From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

Not My Father's Son

Alan Cumming

Start date: January 2, 2015

Finish date: January 2, 2015

Why we're reading this: I like Alan Cumming. I'm going to like his book. And I did.
Agree with Wart Hill's review: Dear Mr. Cummi…more
[close] I like Alan Cumming. I'm going to like his book. And I did.
Agree with Wart Hill's review: Dear Mr. Cumming, I feel you deserve a big hug.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Feb 20, 2019 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, memoir

Read this book in a day for book club. The writing was a bit casual for my taste - lots of asides and exclamation points. (Which for the record is totally how I write emails, but not how I would write a memoir.) Having recently read Unquiet Daughter, I thought it was a stronger entry in the parental abuse/discovery memoir genre.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2017 Denise Cormaney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books

What a beautiful book. I want to find Alan Cumming and give him a big hug! I loved him as Eli on The Good Wife, and I've found him delightful in every interview I've ever seen with him. Of course I had no idea what a painful and difficult childhood he had; parts of it were painful and difficult even to hear read aloud. He is a gifted writer, and he lays out his journey of coming to terms with his past to a place of forgiveness in such a compelling way; it even felt suspenseful at times! I highly ...more

Like · see review

Jun 27, 2017 Lia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, audiobook

This was a delight.
I listened to this on a road trip. It was wonderful. Read by Alan Cumming himself.

I am not a reader of many memoirs, but I enjoyed this so much.
Cumming is such an chameleon in the roles he chooses, this was a beautifully tragic telling of a childhood that held equal parts unconditional love and brutal abuse.

Like · see review

Apr 16, 2015 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This poor man had such a terrible childhood! Im not sure I could write about it if I had such experiences but it is good that he can. The book is interesting and does show how strength of character can overcome
adversities.

Like · see review