Townie: A Memoir [Paperback]

Andre Dubus III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2012

Won Book of the Year Adult Non-Fiction—2012 Indie Choice Awards
Amazon Best Book of the Month February 2011

"Dubus relives, absent self-pity or blame, a life shaped by bouts of violence and flurries of tenderness."—Vanity Fair

After their parents divorced in the 1970s, Andre Dubus III and his three siblings grew up with their overworked mother in a depressed Massachusetts mill town saturated with drugs and everyday violence. Nearby, his father, an eminent author, taught on a college campus and took the kids out on Sundays. The clash between town and gown, between the hard drinking, drugging, and fighting of "townies" and the ambitions of students debating books and ideas, couldn’t have been more stark. In this unforgettable memoir, acclaimed novelist Dubus shows us how he escaped the cycle of violence and found empathy in channeling the stories of others—bridging, in the process, the rift between his father and himself.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: Rarely has the process of becoming a writer seemed as organic and--dare I say it--moral as it does in Andre Dubus III's clear-eyed and compassionate memoir, Townie. You might think that following his father's trade would have been natural and even obvious for the son and namesake of Andre Dubus, one of the most admired short story writers of his time, but it was anything but. His father left when he was 10, and as his mother worked long hours to keep them fed, her four children mostly raised themselves, stumbling through house parties and street fights in their Massachusetts mill town, so cut off from the larger world that when someone mentioned "Manhattan" when Andre was in college he didn't know what they were talking about. What he did know, and what he recalls with detailed intensity, were the battles in bars and front yards, brutal to men and women alike, that first gave him discipline, as he built himself from a fearful kid into a first-punch, hair-trigger bruiser, and then empathy, as, miraculously, he pulled himself back from the violence that threatened to define him. And it was out of that empathy that, wanting to understand the stories of the victims of brutality as well as those whose pain drove them to dish it out, he began to write, reconciling with his father and eventually giving us novels like House of Sand and Fog and now this powerful and big-hearted memoir. --Tom Nissley --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Long before he became the highly acclaimed author of House of Sand and Fog, Dubus shuffled and punched his way through a childhood and youth full of dysfunction, desperation, and determination. Just after he turned 12, Dubus's family fell rapidly into shambles after his father--the prominent writer Andre Dubus--not only left his wife for a younger woman but also left the family in distressing poverty on the violent and drug-infested side of their Massachusetts mill town. For a few years, Dubus escaped into drugs, embracing the apathetic "no-way-out" attitude of his friends. After having his bike stolen, being slapped around by some of the town's bullies, and watching his brother and mother humiliated by some of the town's thugs, Dubus started lifting weights at home and boxing at the local gym. Modeling himself on the Walking Tall sheriff, Buford Pusser, Dubus paid back acts of physical violence with physical violence. Ultimately, he decided to take up his pen and write his way up from the bottom and into a new relationship with his father. In this gritty and gripping memoir, Dubus bares his soul in stunning and page-turning prose. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (February 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393340678
• ISBN-13: 978-0393340679
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cover-to-Cover Fisticuffs April 23, 2011

By Ken C. TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Along about p. 100 I had to check the cover of TOWNIE to make sure I wasn't rereading Chuck Palahniuk's THE FIGHT CLUB by mistake. And it didn't much let up until the last hundred pages (and even that stretch was seasoned with fists, fury, and f-bombs galore). Dubus III chooses to focus on his coming-of-age days, specifically how he learned to build muscle and engage with all manner of white trash in the mill towns north, northwest of Boston. It isn't pretty, and it does grow redundant.

Perhaps it's a case of disappointed expectations. I anticipated more of a literary memoir -- one that focused on Andre's writing apprenticeship and the influence of his dad, the celebrated short story writer. In fairness, it is the father-son angle that is this book's strength. Like many writing fathers, Andre Dubus, Jr., let his kids down as he went through young wife after young wife, devoting mornings to his writing and leaving his first wife (Andre's mom) to fend for the four fledglings. Young Andre III, like some classic 90-pound-weakling in a comic-book Charles Atlas ad, vows to build muscles with relentless work outs so that he can defend himself and others in the hardscrabble, blue collar environs of his hometown. Trouble is, he is to his family and friends what the United States is to planet Earth -- the world's policeman. He sticks his nose in every possible wrongdoing he can, sometimes to his own detriment and often to others'. After a while it's not only his victims yelling, "Uncle!", it's his readers.

Another oddity in the book is the way he relates his initiation into writing. It's as if a light switch is thrown and... voila... he stays home from boxing one night to brew tea and write short stories. There is little mention of book reading or author emulating (what you'd expect of any writer-in-the-making) in the years leading up to this and continued ado about punching, killing, and maiming Boston's trash out in the cruel, cruel world. Then, in what appears to be his second story ever, an acceptance slip comes from PLAYBOY magazine, of all markets, one of the best-paying, most-impossible-to-breach markets. Whoa. The way it's approached in this book, it seems... out of the blue. Who, other than his dad and Breece DJ Pancake (one of the very few mentioned contemporaries) were his role models? Why do we hear about boxing coaches but never writing mentors?

It was a grind, but I hung in there for the 15th round. I was rewarded with some touching moments at the end between father and son. For me, the ending spoke of the promise that this book brings and earned it a third star. As a memoir, however, it is disappointingly limited in scope and redundant in execution. For fans of literary non-fiction, this is a letdown. For fans of Friday night boxing, a sweet reward.

63 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant February 20, 2011

By Joe Trojnor-Barron

Format:Hardcover

Since receiving my pre-order in the mail weeks before the publishing date, I could not put this book down. I have been a huge Dubus fan since a high school English teacher gave me a copy of the House of Sand and Fog. What makes Dubus such a fascinating writer is his ability to capture the very essence of humanity, be it good or bad. This brilliantly written memoir offers insight into the life of the man behind some masterfully written works of fiction. I am incredibly appreciative of his honesty as a writer and sharing such a personal part of his life. The relationship with his father and the role it played on his life certainly rang true for me, as I could often relate to such similar feelings. The thoughts, ideas, and feelings I experienced while reading this book will certainly resonate for a long time to come. I highly recommend reading this work.

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent memoir to add to other works by this author February 26, 2011

By K. Corn TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a fan of this author but wondered how he'd write this very personal memoir. Instead of glossing over details (as so many memoirs do, leaving out negative experiences), Dubus has written a gritty book about his often violent life. In fact, I found myself surprised that he even became a writer after learning of his varied hardships.

I'm reluctant to put in spoilers here but will add that his parents' divorce was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to his life. This isn't to understate the effect of the divorce. Tight finances turned to what I'd term "desperate" and canned cheap food (Spaghettios, etc) became par for the course. Moving from one neighborhood to another, Dubus was often the target of bullies. He saw his father far less often and his father actually commented that "he felt like he was dating his children" because of regular weekly visits instead of seeing them daily.

Anger and fights became the norm for Dubus after he starting working out and training at boxing clubs. He learned how to fight but channeling his anger was far more difficult. Sometimes he'd go after a guy for a fairly minor transgression and then feel inklings of guilt afterwards.

You'll need to stick with the details of the author's early life to find out how he evolves. I winced when I read about how he went on a long run (over 8 miles) with his father while wearing ill-fitting shoes. I could practically feel every painful minute.

At an age (his 20s) when many writers already forge and hone their writing skills, Dubus was caught up in often violent activities before turning to writing in any serious way. His relationship with his father also changes, particularly after his father learns that his son can fight - something that the father never mastered. He starts to respect his son, helping to bridge a chasm between the two.

Even though his life was often rough, I was struck by the fact that books, often classics, filled the bookcases of the Dubus household. So Dubus grew up surrounded by them - unlike many of his peers.

This work adds so much perspective and insight on the writer's life. You're likely to see his work through new eyes after experiencing this memoir. Highly recommended!