Customer Reviews

My Father's Footprints: A Memoir

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4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I stayed up late during a three-day black-out and read this slim, powerful story by candlelight , hunched on the edge of my bed. When I came upon a passage so true and funny and searing, I woke my wife up to read it to her, because someone else had to revel with me in this story.
It's an odd and unusual book (with a very odd and unusual man that it chases), one that feels too short and incomplete and in places still raw and unresolved. But it's real and funny and moving and one of a kind. You may think you have had your fill of memoirs, but you have room for this one.
Days later, its mysteries and lessons and pain and wry humour stay with me, and I know I'll go back to it. And I'll keep buying copies to give as gifts. It's that affecting.

Knowing what I do of Colin McEnroe, I expected this book to be thoughtful, intriguing, and sometimes funny. What I didn't realize was that the book would carry me back through time, deeper into my own Irish roots. With each chapter, I started to understand my own family and history in a different way. After reading the book, I actually felt like I had travelled somewhere - more fun per penny than a trip to Europe!

I really resent having to work until 5 everyday because it means I miss two hours of Colin McEnroe on WTIC-AM. He doesn't mention anywhere in "My Father's Footprints" that he has a radio job, but I hope he never gives it up...when he does I'll have to switch to Books on Tape. I pre-ordered this to find out more about the private Colin, who I assumed came from Old Money. Aha, his background is as much emotionally-savaged-immigrant-white-collar-miserable-socially-shamed-let's-not-talk-about -it as mine.
McEnroe's father is such an extraordinary character this book really had to be written. He bequeathed a lot of the content himself...the priceless, desperate fey humor of the the genius under siege...right down to titles for bizarre, sardonic fruit pies..
And then there is reliving the experience of the offspring...realizing that your difficult parent was struggling with mental illness -- and that that is part of who you are, too -- joyous, troubled and gifted yourself, but with the wisdom to ground your own kid's self-esteem with firmer cement.
I would recommend this book especially for anyone mourning a parent while raising their own heir to the family curses.

Unlike a few of the previous posters, I like McEnroe on the radio. However, this memoir falls flat...not unlike the blandness of Dunne's "Harp", another Hartford based recollection. I did enjoy the bits where McEnroe discusses his own father/son relationship with his child; I found a warmth and liveliness in those passages that was missing overall. If he wrote another book examining his experiences as a parent, I would give it a chance. If you are a local, you may appreciate recognizing some of the setting.

This book is meaningless, with no overarching themes or messages. Instead, Colin McEnroe just rambles on aimlessly in his arrogant and conceited style. The memoir is written backwards, starting with the father's death. You might think this would make for an interesting book; I had thought it would. Instead, their is no climax, no resolution, no anything. The book is really just entirely empty, with little going on, and serves on the allow Colin to preface his name with "author."

I wouldn't read something from this guy if he was paying me. If you like his snide, smug, save-the-world socialism shtick on the radio, my guess is that you'll get more of the same here. Sorry, this book may be the greatest thing since sliced bread to some of you, I just don't trust the source. He is as obnoxious as he is an embellisher, and an "intellectual bully" to boot. When one does not operate on his higher (liberal) plane, he becomes arrogant beyond belief. When he speaks with the (granted, minority) folks who can go toe-to-toe with him vocabulary-wise, they quickly find that they can't hold a respectful on-topic debate with him due to his constant offhand snide remarks, designed to demonize the opponent, rather than advance his cause. A true "political coward" if not a reality-based one. And the quintessential example of one "preaching to the choir", even more so than Rush Limbaugh, who, ironically, McEnroe continually castigates for the same happenstance.
Despite McEnroe's incessant rants and references to this, his "masterpiece", notice that it ranking is like # 8 billion, and despite only being out a couple years, it can be found (as I write this) used for ninety cents?!? Not as profound as you thought you were, huh Colin?
If you couldn't tell, I don't like this guy.... But I am sure the few people reading this think that he's really swell. So be it.