
Post a Comment