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purplepierogi's review against another edition
4.0
this is the kind of memoir that has a really haphazard timeline and jumps around a lot. which is fine ! it also was very funny but in a sort of overstuffed way; genuinely every line is a punchline. I guess whether you find the book satisfying depends a lot on how funny you find those punchlines, your affinity for vignettes of dysfunctional people told in hyperbolic prose. I liked it but it did get old, and is more quirky than slap your knee funny. does this make me a weepy memoir curmudgeon?
khornstein1's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a present from someone who knows I am a devout Episcopalian...a church in which having a priest as a father doesn't really raise an eyebrow--but this Daddy is Catholic! Patricia Lockwood's dad converts to Catholicism after he has a family, and gets special dispensation from Rome.
So at first I was annoyed at the overly-precious (and pretentious?) prose: everything is a metaphor. Plus the usual, "Catholicism is lame..."
But I stuck with this book, and about 3/4 of the way through, there is a remarkable passage in which Lockwood describes herself as (these are not very great examples, and made up by me here) someone who looks at a communion wafer and sees a dove, looks at stained glass and sees a church made out of semi-transparent walls. In fact, she looks at almost everything in her environment and it takes the form of something else. And it struck me, that when I look at a paperclip, it might remind me of something, but I don't walk around seeing everything in this multi-dimensional way. But she does, and she's describing a childhood where a lot of strange things took place (almost "Running with Scissors" like but not quite), but she experienced and coped with them through seeing them via the eye of an artist, or writer.
Then, I enjoyed the rest of the book! And I was sympathetic to Lockwood who must have had a hard time growing up, literally, in the church (or in the rectory, with seminarian students around and parishioners knocking on the door)--in some ways, she also reminded me of the main character in Fun Home.
It's worth checking out if you like memoir.
So at first I was annoyed at the overly-precious (and pretentious?) prose: everything is a metaphor. Plus the usual, "Catholicism is lame..."
But I stuck with this book, and about 3/4 of the way through, there is a remarkable passage in which Lockwood describes herself as (these are not very great examples, and made up by me here) someone who looks at a communion wafer and sees a dove, looks at stained glass and sees a church made out of semi-transparent walls. In fact, she looks at almost everything in her environment and it takes the form of something else. And it struck me, that when I look at a paperclip, it might remind me of something, but I don't walk around seeing everything in this multi-dimensional way. But she does, and she's describing a childhood where a lot of strange things took place (almost "Running with Scissors" like but not quite), but she experienced and coped with them through seeing them via the eye of an artist, or writer.
Then, I enjoyed the rest of the book! And I was sympathetic to Lockwood who must have had a hard time growing up, literally, in the church (or in the rectory, with seminarian students around and parishioners knocking on the door)--in some ways, she also reminded me of the main character in Fun Home.
It's worth checking out if you like memoir.
mariberries's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Pedophilia, and Suicide
marinaemoore's review against another edition
5.0
It is abundantly clear when reading this that Lockwood is first and foremost a poet. She masterfully dissects both the Catholic Church and her family dynamic with splendid, quick-witted and quirky precision. I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir.
soniakweaver's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This is my favorite memoir of all time. It’s deep but makes me laugh out loud. I recommend it to almost everyone
cornwife's review against another edition
Ideal for reading aloud to your own dad.
lizzybaby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
5.0
Most memoirs fit into two categories: either someone has had a really interesting experience but isn’t a great writer, or they’re a great writer who nothing that interesting has happened to. This is a rare case where you have both.
Hilarious and devastating all at once.
Hilarious and devastating all at once.