Fathers - Hardcover

Despite its well-defined topic, this collection of writings about fathers (some fictional, most factual) is diminished by its scattered treatment. The thoughtful, crafted excellence of certain entries is diminished by the preponderance of flip or elliptical, snippet-length observations, many of them only a sentence or two. Reminiscences about John Wayne at his last Oscar ceremony or about Kurt Vonnegut Sr.'s, architectural career, blighted by the Great Depression, are among the most affecting. Such well-known figures as Woody Guthrie and Nat Cole represent the father as hero, while comments by Lauren Bacall, Alexander Woollcott, Norman Lear and Ken Stabler depict the father as villain. A few of the observations are as poignant as Barbra Streisand's "I would have liked to have a father," but in general, this is a distractingly uneven anthology from the author of The Portable Curmudgeon .
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This compilation may sound like a Valentine to dear old Dad, but it is much more literate and reality based than most collections of this kind. True, there is an abundance of warm stories about fathers, but the collection also contains stories of revenge against harsh fathers, beloved fathers acting gruffly, and notorious fathers acting notoriously. For instance, a son who is always furious at his harsh father finally gets even by taking literally his father's command to kill a pesky kitten. To balance such hard reminiscences, there are many loving portraits, such as a piece by Candice Bergen on Edgar Bergen's Swedish breakfast room, a place of exquisite quality time between father and daughter. A good introduction by editor Winokur and expertly delivered narration by four pleasing voices make this audiobook a winner.
Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, N.C.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.