Good dads are almost as rare as fire-breathing dragons--or at least so it seems. New from Donald Miller, author of the critically acclaimed Blue Li...
read full description
reviews
Jul 21, 2011
Lyndsey
rated it: 
This might be a five star. I found this book to be thoughtfully written and thought-provoking. I grew up having a great relationship with my father. Miller, however, grew up with a mostly absent father. This book contains his reflections on the place of fatherhood in society and how the absence of fathers affect us. (Eighty-five percent of prison inmates grew up in a fatherless home.)
I like his observations about family. He talks a lot about how parents instill purpose into the lives More...
I like his observations about family. He talks a lot about how parents instill purpose into the lives More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 09, 2010
Stephanie
rated it: 
For some reason this book isn't considered one of Donald Miller's "greatest hits" but I consider this book one of my all time favorites. If you know anyone who grew up without their father, hand this to them. Miller gears this book toward males, but it was very relevant for me as a female. It is sad, but I've suspected for a long time this book didn't do so well because of the cover - it is really ugly.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 02, 2011
Amberlee
rated it:
To Own A Dragon is soon to be re-released under a different title, relative more deftly to the elephant's referenced in the writings.
I have to admit, I am a fatherless child as well, but I did not respond to this book at all the way I thought I would. Mr. Miller's prose, although hauntingly beautiful and powerful in its simplicity, told the story of a boy thrust into adulthood unprepared and ill-equipped due to the lack of a father in his life. It seemed, given our similar childhood experiences More...
I have to admit, I am a fatherless child as well, but I did not respond to this book at all the way I thought I would. Mr. Miller's prose, although hauntingly beautiful and powerful in its simplicity, told the story of a boy thrust into adulthood unprepared and ill-equipped due to the lack of a father in his life. It seemed, given our similar childhood experiences More...
Sep 01, 2011
Eric
rated it:
This is the third book I have read by Donald Miller. The other two are Blue like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What. I am a big fan of the way Miller writes. His books make me laugh and they also make me contemplate. He has a way of writing that makes it feel like you are having a conversation with him.
This book is about growing up without a father and the affect that can have on your life. My father was an active part of my life, but in my line of work with youth at our church I ru More...
This book is about growing up without a father and the affect that can have on your life. My father was an active part of my life, but in my line of work with youth at our church I ru More...
Jul 27, 2011
Kurt
rated it:
This is a Donald Miller book full of his characteristic style - self-deprecating gentle humor, honest observations, quiet conversations, awkward oversharing about interactions with women, references to his childish refusal to read the Bible, beautiful musings on God's love without any real mention of the cross. In theory, there is a common thread about the damage done to children who grow up without fathers, but it doesn't really unite the book in practice. As they did in Blue Like Jazz, Miller'
More...
Aug 02, 2011
Amberlee
rated it:
A more mature, more refined and settled Miller, like a good red wine, is a gorgeous, complex pleasure, to be savored slowly and remembered fondly. If you found "Blue Like Jazz" thought-provoking, and "A Million Miles" exhilarating, this will subtly stagger you. "Father Fiction" plunges into the dark places with a quiet courage, and the changes made (to the work, and to the individual) since Mr. Miller found his father give the book the substance and solidness.* "
More...
May 04, 2011
Tad
rated it:
I'm a big fan of Donald Miller and he did not disappoint with this one. I find his writing style to be very conversational and down to earth which really appeals to me. This book felt like his most personal one yet. I could relate to much of what he wrote about here. While my own father didn't abandon me, he wasn't exactly the father figure I needed him to be. In fact, I really haven't had any good male role models growing up and that is something that I have been seeking for the longest time. I
More...
Feb 03, 2010
Thomas
rated it:
This book is going to go down as one of the most life changing books I will have read in 2009.
I really enjoy Donald Miller's writing style. I really want to read more of his work. I don't believe that he has the greatest grasp on theology but God has taught him many things in regards to being "Fathered" by God and Donald does a great job of presenting it in this book. He uses fantastic analogies, great profound thoughts and very clear explanations.
Donald ha More...
I really enjoy Donald Miller's writing style. I really want to read more of his work. I don't believe that he has the greatest grasp on theology but God has taught him many things in regards to being "Fathered" by God and Donald does a great job of presenting it in this book. He uses fantastic analogies, great profound thoughts and very clear explanations.
Donald ha More...
Jul 11, 2010
Timilyn
rated it: 
I liked Miller's conversational style of writing. He his honest in his exploration of his own life and his search for validation. Even as a woman who grew up with a father, I learned more about who God is as a father, and that he's fathering me. Don put deep spiritual ideas in a fresh voice that allowed me to hear them again and think about them in a new way. As a teacher, I appreciated his chapter on education. It reminded me that I am a missionary in public schools and can show students hope a
More...
Jul 21, 2011
Laura
rated it:
Bestselling author Donald Miller wants to rewrite the story of fatherlessness in America. He's not only seen what happens when a child grows up without a dad, but he's lived it: his father left the family when he was a small boy. It felt him feeling like half a man, certain that boys with fathers were taught what it meant to be a "real man", and torn between the desire to scoff at the need for a father and desire to be fathered.
In Father Fiction, he writes candidly about hi More...
In Father Fiction, he writes candidly about hi More...
Nov 11, 2011
Eric
rated it:
I'm never sure how to describe Donald Miller books. "Ramblings on Spirituality" might make a good subtitle for all of them. This book's subtitle is "Reflections on Growing Up without a Father." Reflections might be another way of saying rambling.
I'm not complaining; Donald Miller is a fun author to read! It was just hard to understand why he wrote this book. I suppose that authors need to write to earn a living, so you just write what you want and put it together in More...
I'm not complaining; Donald Miller is a fun author to read! It was just hard to understand why he wrote this book. I suppose that authors need to write to earn a living, so you just write what you want and put it together in More...
Jul 21, 2011
Cori
rated it:
This book was not really written for me. A) I am a woman and B) I have a great dad. This book was written primarily to the staggering number of fatherless boys and men out there, who struggle with their identities and figuring out how they fit into the world. Something like 90 percent of men in prison come from fatherless families, and knowing this (and being a fatherless son who could have easily ended up in prison) Miller lays out some life lessons for those who find themselves without a dad
More...
Jan 25, 2011
Cassie
rated it:
This may only be the second work of Donald Miller's that I have read, but he is quickly becoming a favorite. His writing is always light, humorous and conversational - which works for me. He writes from life and what he knows, and the uncertainty he has struggled with along the way. I was initially attracted to this book because: a) I knew it would be spiritually related; and b) I lost my father at a very young age. This book is clearly not designed for the female reader, and makes the assump
More...
Jun 18, 2007
Amanda R
rated it:
So, I grew up with a father, a great one at that, so I mainly read this book because I am a big fan of Donald Miller. It was great to get Don's perspective about being fatherless, and the huge impact that can have on someone. Don's writing is simple, but not simplistic. He bears his soul, and its impossible not to be touched by his insight. His walk through his faith, and how to relate to God the Father was eye-opening for me. I've given the book to Gabe to read, as I think any father shoul
More...
May 25, 2007
Jonathan
rated it: 
This fourth read from Miller was to be chock full of thoughts and insights on the harsh and hilarious realities of growing up fatherless, as he did when his father "split" when he was quite young. Unfortunately this thin book wades through tales of Miller's years spent in the garage apartment of his friend and mentor, John MacMurray, who's billed as the co-author. (I'd not want my name attached to this book if I was him.)
Long story long, this book was simply a disappointme More...
Long story long, this book was simply a disappointme More...
Jul 21, 2011
Kamsin
rated it:
Donald Miller is very readable. I guess this book is aimed at men who grew up without a father figure, but it was still an interesting and quick read. I think Miller was over-simplistic on some points, and I suspect that he still has a long way to go on understanding women and what they want. I also think he's kind of fixated on this question of what it is to be a man. Maybe it's an important question but I guess the danger is that as soon as you start to make generalisations about a topic l
More...
Dec 31, 2011
Tom
rated it:
What can I say? It is a Donald Miller book. If you like his books, you'll like this. If you don't, then you probably won't. He has a natural way of showing his life--complete with struggles, victories, embarrassing experiences. I've seen Miller lumped in with some emergent thinkers; I've talked with many who would prefer to keep him out of that group. Part of this reason is likely because when you get to the end of his books you don't really know where he stands on some things--some import
More...
Aug 21, 2011
Jason
rated it:
A good read for guys. Women would like it too, but it is written for a male audience. It's a page turner. I'm not sure sure how he does it, but Don Miller makes this an interesting book...I read it in one sitting, aside from one small break that involved the eating of an entire can of biscuits with homemade grape jam.
There's really not too much about dragons in the book. Come to think of it, the dragons only appear in a single sentence or two.
There's really not too much about dragons in the book. Come to think of it, the dragons only appear in a single sentence or two.
Jul 29, 2011
I don't even know what to say about this book. It meant so much to me. Even though I'm a girl who grew up without a dad, a lot of what Donald Miller said about his relationship and struggles with his own fatherlessness resounded in my own heart. More than any self-help book, Father Fiction helped me heal simply by allowing me to see that there was somebody else with the same feelings as me who went ahead and shared it with the world.
Aug 12, 2010
Candice
rated it:
Another home run by Donald Miller. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, yet another chapter in Don's spiritual journey. Not only is the book easy to read but Don once again keeps us chuckling. Don and his friend John write about the absence of father, and what that absence can do to a person's perspective of God. It occurred to me while reading, however, that even though some people have fathers who aren't necessarily absent, they still might not be the best example of who God the Father is. So I rec
More...
Sep 22, 2011
John
rated it:
This is the first Miller book I've read. I enjoy his autobiographical writing style in all its vulnerability. He shows that sons who grow up without a father (his father took off and didn't come back into his life for 30 years) miss out on a lot and face many obstacles. Yet that doesn't mean these young men are doomed to fail and to be unproductive. Some of the writing is simplistic, some mundane. Much of it reads like a diary that, after awhile, becomes too introspective.
Aug 03, 2011
This book was formerly published as "To Own A Dragon". This book has found its way into my heart as one of my favorites. I grew up with a broken relationship between my father and I which led to some serious issues that I had to confront and work through. This book is like a good friend walking side-by-side with you telling you "everything will be alright if you just trust in God".
Jul 21, 2011
Dave
rated it:
I sent my dad this book as a father's day gift and didn't get around to reading it until coming home for Christmas. While Miller sometimes has a tendency to dance around a point, most of his analogies and anecdotes eventually connect. I enjoyed his insights that "there isn't any better way to help people than to have the boldness to pass them up," and that "complaining is a form of self pity." The thing I think I've figured out about Miller is that he writes books for people
More...
Jul 21, 2011
Kbord
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 19, 2009
Jenni
rated it:
Donald Miller, once again, does a great job of revealing his personal story with honesty and humor, sharing life lessons that everyone can relate to on some level.
A couple favorite quotes from the book:
"...we do not learn to succeed, we learn because in doing so we experience something like the pleasure God felt in the act of creation. We discover His handiwork with him."
"Wounded Healer... It makes you wonder, doesn't it, whether or not God calls spec More...
A couple favorite quotes from the book:
"...we do not learn to succeed, we learn because in doing so we experience something like the pleasure God felt in the act of creation. We discover His handiwork with him."
"Wounded Healer... It makes you wonder, doesn't it, whether or not God calls spec More...
Apr 02, 2008
Charlynn
rated it:
This book was definitely written for guy, but I got a lot out of it. I connected with a lot of what Donald Miller had to say. I love the title. Those of us without loving fathers grow up looking at those who have dads and say, "Wow, that's weird. Must be nice." But, it seems distant and unreal, like owning a dragon. But, on the other hand, my lack of a father drove me to pursue a very deep and personal relationship with God - a relationship I might not have sought if I had a fathe
More...
Oct 22, 2011
Laura
rated it:
I was hoping to enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed Don Miller's other books but didn't. Most of his ideas here are not that novel, and he admits as much. Granted, as he establishes in the introduction, I'm not part of his intended audience. Perhaps it would be more moving if I were.
Jan 31, 2010
Carla
rated it:
Vintage Donald Miller with the spotlight on the epidemic of fatherless homes in our nation. Once again, Miller shows by example with insights from his own life and has established The Mentoring Project as a way to reach out to those who don't have a father influence in their lives.
Nov 25, 2010
Sara
rated it:
It constantly amazes me how a book written by a man for teenage boys who grew up without fathers, spoke so very much to me, a teenage girl who grew up with a wonderful father. It's something I can't explain very well; all I know is that I still had "woh." moments.
Oct 01, 2009
Jeremy
rated it:
This is definitely my favorite of Miller's books from a thought-provoking perspective. I like the narrative style of Through Painted Deserts a lot, but I appreciated the combination of narrative and pseudo-teaching in this book. Certainly not just a book for the fatherless, but for all of us.
