Fun Home

Fun home was one of the best graphic novels I’ve read in a while. The writing was smart and clever, but never felt whiney or indulgent the way memoirs often do. Bechdel has a sort of emotionally distant way of narrating her life. Often times her commentary on the events that transpire in the story are incredibly funny but they’re written in a way that never seems to ask for laughter or audience participation. She’s just recounting the facts. Her simple drawings complement the flowery language she often uses and make even the most mundane details really entertaining. The way she styles her characters is simplified, but not cartoony, which again, fits well with the blunt matter-of-fact narration. I don’t have too much to say about the story itself; Bechdel’s coming-of-age lesbian tale is definitely interesting and her father as a character is entertaining, but what really sold the novel for me was the way it was written and how it was drawn.