Fatherhood

by John Lewis-Stempel

Collects short works of fiction, personal letters, ancient Greek poetry, excerpts from eighteenth-century childcare manuals, newspaper reports, and selections from popular culture in an anthology that celebrates the joys, responsibilities, and vulnerabilities of fatherhood as evinced by more than four thousand years of writing. Reprint.

318 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Sophocles to Homer Simpson, Lewis-Stempel, a British journalist and anthologist, selects passages that reflect “paternity in all its diversity” Unlike the essays in Great Dads, edited by Jonathan P. Decker, these entries are not beatitudes. Included are visceral portraits (e.g., Huck Finn’s drunken, loutish father) as well as narratives that concern the death of fathers or their children (e.g., Rudyard Kipling’s My Boy Jack). Because there are no indexes, and the author opted for subject rather than alphabetical or chronological organization (“The Sins of the Father;’ “Daddy’s Girl,” “Patrimony,” and so on), readers will have trouble navigating the book for information. Editorial presence is also minimal. Fiction and nonfiction entries provide more material than found in quote books like Bartlett’s, ranging from small, two-line snippets to multiple-page entries containing thousands of words. Those already owning , edited by Waller R. Newell, or Fathers & Sons: An Anthology, edited by David Seybold, should consider this an optional purchase. If you liked those titles, this is a good bet.
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