Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Reading My Father: A Memoir

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 469 ratings · 122 reviews

PART MEMOIR AND PART ELEGY, READING MY FATHER IS THE STORY OF A DAUGHTER COMING TO KNOW HER FATHER AT LAST— A GIANT AMONG TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN NOVELISTS AND A MAN WHOSE DEVASTATING DEPRESSION DARKENED THE FAMILY LANDSCAPE. In Reading My Father, William Styron’s youngest child explores the life of a fascinating and difficult man whose own memoir, Darkness Visible, so...more

ebook, 304 pages

Published April 19th 2011 by Scribner (first published April 4th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,313)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 24, 2012 Lily Bart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hi Everyone!

My name is Alexandra Styron, and I'll be leading you on a guided tour of my famous father's total disintegration as a human being. William Styron was a very cool and famous writer with tons of cool and famous friends! To honor his memory, I'll be skimming over his early life (and his great early books) in the most perfunctory fashion I can manage, avoiding original insights whenever possible. I'll also be name-dropping furiously, recycling mountains of used-up literary gossip, and pr...more Hi Everyone!

My name is Alexandra Styron, and I'll be leading you on a guided tour of my famous father's total disintegration as a human being. William Styron was a very cool and famous writer with tons of cool and famous friends! To honor his memory, I'll be skimming over his early life (and his great early books) in the most perfunctory fashion I can manage, avoiding original insights whenever possible. I'll also be name-dropping furiously, recycling mountains of used-up literary gossip, and promoting myself as the fabulous, talented, amazingly compassionate young rich white girl that I really am.

Ready? Let's begin!

When I was a little girl, Daddy was drunk all the time. Drunk and angry. Did you know that drunks make lousy fathers? Sad but true. My Daddy was really one of the worst rich white fathers in Connecticut. I think one major problem is that he was drunk all the time. Another one was that he never actually had to work for a living. He said he was writing in his study, but it was usually a good ten years or more between books. Anyway, it was so embarrassing to have him come staggering out of his "study" every evening at dinner time and bellowing, "Albert! More wine, Albert. More wine! I've humiliated blacks, women, and Holocaust survivors enough for one day. More wine, Alphonse! More wine! General Lee can't free the slaves without more wine!" That was his idea of a joke, see. My name is Alexandra but he used to call me Al, or Albert, or whatever.

Oh, and I'm not sure, but I don't think Robert E. Lee actually freed the slaves. I think it was Ronald Reagan, or Abraham Lincoln, or some big Republican president. Daddy was always screaming about hating Reagan and the Republicans. I don't know what Ronald Reagan ever did to him. But I'm pretty sure the Republicans freed the slaves.

The thing is, in my daddy's world, facts never counted for much. That's why he made a proud, defiant black hero like Nat Turner into a sniveling coward who looked down on other blacks and secretly lusted after white women. Can you imagine that back in the Sixties some black people actually found that offensive? What a bunch of kooks.

Anyway, my childhood was rotten. Except for all the famous, glamorous, fabulous people who came over for dinner every night. Famous people are soooooo cool!!!! Did you know that it's really cool to be rich and famous? Daddy had lots of famous friends. And they all drank a lot. So that just proves that Daddy was never an alcoholic. So there!

Well, tragically enough, after getting sloppy drunk every day for forty years, my father mysteriously developed health problems. He wasn't an alcoholic, he was just depressed. Very, very depressed. This is why his later books are so impossible to read. On the other hand, once he got too old and feeble to bellow and snort all the time we kids actually liked spending time with him. We never went through his pockets for spare change, but we did clean out all the unused bathos in his unreadable later manuscripts. You never know when a bucket load of bathos will come in handy!

My father died a slow, horrible death. There was nothing funny about it. Except for all the cool famous people who kept getting in our way when we were trying to rush him to the hospital! It was sad to see him go, but with a husband, a family, and a literary career of my own -- don't laugh, I earned it all on my own by beating out dozens of other rich white girls -- I guess it's time for all of us to move on.

And so, as Arnold Schwarzenegger once said while humping Maria Shriver on our back porch in Martha's Vineyard while Daddy lay passed out in a pool of his own urine still clutching a Norman Mailer voodoo doll stuffed full of pins, "Hasta La Vista, Baby!"(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, the-writing-life, found-in-the-swapshop

I heard Alexandra Styron read from her memoir recently at The Mount in Lenox, MA (Edith Wharton's home). She's an excellent speaker and it was a riveting hour. I was therefore very much looking forward to reading her book, which I'd by chance found on the Swap Rack at my local cafe.

The first half of the book (she read the 2nd chapter) does not disappoint. Alexandra's tales of researching her father through his letters and papers housed in the collection at Duke University, along with tales of gr...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 18, 2012 Jody rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, 2012-reading-challenge, memoir

I became a fan of Styron's after reading "Sophie's Choice" and sealing the deal with "Darkness Visible". For those of us who are both book lovers and deal with chronic depression, "Darkness Visible" was and is a huge help in spreading awareness of this oft stigmatized illness. I was really excited to read this memoir. I was hoping I'd get some insight into Styron's personal life and how he dealt with recurring depression from his daughter's perspective. Instead, I just felt disappointed. It's n...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Manfred rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the first few pages of this book, I got the impression that William Styron was sort of a one-dimensional troll under a bridge when it came to fatherhood. By the last few pages my impression had not changed, so either he truly was nothing more than that, or Alexandra Styron failed to fully realize a true portrait of her father. As others have said, this appears to be three books that don't quite add up to one. She gives mention of the destructive chasm opening under her father's literary gener...more

like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Bernie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Books by children of famous often fall into two categories: "Mommy Dearest," or a name-dropping memoir that reveals little about the author. But this book by Alexandra Styron, the youngest of William Styron's four children, is less easy to characterize. A gifted writer, Ms. Styron has far more ambivalent and complicated feelings about her famous father than most authors. Ms. Styron's father was, according to her, difficult, tyrannical, charming and, in the end, terribly sad. Early on, Ms. Styron...more Books by children of famous often fall into two categories: "Mommy Dearest," or a name-dropping memoir that reveals little about the author. But this book by Alexandra Styron, the youngest of William Styron's four children, is less easy to characterize. A gifted writer, Ms. Styron has far more ambivalent and complicated feelings about her famous father than most authors. Ms. Styron's father was, according to her, difficult, tyrannical, charming and, in the end, terribly sad. Early on, Ms. Styron writes of the "exquisite irony" that her father's readers adored him but his family often found him frightening. "How could a guy whose thoughts elicit this much pathos have been, for so many years, such a monumental asshole to the people closest to him." (Towards the end of the book, when Ms. Styron gave up her struggling career as an actress to publish a novel, her father barely said a word to her.) But Ms. Styron --despite everything -- is able to look at her father with remorseless pity. The final twenty years of Mr. Styron's life he faced suicidal depressions that led to numerous stays in psychiatric hospitals. By the time of his death in 2006, the famous author of "Sophie's Choice," and "The Confessions of Nat Turner," was a physical and emotional wreck.
What's surprising is that Ms. Styron is unsparing about her father, but never seens to grapple with (or make judgements) about her mother Rose Styron. The elder Mrs. Styron was an heiress from Baltimore whose money helped give the family large homes in Roxbury, Conn. and Martha's Vineyard. Mrs. Styron seemed to care about three things. Throwing endless parties with famous guests, the more famous the better. (From James Baldwin to the Kennedys to, of all people, Frank Sinatra). Mrs. Styron also seemed on the run to New York and Eastern Europe to dabble in human rights issues and other causes. Finally, Mrs. Styron oversaw the family, but seemed to leave the children to the household staff. (Ms. Styron implies that her mother's travels were probably a yearning to escape her husband).
Ms. Styron manages, somehow, to take several steps back from her father to understand him, lacerate him and love him. She walks a tightrope here, and succeeds. (less)

like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexandra Styron has some distinctive gifts as a writer. Her sentences are never dull, and with "Reading My Father" she does a nice job merging material from diverse sources. The roughly chronological structure of the book gives it a natural narrative arc. Yet Styron also seemed to box herself into a corner by sticking with this strict timeline of her father's life. The book is marketed as a memoir but a lot of the early stuff arrives secondhand from letters William Styron wrote or from the earl...more Alexandra Styron has some distinctive gifts as a writer. Her sentences are never dull, and with "Reading My Father" she does a nice job merging material from diverse sources. The roughly chronological structure of the book gives it a natural narrative arc. Yet Styron also seemed to box herself into a corner by sticking with this strict timeline of her father's life. The book is marketed as a memoir but a lot of the early stuff arrives secondhand from letters William Styron wrote or from the earlier biography by James West. If I want a summary of William Styron's life, I'll read West's book. I was hoping for a more intimate account of Alexandra's interactions with her father. Unfortunately I'm not sure I come away knowing much more about Alexandra or William. The book's greatest weakness, however, is one of focus or tone, which may come from the author's ambivalence about her subject. She reminds us throughout that Daddy was hell to live with, but the events don't seem to support it. One almost gets the sense Alexandra's editor kept reminding her to toss in some drama, or maybe she simply worried that a mild account of life with father might not keep readers interested. Because the bottom line is that the events depicted in "Reading My Father" don't quite support the accusations. William Styron's rants sound almost comical, a lot of bark with very little bite. Like the other literary heavyweights of his generation, he drinks, but his drinking doesn't seem to lead to any great tragedies, nor is he physically abusive. What he appears to be, more than anything, is distant. He spent more time in the world of his books than he did with his children, so at worst he is guilty of a sort of benign neglect. He left the children to their own devices, even going so far as to let them live by themselves as teens in the little house on the Vineyard. He was disinterested and overly permissive but none of the children seem the worse for it, and a telling demonstration of that occurs at the book's end, when the family gathers around William Styron's bedside. I think the reason we don't learn a great deal about William Styron from this book is that Alexandra didn't ultimately know him very well. She calls up old friends of her father's, pores over his letters, consults with his biographer, all this archaeology to figure out who Daddy was. An interesting project, but also kind of a sad one. (less)

like · see review

Oct 18, 2011 Terry rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction

Ugh. "Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" blah blah blah.

I had a hard time not regarding Alexandra Styron as a bit of a spoiled brat, and I feel bad just for writing that, but really, I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone that a person, let alone a famous person, can present one "face" to the world and a completely different "face" to his or her own family.

I feel that this book really was trying to be at least three different books at once, and all of them unsuccessful...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Bernie Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The author writes about herself, her family and principally about her father the writer, William Styron. It is a major addition to the understanding of this great American author (William), noted primarily for two major books, Sophie's Choice and the Nat Turner African American revolt. There is a plethora of a plethora of name dropping, which tends to take away from the overall flow of the book. Yes, Lennie Bernstein and family played marvelous piano during Christmas. Truman Capote was an early...more The author writes about herself, her family and principally about her father the writer, William Styron. It is a major addition to the understanding of this great American author (William), noted primarily for two major books, Sophie's Choice and the Nat Turner African American revolt. There is a plethora of a plethora of name dropping, which tends to take away from the overall flow of the book. Yes, Lennie Bernstein and family played marvelous piano during Christmas. Truman Capote was an early muse of William. The name dropping often isn't even explained. They are either very famous or just famous.

The sections dealing with Styron's ongoing serious bouts of depression, and his writing of Darkness Visible are revealing. The book is a bit of a jumble, going back and forth in time - sometimes confusing as to who says what to whom and why. Where does Alexandra the youngest of the Styron children fit into this? Sections of the book concentrate on her role as the little baby of the family. But, in reality, it adds little other than to help context.

She is a talented writer, of that there is no doubt. In reality, the book is supposed to be about her and her relationship with her father, mother, siblings, many many celebrities - there is always more and more (Bill and Hillary Clinton drop in - everyone and anyone who has been on Martha's Vineyard seems to be a player) ... but, as messy a jumble as it is - Styron was something of a human jumble himself. But, many people, genius and just regular are like that. Styron just happens to be very famous about how he accomplished what he accomplished by roaming around his house according to strange schedules and quirky interactions with family and friends.

My humble opinion - the book is well worth reading - but be prepared to wonder who the book is really about...its called a memoir. But I kept skipping to the parts about Dad Styron. There is much interest - Teddy Kennedy was a regular drop in ... the gossipy parts don't enhance, but keep the interest flowing.

There are better biographies and writings about William. And there is Styron himself - if you haven't read his works, here is a reminder of just who he was. His daughter doesn't really do much analysis of the why's and how's of why her father was one of the angels of writing.

For many, Styron remains one of the great talented writers of all. He's probably better known fro the movie version of Sophie's Choice, than the actual great book that lead to it. If anything, this "memoir" should light an ongoing interest in the man and his output, as few as they were. He did not write another major novel in the last 27 years of his life, not for trying. He kept writing, but in the end he has left 2 masterpieces and maybe another that could qualify. How did such a grumpy, confused man create such great work? In the end, the question remains.(less)

like · see review

Aug 20, 2011 Vivian Valvano rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexandra Styron's memoir of her father is beautiful. I believe that she tells a very honest account of her life in the family Styron, as dominated by the brilliant writer but difficult person and, heartbreakingly, mentally ill, William Styron. I like the fact that she doesn't tell this tale strictly chronologically. It seems more realistic and more intriguing and more innovative to me that way. Styron's personality was problematic, but his catastrophic depression, not acknowledged and diagnosed...more Alexandra Styron's memoir of her father is beautiful. I believe that she tells a very honest account of her life in the family Styron, as dominated by the brilliant writer but difficult person and, heartbreakingly, mentally ill, William Styron. I like the fact that she doesn't tell this tale strictly chronologically. It seems more realistic and more intriguing and more innovative to me that way. Styron's personality was problematic, but his catastrophic depression, not acknowledged and diagnosed until 1985, was earth-shattering. His last published novel, the masterpiece SOPHIE'S CHOICE, was published in 1979, and he died in 2006. That sentence alone should reveal the scope of the disaster. I love the way Alexandra declares of her father, "First and foremost, my father was a novelist. 'A high priest at the altar of fiction,' as Carlos Fuentes describes him, he consecrated himself to the Novel." (Not to his family, mind you ... to the Novel.) And this: "I think Daddy put his nonfiction in the category with his four living, breathing children. There was affection for what he'd made, and frequently, pride. But the Novel owned his heart, and was the one thing about which he really gave a damn." But this memoir is not a blast of hatred, and certainly not a series of whines, directed against Alexandra's father. Rather, there is much deep, abiding love here, a fair bit of hard won understanding, lots of pain, some humor, and an overweening sense of the adventure in being part of this particular family. "I do believe that Daddy's love for all of us, and ours for him, kept him alive," Alexandra writes. And this youngest child, I think, worked hard to understand and present to the best of her ability her father. Sometime after his first breakdown and his writing of his memorable account DARKNESS VISIBLE, he told her, "You know, anyone who writes a couple of first-rate novels in his lifetime has done all that can be expected of him." Thank you for those novels, William Styron. Rest in peace, and, as the Emily Dickinson poem you quoted so memorably in SOPHIE'S CHOICE directs, "wait till judgment break/Excellent and fair." (less)

like · see review

May 15, 2011 Sally Wessely rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is quite interesting and insightful, but as another review said, it is also a bit of an uneven read. Even so, it is worth reading to gain insight into the life of William Styron, his illness, and the effect that mental illness had on those who watch their loved ones suffer.

Sadly, mental illness impacts the entire family in profound, lasting ways. William Styron would never win any awards for his ability to parent, but his family rallied around him and his battle with his many illnesses...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2012 Pearl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-cd, biographies

Alexandra Styron did a wonderful job with this book, writing what it was like growing up as William Styron's daughter, and the youngest of four children. The book deals with Styron's success as a writer, but also describes the husband and father, and a man dealing with mental illness. A successful writer, devoted son and man of many friends, Styron is far from being the devoted and caring father/husband.

As the much younger 4th child, her older silbings out of the house at college, she actually...more

like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Marianne Meyers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I want to give this book 3 1/2 stars, but not having that option, I gave it 4 because the story is so compelling. Growing up with a depressed and distant father who happens to be a great American author, his youngest daughter tried to figure out her life through the years. After her father's death, she decided to look through all of his writings and letters to discover who he was. Fascinating observations, moments caught in time. No easy man, William Styron. As a read, I felt the author needed m...more

like · see review

May 02, 2012 Edith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

I REALLY enjoyed this daughter’s extremely well-written story of her famous writer father. I am always impressed when a son or daughter writes their parent’s story, balancing both positive and negative aspects of life with them. Alexandra Styron writes an excellent memoir.

William Styron wrote four major books that are well-known: “Lie Down in Darkness” (published when he was only 22), “The Confessions of Nat Turner” for which he received the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, “Sophie’s Choice” wh...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2012 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs

If you love William Styron's work, you will love this book. So, I loved this book. I knew that he, like many authors, had his demons, but his daughter's book offers a perspective that only a close family member could provide. He could be sweet, brilliant, charming, irascible, withdrawn, selfish, and demanding, sometimes all in one hour. Like many writers, he struggled to come up with the next great novel and questioned his abilities to withstand that pressure and produce good writing. He fought...more

like · see review

May 30, 2011 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to read this book because I am a big fan of William Styron's writing. I read Sophie's Choice and Confessions of Nat Turner and they stayed with me for a long time after reading them. I later read Darkness Visible which Styron wrote about his battle with severe depression. I found that book very honest. But when I saw that his youngest daughter, Alexandra, wrote a biography/memoir, I knew I had to read it. And as I expected, it gave a lot more insight into the man that was her father. M...more

1 like · like · see review

May 23, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ms. Styron is an excellent writer--and she does not shy away from the sometimes painful or unflattering memories from both her life and her famous father's. Above all, this memoir is not what it could have been: a name-dropping tell-all sensational read. The author's honesty and respect for What Really Happened is refreshing, and is not pushed past the point of integrity for the sake of book sales. But she is not shy about the Ugly Truth about her often abusive, mentally unstable famous father....more

like · see review

May 13, 2011 Alex Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alexandra Styron does a commendable emotional juggling act with “Reading My Father.” In this mélange of memoir and bio, she crafts a compelling portrait of her famous author dad, William, and traces the often turbulent circumstances of her upbringing and young adulthood. Managing to be frank, forgiving, and consistently self-reflective, she conveys a multi-faceted impression of a man who suffered from severe depression and hypochondria as well as who beat himself up over what he deemed his lack...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Donna Girouard rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit, I skimmed over some of the first half; I did not find some of the biographical parts very interesting. The second half is more memoir, so I'm glad I did not follow my earlier urge to give up (somewhere around page 110).
The more I read, the more I learned what a "royal asshole" (the author's words) Styron was, from his infidelities to his childishness, egomania and temper tantrums. And I thought MY relationship with MY father was dysfunctional! However, if you're looking for "Dad...more

like · see review

Oct 18, 2011 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't expecting even to finish this book, but instead found it to be well written and satisfying, and really quite moving (I cried at the end, naturally). Daughter-Styron's book could stand on its own without it being a "celebrity memoir" -- though I have read a lot of William Styron's work and was as curious as anyone else. In general, Styron's recording of her emotional plight feels authentic, grown-up, and gracious. Though I found myself bracing for what I was sure was going to be an onsla...more

like · see review

May 22, 2011 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a lifetime Styron fan, I was very much looking forward to this memoir, and I wasn't disappointed. Ms. Styron writes beautifully, and openly about her family and her father. There were a few details I had a hard time believing: why would an English major need to take physics (not a requirement, my physicist, Duke graduate husband tells me) at Duke, especially after failing the first time, why would he need to take it four more times and would the Rhodes Scholarship Committee really consider so...more

like · see review

May 26, 2011 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wonderful book. What a difficult father to have and yet ... Al is a great writer. Highly recommended

1 like · like · see review

Apr 25, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

I had been looking forward to reading this, as I've been a fan of William Styron for some time. I was excited to win a copy via First Reads. This is a difficult book to rate. Other reviewers were accurate in calling the book uneven. That being said, I enjoyed Styron's voice and perspective. Still, being a memoir of a contemporary figure, it's easy to judge based on what was missing rather than what it contained. She painted a lively picture of the Styrons' life among a who's who in art, literatu...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Knows rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An beautifully written, elegant, nuanced, heartbreaking book. Alexandra Styron describes with remarkable honesty and compassion the angry narcissism of her troubled and brilliant father, the writer William Styron, and the spell he cast over his household. Above all, she gives lie to the myth that great talent is a justification for awful behavior. Styron was an extraordinary writer but his utter inability to look inward or to take responsibility for his role as a father and a husband wreaked hav...more

like · see review

Aug 23, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Right away we're told that Daddy is difficult and don't bother him when he's writing. And that's repeated over and over again. Alexandra is the youngest child in the family by a lot so we don't hear too much about her three siblings. And her mother remains a bit of a cipher—not one meaningful interaction between the two. And Daddy just drifts through the TV room casting baleful glances at Alexandra. We hear about Alexandra's struggles to find herself (she particularly looks for herself on Martha...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Suzanne Freeman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I heard Alexandra Styron give a reading of this book earlier this year at a Texas Book Festival event in Austin. I bought the book (she signed it!), but it sat on my bedside table unread. I saw the audiobook at the library and checked that out instead. I must say, this was one of the best books I've listened to. Styron does a nice, clean job as narrator. It is so well written, though, that I am going to go back to the printed version to "re-read" parts of it just for the language.

Styron name dr...more

like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

phew. how dark this great writer's life was.........but how little was known of depression in the 1950's and 60's and how those with the mental illness coped daily through mechanisms such as avoidance of social obligations and alcohol. alexandra explains the explosive fits of anger of her father, the wandering off to be alone and much more as she and her siblings as children tried to make sense of it all and how it affected them as they grew to be adults. we need to know this stuff because so ma...more

like · see review

May 13, 2012 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Business first: I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

Good thing, too, because it probably would have taken me a lot longer to find my way to this excellent memoir otherwise. Ms. Styron was both blessed and cursed by her family upbringing. For a writer, there can be no better gift than the rich upbringing she had (and I don't mean wealth, though there certainly was that). The book would have been a "fun" read if it were merely a rehearsal of her memories growing up surround...more

like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Mam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am an ardent admirer of William Styron's writings. He wrote beautifully, took on difficult subjects, and turned his own harrowing experience of depression into a remarkable memoir.

Alexandra Styron, his daughter and acolyte, writes well herself. Her memoir of her life with her father is well organized and reminds me of how powerful a force he was.
Where father and daughter differ is that Alexandra avoids conflict, and reveals nothing about her faher's life that might cause pain to any other fami...more

like · see review

Apr 20, 2011 K2 ----- rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I agree you'd have to be a Styron fan to want to read this book. It was an uneven read and there were many places while reading it I wanted to know more or I wanted to know less.

She was obviously profoundly effected by her father's rage and moods, and perhaps it was too soon for her to write this book about their family life and her relationship with her father. It needed an editor with a more steady hand and patience to work through the material with more attention. I was disappointed and had...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, this story, was exhausting. The author is the daughter of William Styron (Sophie's Choice, Confessions of Nat Turner, et cetera), and it is her tale of parts of her father's life, and her own, growing up with Styron as a "parent." I place the word in quotes because he wasn't much of one. In part, mental illness (major depressive episodes requiring hospitalization) prevented him from being so, but he was also often selfish and manipulative. Still, her behind-the-scenes look at how his...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 43 44 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Autobiography > Memoir

28 users

Biography

14 users

Non Fiction

10 users

Biography Memoir

2 users

Health > Mental Health

2 users

Language > Writing

2 users

See top shelves...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Reading My Father

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Reading My Father

“Still, I believed I understood. Or maybe I just put it in a context I could safely manage.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Reading My Father: A Memoir
avg rating	preview: Reading My Father: A Memoir Goodreads rating: 3.68 (469 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9987002-reading-my-father?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302123291l/9987002.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9987002-reading-my-father?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Reading My Father: A Memoir by Alexandra Styron[/url]

Reading My Father: A Memoir

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Alexandra Styron

Books by Alexandra Styron

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Reading My Father

Quotes from Reading My Father