Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I recently read Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home. She uses a mix of first person and collective narration to share her memoir.
What it is about
Set in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, Bechdel shares her experiences as a lesbian daughter growing up with a closeted gay or bisexual father. She explores the complexity of their relationship, reflecting on the effect of small-town life on her father and how his actions affect the family.
How it is told
The memoir is emotional, told by Bechdel herself and as a collective voice on behalf of her family. The use of the past tense makes it sound as objective as possible while maintaining a resilient voice. The memoir is easy to read through the graphics and words. It is also rich in figurative language such as similes and metaphors, and rich in symbolism, for example, the father as Icarus and Daedalus.
‘Our home was like an artists’ colony. We ate together but otherwise were absorbed in our separate pursuits.’
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home, p. 134
Who will enjoy it
This graphic novel explores themes such as growing up in rural towns, father and daughter relationship, suicide, grief and life choices. This is absolutely for queer literature readers, over 18 due to mature topics. Whoever reads this memoir will enjoy and find the humanity in it.
Verdict
I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel and would rate it 5 out of 5.
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