The Rising Son

As you've probably worked out by now, I'm quite a slow (but determined!) reader.  So it tells you something about 'Not My Father's Son' by the actor Alan Cumming that I read it in less than three days.

'Not My Father's Son'
by Alan Cumming
(2015, Canongate)

Alan Cumming may be a star of stage and screen, but this is not your average celebrity memoir.  'Not My Father's Son' is a book about family, physical abuse and the need to understand.  Mr Cumming and his brother, Tom, grew up in fear of their violent father, their childhoods overshadowed by his explosive rages, their adulthoods hastened by a desire to get away as quickly as possible.  Eventually, Alan was able to accept the reality of his traumatic past, through therapy and the support of friends and loved ones, but one day his long-estranged father contacts his sons with news that threatens everything.  This is the story of a defining period in Mr Cumming's life, during which he not only confronts the horrors and mysteries of his own past, but coincidentally those of his maternal grandfather too.

This is a beautifully written book.  Instead of being melodramatic, self-indulgent or a 'misery memoir', it reads more like a subtle suspense-thriller as Mr Cumming searches for the truth behind his ancestor's death (with the help of the BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' programme) in parallel with trying to understand his father's behaviour and its affect on his own character.  By moving between the past and the present, he drip feeds information and builds a tension that makes this a real page-turner.  

The key theme is understanding.  It's not about vengeance, it's not about pity or 'poor me', it's not about abuse voyeurism, although it could so easily have become so in the hands of another writer.  I admire Mr Cumming for managing to stay focussed on the story he wanted to tell rather than slipping into sensationalism.  The plain English used keeps the book simple and factual and it works.  'Not My Father's Son' is heartbreaking, thought provoking, analytical and hopeful.  It also acknowledges that there were good times too, although they were often overshadowed by the fear of abuse yet to come.

Overall, I would recommend this book.  Mr Cumming is brave to tell this story and to do it in this calm and honest way, especially as many fans would want a more glamorous tale littered with celebrity names and showbiz anecdotes.  Instead, Mr Cumming uses the voice his success has given him to talk about something that happens at all levels of society and show us all that victims shouldn't be ashamed.

Now, back to the books.

Everyday Heroes

Decided I'd been such a good little reader last month that I could treat myself with a trip to the bookshop.  Couldn't decide what I fancied, so asked the Twittersphere and it certainly came up trumps!

'All My Friends of Superheroes'
by Andrew Kaufman
(Telegram, 2006)

I've just finished 'All My Friends are Superheroes' by Andrew Kaufman. This short novella (just over 100 pages in my edition) is the story of Tom and his superhero wife the Perfectionist.  At their wedding reception, a jealous ex hypnotised the Perfectionist and he's been invisible to her ever since.  It's now several months later and, thinking she's lost him forever, the Perfectionist has decided to move to a different city.  But Tom is still nearby, his heart disintegrating, desperately trying to work out how to break the spell cast over his bride.   As they board  the plane to Vancouver, he realises this is his last chance to make her see him again.  But can he do it before they land and her new life begins?


'All My Friends are Superheroes' isn't everyone's cup of tea.  It thrives on metaphor and allegory, creating an almost reality in the style of Neil Gaiman.  These are not the caped and spandex-swathed superheroes of comic books or movies, these are people whose key character traits define them and, even when negative, give them strength and make them special.  It was interesting to see the way the author had taken mundane and everyday characteristics and turned them on their heads.

Overall, this is a book about identity and relationships.  Charming and interesting though the story is, however, I can understand why some readers would feel a bit peeved by a book this short costing as much as a 300-400 page paperback.  I usually try to think in terms of how much I'd pay for other things, like magazines, but perhaps the novella and short story market would be given a boost if books like this were priced differently.  Otherwise there's a risk they will always miss out because people will only buy them at a discount, by which time it's too late for them to be a bestseller.

I've already decided this is going to be a Christmas present for a few people this year, however, and want to read more by this author.  But if they're all this short, whether I will buy more books or borrow them from the library, only my bank balance can tell.