"Fun Home"

I just read one of the best books for class. It's called "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdell.

It's actually not really a book. In fact, it is the best graphic novel I've ever read. I normally associate graphic novels with my brief but expensive anime phase, and give little shudder every time I think of them. But this one has reversed my opinion of graphic novels! Absolutely beautiful, and tragic, and comedic all at once, it's now one of my favorite books.

The plot follows Alison's childhood, and her relationship with her father. She's a lesbian, and he was a very closeted gay man. Or ... not quite straight man. Something like that. At any rate, it was fantastic. There are a lot of perfection issues in the family, and a lot of interesting crossings between art and life. What really struck me and kept me entirely enraptured was her constant literary allusion. Somehow, she made it seem absolutely natural, and not at all construed or pretentious.

Perhaps that's because I really like to think in literary allusion. Unfortunately, I'm not well-read enough to pull that off in my real life.

One can dream.

Anyway, I would suggest reading it. It's absolutely wonderful, and not as depressing as it really could have been. Thank you, Professor Reynolds for restoring my faith in the graphic novel as a medium.