The Liar's Club by Mary Karr
Let's start with a brief intro, shall we? I am Captain Wonderbread, middle America, suburban wife with a dog. I like it. I don't need to get painful tattoos, or kick small puppies to impress anyone with my mysterious darkness. As a matter of fact, I sort of make it my life's mission to NOT wallow in squalor, and I tend to be drawn to light books, light movies, and light music. My husband and were talking recently and I told him that even at my most angry, I was only Alanis Morissette "How dare you dump me you rotten &%*(@#&%@" angry and not Ani di Franco "All men should be castrated" angry.So this is important to know because The Liar's Club is not a sunshine and light kind of book. This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, about some of the darkest subjects. It's the autobiography of a woman who grows up mostly in East Texas (with a stint in Colorado), the daughter of an alcoholic/drug addicted manic-depressive mother with a string of failed marriages, a dark past and a streak of flamboyance that scandalizes the neighborhood. Her father is the solid presence through the turbulent times, a blue-collar refinery worker trying to do the best he can for his family. Most of the book focuses on Mary Karr's life from ages 8-13.
Alas for me, I think this is the kind of book that giving much more detail to would only detract from the actual reading of it. I have no where near the writing skills of Ms Karr. So I'll just go with...Hmmm...I don't yet have a ratings system. How about - just go read it. If even Polly Whitebread likes it (or can recognize the artistry), then surely it's worth a second look.
In the Hopper
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire
Confessions by St Augustine
Labels: Books
posted by MyHusbandRules @ 8:02 PM
<< Home