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Funny memoirs about deeply dysfunctional families
Writers mine their memories of their family’s very strange particularities with sly humor and heartfelt insight.
Published on December 5, 2023
Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Augusten BurroughsThe dysfunction displayed in Burroughs’ hilarious memoir is unrivaled. At a young age, the author’s disinterested parents sent him to live with the family psychiatrist. Unfortunately, the doctor wasn’t as stable as the profession would suggest, leaving Burroughs to spend his childhood surrounded by bizarre characters (including a pedophile who lived in the shed out back). “Running with Scissors” will have you bursting with laughter and attempting to believe the unbelievable.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Alison BechdelBechdel’s widely lauded comic memoir pushes the boundaries of both the medium and the genre. While not a light story of fun family dysfunction (it deals with closeted homosexuality, abuse, and suicide), heartbreak has never been this funny. The “fun home” of the title refers to the funeral home run by Bechdel’s father’s family.
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
Steve MartinIn tender and amusing terms, Martin shares the truth behind the not-so-glamorous life of being a touring comedian, why he quit performing standup to reconnect with his family, and whimsical stories from his childhood (including his early days as a magician). The adored Emmy and Grammy winner also reflects on the reasons he became estranged from his family in the first place, including his father’s lack of acceptance of Martin’s career.
Sh*t My Dad Says
Justin HalpernThis book started as a simple Twitter account, in which the author would tweet out real things his dad said. The tweets are hilarious and outrageous, especially when read out of context. Their brutal honesty is a heartwarming take on the relationship between a father and son.
Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too
Louie AndersonAnderson’s mother passed away before getting to see him rise to fame or immortalize her in his Emmy-winning performance in “Baskets.” Written as a series of letters to catch her up on his life, his touching memoir may cause a sniffle or two, but the unique story structure with funny and honest takes on addiction, family, and mental health are worth the tears. Anderson passed away in January 2022, and the world has been less funny ever since.
I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé
I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé
Michael ArceneauxCalling it “extremely funny,” NPR included “I Can’t Date Jesus” in its 2019 list of “100 Favorite Funny Books.” Arceneaux’s heartfelt essays explore his experiences as a gay, Black, Catholic Southerner, and the unexpected humor born out of pain. From praying to Jesus to “cure” him of homosexuality and being recruited for the priesthood, to his love of Beyoncé and coming out to his mom, this is a bold collection on the power of self-acceptance.
This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir
Jenny PentlandGrowing up with a celebrity for a parent always comes with quirks. Pentland, daughter of actress Roseanne Barr, covers mental health, eating disorders, and self-help in this funny and unabashedly honest memoir about coming-of-age under the pressures of fame and fortune (and a dysfunctional mother).
Wishful Drinking
Carrie FisherFisher grew up Hollywood royalty (her parents were stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher) and shot to fame early in life as America’s most beloved princess. But growing up in a dysfunctional celebrity family was far from a fairy tale. Witty, self-deprecating, and above all hilarious, the late actress’ memoir will make readers fall in love all over again with the woman who gave us Princess Leia.
Life Among the Savages
Shirley JacksonThough Jackson’s fiction is the stuff of nightmares (“The Lottery,” “The Haunting of Hill House”), her memoir is filled with laugh-out-loud anecdotes on motherhood and the true terror that is raising little children.
About My Mother: True Stores of a Horse-Crazy Daughter and Her Baseball-Obsessed Mother: A Memoir
About My Mother: True Stores of a Horse-Crazy Daughter and Her Baseball-Obsessed Mother: A Memoir
Peggy RoweRowe, mother of “Dirty Jobs” TV host Mike Rowe, offers a memoir about her own mom, a quirky woman who adored baseball and constantly clashed with her equestrian daughter. As funny as it is relatable, “About My Mother” explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, particularly when the two parties are about as compatible as oil and water.
What's So Funny?: A Cartoonist's Memoir
David SipressSipress, an acclaimed cartoonist whose works have appeared in The New Yorker, Time, Playboy, and Harper’s Magazine, offers insight into the life and journey of an artist, including his loving but ramshackle upbringing in NYC. You can probably imagine his parents’ reactions when Sipress dropped out of Harvard to make a career of cartooning, but you still won’t want to miss the author’s hilarious account (and accompanying cartoons).
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
Allie BroshThis quirky collection of illustrated essays offers a highly relatable glimpse into what it’s like to live with mental health issues. Brosh, “Adventures in Depression” blogger, shares her experiences with humor and insight, giving particular attention to the dysfunctional dogs who impacted her life. Plus, who can resist stories with titles like “The God of Cake” and “The Helper Dog is an A**hole”?
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
John GroganGrogan’s memoir proves that pets, for better or worse, are part of the family. “Marley & Me” is a doggone classic in the untrainable pet genre; Marley wreaks havoc wherever he goes. Even into his adult life, Marley retains the best (and sometimes the worst) qualities of a puppy, showering his humans with unconditional love through fraught times.