Fun Home : : a Family Tragicomic

Location	Call Number	Branch	Item Status
Downtown 1st Floor	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Downtown Library	Due 09-03-2019
Downtown 1st Floor	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Downtown Library	Due 09-12-2019
Downtown 1st Floor	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Downtown Library	Due 09-03-2019
Malletts Adult Books	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Malletts Creek Branch	Due 08-28-2019
Pittsfield Adult Books	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Pittsfield Branch	Due 09-03-2019
Pittsfield Adult Books	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Pittsfield Branch	Due 09-03-2019
Traverwood Adult Books	Adult Graphic Novel / Bechdel, Alison	Traverwood Branch	Due 08-28-2019
Westgate Adult Books	Adult Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Bechdel, Alison	Westgate Branch	Due 08-27-2019

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Summary / Annotation
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Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Deconstructing Yourself submitted by jaegerla on April 16, 2011, 10:55am This is really something. It's a great touch how she incorporates so many author's works into her life story. Like using literary analysis on your own memoir.

Intertextuality submitted by prlhw on June 18, 2012, 5:36pm There are a ton of great references in this book to other awesome works of liteature, and Alison does a wonderful job weaving them all together to tell her and her father's story. Truly an amazing book!

Great submitted by nicole on June 18, 2013, 4:00pm So many great book references. The first page has a copy of Anna Karenina drawn partially into a frame, and the entire story reflects a lot of themes from that book as well. That sort of reference is constant and I got nerdily excited every time I picked up on one.

Growing Up Gay submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on July 23, 2013, 9:53am Alison Bechdel, most famous for her comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For" tells her coming-of-age and coming-out story in this first of two graphic novels. "Fun Home" (which is short for "funeral home," as her parents ran the town's funeral home) tells the story of her parents' unhappy marriage and all the homophobia and other problems Alison and her siblings dealt with as children.
Most of the book takes place in a small town in the 1950s and 1960s, with the occasional trip to New York City. This includes a visit to Greenwich Village shortly after the Stonewall uprising. Bechdel re-creates the famous image of the window on which the Mattachine Society wrote a plea for peace.
As she comes out, Alison learns far more about herself and her family than she ever wanted to know. The plot includes quite a few unexpected twists.
While it's called a "tragicomedy" the book is mostly sad, with the occasional joke. So, be prepared for a few tears.

Family is complicated submitted by Judeyblu on July 29, 2016, 9:18pm The memoir is the basis for the award-winning Broadway show.

Big Reputation submitted by Meginator on August 24, 2017, 9:21am I came into Fun Home expecting something a bit different than it was, probably because of its reputation. It's a fine graphic memoir and I'm glad that it has touched many people so deeply, but I couldn't really relate to Bechdel's struggles, even the ones that I shared. I can appreciate the artistry and the deep personal introspection that went into creating this work and admire Bechdel's creativity and craft; this is a beautifully drawn book and the illustrations are fundamental to understanding the story. Overall, this book was not for me but I recognize its potential and importance.

Interesting submitted by satz on July 3, 2018, 12:33pm This was a really complex and interesting book. It was cool how the author depicted her own life experience through other literary works. This book is one that deserves a second read.

heartbreaking but also great submitted by Stinglikeawalrus on July 26, 2019, 10:37pm I read this after listening to the musical, and I have to say I think I liked this book more. It's a great story of someone growing up and realizing their queerness. Heartbreaking, as well. I perfectly shows the toughness and complexity of the authors relationship with her father.
I really like this and it was a pretty quick read as it's a graphic novel.

Good submitted by Andy Etchill on August 4, 2019, 1:56pm Like

Over My Head submitted by chowcy on August 12, 2019, 4:16pm Although I know many will appreciate this book, I personally felt that you had to be highly educated to read/understand this book, not just because Bechdel's vocabulary is pretty expansive, but also because there are A LOT of references to literature: Proust, Ulysses, etc. My eyes glazed over for some portions because I just didn't know enough about a literary work to understand the parallel Bechdel was making. The parts I did understand were okay.