Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-8 of 8
 The Howling Fantods March 6, 2001
J. R. Foster (Lawrence, KS, USA)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Ackerley, a subtle and unassuming writer, has lately been quietly adopted as a "gay" writer. The term seems to have had less meaning in Ackerley's time than in ours. "My Father and Myself" would perhaps have been, at the time it was written, a suspenseful tale; it is constructed almost as a mystery. The modern reader, alert to every faint whiff of suggested homosexuality, will have guessed the memoir's (un-)shattering conclusion well before he has reached the end. No matter: Ackerley could've written elegantly and compellingly about stock-car racing, or peeling paint; his material here--his father's past and his own youth--is of universal interest, and of particular interest to unhappy sons.
Two Lives, One Lesson September 27, 2000
Jacob Victory (Nutley, NJ USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
My Father and Myself, by J.R. Ackerley, lends insight into the minds of two men, both curious and proud, both leading secret lives. The book, in reality, is two parallel stories that merge into one. Both stories attribute the same themes: upholding honor to one's family and self-worth; love; past lives; abandonment; and learning to accept truth, even if one is not prone to liking it, or respecting it. I like the way the book, written like a carefully plotted novel, is thoughtful in it's approach to building upon the "history" of both father and son while slowly revealing that both men had secrets. And each secret tells of a son's ultimate forgiveness of a father and a father's loyalty to his families, however way one looks at it. Clever in its approach, witty in its storytelling, My Father and Myself is a good read, one that allows the reader to dwelve into the pysche and lives of two men. The reader will learn something, too, as the book ultimately teaches a story about perception and reality.
 Like Father Like Son--Or Not? September 11, 1999
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
I find I'm unable to start this review without falling upon a tired cliché, but the truth does seem stranger than fiction. Cliché aside-this is a fascinating account. Ackerley's self deprecatory style masks an uncommonly contagious wit. What masquerades as a tragic story reveals ultimately as a tale of lives lived to the fullest. The lives of the father and of the son--the story suggests these two lives were worlds apart. Between the lies and the lines, the real story suggests these lives were inextricable and extensional. The book cover illustrates to perfection the essence of the tale, its metaphors are both cogent and covert. Judge this book by its cover--it is as uniquely exquisite. Five stars to the publisher for bringing this book back in five star fashion. Read the introduction last!
|
