The Fang Family furiously flies its freak flag.
Now say that three times fast. Really, you can’t say it often enough to describe the level of crazy that is The Family Fang, a 2011 novel by Kevin Wilson. I can confidently promise you that you’ve never read a story just like this one.
Performance art is the ruling passion of the Fang parents, Camille and Caleb. More specifically: spontaneous, disruptive performance art done in the context of completely innocent bystanders in a public setting, such as a shopping mall or beauty pageant. I can’t even begin to describe the lunatic scenarios that ensue when the Fang parents, with their children Annie and Buster, get out there and create some art.
What’s it like for Annie and Buster Fang to grow up subverting the everyday world with their parents? What’s important about art? What’s important about family? These are the questions that are raised in this hilariously thought-provoking novel about what brings people together and what drives them apart.
More novels about zany families:
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
The Radleys by Matt Haig
The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
I tried to say that first sentence once fast and I just laughed! The Fang family sounds like an adventurous bunch!
Amia
I didn’t even try! I think “adventurous” may be too mild a term…
[…] first novel came out in 2011, and is called The Family Fang. I blogged about it back in 2015 here. Naturally, I was thrilled to see that Mr. Wilson has a new book out in 2017. It’s […]