The Family Fang

What’s it about? This is the story of a family of performance artists.   The children (Annie and Buster) immediately become involved in the “art” that their parents are hell-bent on creating.  As Annie and Buster Fang grow older they begin to distance themselves from their parents and the art they have always been a part of.  Until events in their adult lives bring them back into collision with their art- crazy parents and they are forced to confront their upbringing.What did I think? This book was easy to read and thought provoking at the same time.  It is told in a amusing, flippant way but underneath it is sad.  I did love the relationship between Annie and Buster. Should you read it? I think I was expecting this book to be incredible ,because of the great reviews, and it was just good.  The book does ask some interesting questions.  Do the rights of children matter less than the preferences of their parents?  However, I did not think it was a “book of the year”. Quote- “ ‘That’s what I want to talk about,’ Eric said, his face bright, his left eye twitching. ‘You were “Child A” in all those art pieces that your parents created.  You were, for all intents and purposes, the star.’ ‘Oh, Buster was the star, for sure.  He had it much worse than me.’ She thought of Buster, tied to the lamppost, stuck in a bear trap, making our with the St. Bernard, the numerous ways he’s been left in some bizarre situation and made to fend for himself.”