Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" - A Heartfelt Exploration of Family Dynamics

Elspeth Read: Having been a Bechdel fan for many years, this book was a real treat. Understanding her life growing up as a great deal of depth to all of her other books.

Canada on Jul 09, 2023

Aiken: My life doesn't easily afford going out and browsing books at actual bookstores. I can get get out and about if I'm determined, but I seldom have enough energy to be determined.

This means when I want to sample someone's creative work to see if it's something I would actually read or watch all the way through, I have to use ... other means. Let's just pretend I borrowed it from the library.

When I sampled this book, it hooked me so well that I couldn't stop at sampling it. I read the whole thing in one sitting, without even thinking to pause to find out where I could pay her properly for a higher-quality copy that I'd probably appreciate more, because that would take me out of the moment and I didn't want that.

Having finished it, I've come here and made sure Ms. Bechdel gets her due, because she deserves it.

People more eloquent than I have talked about its subject matter and why it's good, but if its description hasn't already turned you off, based on your moral principles, then you're probably compatible with this autobio-graphical-novel and I think you should just pick it up and get started. I'm certain you'll enjoy it too.

TL;DR: Great book;...

United States on Jun 27, 2023

C. Wong: Love graphics and love memoirs, Alison Bechel had a terrible childhood. Her father was the third generation in the funeral business. It is creepy enough to be around funeral decor and have t0 be very solemn always in public but but little kids having to prep the viewing room with the folding chairs and always be immaculare is a fun part of childhood.

I had the experience of working in the upstair apartment of a funeral home temporarily. My first husband's law practice was there. The wallpaper and carpet were funeral home style. The worst part was that I know where the caskets had been.

Alison's farher was eccentric and a perfectionist, not one to give warm hugs. He had affairs with the men he hired and I will never forgive for demanding help with the embalming of a client. Not much help but just being there with a naked corpse is not a good experience for any child.

This book is one of deeply troubled childhood. The graphics and writing was top notch and now I want to read her book about her mother.

United States on Sep 24, 2022

R: It’s poetic and brutally honest at the same time. I enjoyed my time with this memoir and feel that I have gotten to know the author better whilst reading.

Netherlands on Aug 09, 2022

Ola: Szybka dostawa. Książka przyszła w idealnym stanie. Sposób pakowania (kartonowe pudełko typu tear off) bardzo mi przypadło do gustu.

Poland on Mar 21, 2021

João Junior: É impressionante porque é ao mesmo tempo uma narrativa familiar muito íntima mas uma análise em alguns momentos até bem imparcial de uma pessoa tão próxima como o próprio pai. A arte é incrível, a narrativa é brilhante e se você tem problemas com seu pai você provavelmente vai chorar algumas vezes.

Brazil on Feb 28, 2020

Lucia: No conocía nada de la autora. Vi una reseña en el periódico, lo compré a la aventura y fue un acierto total. Es bastante peculiar y alejado de la experiencia vital de cualquier europeo. Tiene partes muy trágicas, un gran sentido del humor y una fina ironía y gáficamente es muy bueno. Tiene trozos duros de leer y más aún cuando sabes que es básicamente una historia real. Y tiene otros surrealistas en la "funeral home" que gestionaba su familia. Si te gusta la novella gráfica tipo Guy Delisle, Marjane Satrapi etc acertarás con este libro. Creo que mejor leerlo en ingles si tu ingles te lo permite. está muy bien escrito.

Spain on Aug 25, 2017

Keith Moser: [Copied from my Goodreads review]
You've probably heard of Alison Bechdel thanks to something used in film criticism called the Bechdel Test. For a film to pass the test it need to feature (1) at least two named female characters who (2) talk to each other about (3) something other than a man. Sadly, a lot of movies don't pass this simple three-question test...

I had fun reading Fun home: A Family Tragicomic and checking to see if Bechdel's graphic memoir passed her eponymous test. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but that's probably just because the test is meant to check films that feature a lot of dialogue and not graphic novels with a lot of narration.

Fun Home tells the story of Bechdel's relationship with her father with plenty of literary allusions (Icarus, The Great Gatsby, what seems to be the entire works of James Joyce). There's also a wide overarching theme of sexuality due to both Alison and her father being gay. The novel is by no means chronological, but as the story continues you revisit scenes with new knowledge.

Bruce (Alison's father) was a closeted high school English teacher and funeral director (who worked at a FUNeral...

United States on Nov 24, 2015