Customer Reviews

Life with Father (Comic Classics)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just got this book and I am having a wonderful time reading the anecdotes of life in Victorian New York with an eccentric father. The humor is gentle and quiet, if you want outlandsih jokes the this is not the book for you.

Of course, some of the customs and actions of the characters may seem odd by modern standards but we must remember that everything changes with time and in 150 years, people may look back at our culture and wonder if we were crazy.

Still, in spite of its age, the humor of the book has held up remarkably well. Perhaps we all know a "father" type, an eccentric and bossy person who is somehow endearing nonetheless.

So, don't obsess over the un-politically correct attitudes of the time covered, just enjoy the quiet humor and learn about a time gone by.

I loved this book as a preteen and I loved it, and the sequel "Life with Mother" too. Mr. Day paints an accurate picture of life in the early 1900's for a middle class family. Yes, his father is rude and a bit obnoxious, but watching him is very funny. He loved his wife and family and while he blustered and yelled, they loved him. I enjoyed this book and thought it was great.

These are very amusing sketches of family life in New York in the 1880s and 90s. Clarence Day Seniuor is a larger-than-life character, autocratic, excitable, with strong likes and dislikes. I was a bit startled to read a previous review that spoke of his 'emotional abuse' of his children. There is no abuse , emotional or otherwise, in this book. Mr Day clearly adored his family. Another reviewer says that Day Snr 'disrespected his wife'. Again, I see no evidence of disrespect in this book, Mr Day obviously loves his slightly eccentric wife to distraction, and in their frequent clashes of temperament she almost always succeeds in getting the better of him. The chapter where she departs on a lengthy trip to Egypt, leaving him pining for her, is particularly touching. This is a charming book, much more amusing than the pleasant but rather bland film that was based on it.

Life with Father is a collection of anecdotes by Clarence Day, Jr., mostly having to do with his childhood and primarily involving his father. The primary reason Life with Father is so fascinating is because Clarence Day, Sr. is larger than life. The man is domineering, meticulous, and tyrannical, yet is also, in his own way, loving and good natured. His interactions with his wife are particularly entertaining.

Many incidents reported here occur in the 1880s and 1890s, and this book provides great insights into nineteenth-century American life. The chapter on how the family first came to own a telephone particularly shows how very far America has come.

Day's writing style is typically matter-of-fact, excepting a few occasions, particularly when he writes about himself. This style serves to highlight his family's absurdities, which is where much of the humor comes from.

Worth mentioning here is the marvelous 1947 film starring William Powell, which is based on the play, which is in turn based on Life with Father and several other of Day's books. Neither the book nor the movie draw a large audience in the twenty-first century, but a number of people do come to the book after seeing the film, and filtering the book through the lens of the movie's cast does help accentuate its humor.

Life with Father is an excellent and humorous book, perhaps best read in small doses so as not to dilute the effect. It is also a very interesting window into nineteenth century America.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

"Life With Father" by Clarence Day is such a charming memoir! I fell in love with this book and I liked how it was set up. The chapters marked different events that stood out in Day's mind. I like that over just a plain memoir, going through life in chronological order. I liked the witty humor, and Father seemed very humorous. This is just a great book to sit back and read the day away with! I recommend.

Humorous look at life in the Day household. The author paints a vivid picture of life with his parents: a very proper, no nonsense father and his slighly fey mother. Basis for the movie "Life Wtih Father". A nice quick read with plenty of humor

I loved reading this book growing up, and I still reread it about every five years. Some reviewers have complained about the father's behavior, and certainly in 2004 no husband/father could behave as he did. However, for the period in which the story takes place (the 1870s/80s), the father is pretty typical and clearly loved his family a lot. The chapters about the author having violin lessons and sharing mail with his father are particularly good. For people who understand that customs and society itself were different in earlier times, this book will be a delight.

I was captivated by the hubbub that seemed to erupt often in the Day household. Traveling back to a time long past and being told of society's customs was a treat. Witnessing Mr. Day's frequent outbursts was entertaining as well. And what of Clarence's two-week stay in Chicago for the World's Fair, which cost him only $48? Imagine that today! Mrs. Day had such a singular way of handling Mr. Day; I found it hard not to admire her fiesty spirit. Mr. Day was domineering by today's standards, but Clarence even remarks that it was clear his father loved the family dearly.

Life with Father is a collection of anecdotes by Clarence Day, Jr., mostly having to do with his childhood and primarily involving his father. The primary reason Life with Father is so fascinating is because Clarence Day, Sr. is larger than life. The man is domineering, meticulous, and tyrannical, yet is also, in his own way, loving and good natured. His interactions with his wife are particularly entertaining.

Many incidents reported here occur in the 1880s and 1890s, and this book provides great insights into nineteenth-century American life. The chapter on how the family first came to own a telephone particularly shows how very far America has come.

Day's writing style is typically matter-of-fact, excepting a few occasions, particularly when he writes about himself. This style serves to highlight his family's absurdities, which is where much of the humor comes from.

Worth mentioning here is the marvelous 1947 film starring William Powell, which is based on the play, which is in turn based on Life with Father and several other of Day's books. Neither the book nor the movie draw a large audience in the twenty-first century, but a number of people do come to the book after seeing the film, and filtering the book through the lens of the movie's cast does help accentuate its humor.

Life with Father is an excellent and humorous book, perhaps best read in small doses so as not to dilute the effect. It is also a very interesting window into nineteenth century America.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Delightful book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. A great look into life in the 1890's and a close and colorful family.