Raising Aphrodite

by Kirk Curnutt

Raising Aphrodite is a comedy of parenting errors in which single father Vance Seagrove wakes up one morning to discover irrefutable proof that his teenage daughter has come of age. Anxious to protect Chloe from the emotional perils of growing up too fast too soon, Vance must confront the sexual hypocrisies of small-town life in Willoughby, Alabama— including his own.

Guiding him on his journey is a cast of strong women: his best friend and former lover, Campbell, whose bisexuality is a source of conflict with both her own overbearing father and ex-husband; his current girlfriend, Sadie, the aspiring Liz Phair-influenced songwriter whose fiery confidence Vance admires and envies; and Deb, the ex-wife whose unexpected reappearance in his daughter’s life sends him spiraling into self-destructive jealousy.

Central to understanding Chloe’s entry into adulthood is yet another iconic female, the Aphrodite of Knidos. As the first nude in Western art, this Greek masterpiece—an alabaster reproduction of which is the centerpiece of the statuary Vance is dedicated to preserving—symbolizes the thin line between objectification and self-possession, between eros and the erotic.

Raising Aphrodite is a funny and poignant exploration of the misadventures of manhood that celebrates the creativity of punk rock, the importance of art in a community, and the beauty of friendship between the sexes.

Genres: Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published July 27, 2015

About the author

Kirk Curnutt is the author of twelve volumes of fiction and literary criticism. His first novel, Breathing Out the Ghost, won the 2008 Best Books of Indiana competition in the fiction category. It also won a bronze IPPY and was a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year finalist. His second novel, Dixie Noir, was published in November 2009. Other recent works include Key West Hemingway, co-edited with Gail D. Sinclair (UP of Florida), The Cambridge Introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the fictional dialogue with Ernest Hemingway Coffee with Hemingway (with a preface by John Updike), and the short-story collection Baby, Let’s Make a Baby, Plus Ten More Stories. The recipient of a 2007-08 Alabama State Arts Council literary fellowship, he is currently at work on a nonfiction account of the 1956 attack on Nat King Cole in Birmingham.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vance Seaforth is oversexed. No, it’s not that his sex drive is redlining, but that sex is overwhelming him. At the heart of his problem is the discovery that his sixteen-year-old daughter, Chloe, apparently had sex with Stu, her boyfriend and bandmate—under Vance's roof. His once idyllic relationship with his daughter had lately become exceedingly difficult for Vance, but this was unexpected and feels like a betrayal.

Coming to terms with his daughter’s sexual experience, her independence and evolving intellect--losing her as a child--is the main thread of the novel, and a worthy core, but it intertwines with numerous other sexual and gender complications including Vance’s own sexual experiences and relationships, past and present:

His neighbor Campbell, who cast off her husband for a woman, may have a thing for Vance; Sadie, Vance’s new musician girlfriend can't get no satisfaction; a younger girl, a local waitress, is on Vance's mind; memories of Vance’s parent’s sex life haunt him, provocative pop music performers and lyrics (See Liz Phair), once so crucial to his outlook, now undermine his attempted guidance of Chloe; the onslaught continues as Vance deals with sexually precocious teenagers and teenagers who want to be sexually precocious; and then his ex-wife Deb shows up at his door

The situations range from tender to raw and raucous—heartfelt conversations to decidedly graphic sex. The author also doesn’t steer away from some prickly father-daughter questions.

Raising Aphrodite is funny, many times touching, and frequently raises and explores important sexual issues. The writing is fast-paced, the subplots serviceable and the characters involving. I also learned plenty about art and Aphrodite, who as statue and symbol plays an important role .

Although I like references to pop music in fiction, I think the story sometimes gets sidetracked in order to get in another shout-out. I also think that Curnutt sometimes sacrifices a deeper Vance and a deeper story for the sake of comedic punch lines.

My favorite scene in the novel is when Vance takes his daughter to a rock concert. He gets that scene just right. I’ve been there.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nearly 40-year-old father in this novel loves to listen to music; his 16-year-old daughter loves to make it. Turning on that metaphor, the novel sets up the relationship between a bumbling, suspicious father and his lovely, creative, and gutsy daughter. There are plenty of wonderful slapstick scenes in the novel—one delightful one where the father gets his slacks caught in his daughter’s bedframe while trying to pull out a small box from under her bed. Guess who comes home early to find him thus? Not only the daughter but her best friend Nina. And Dad is a terribly slow learner, for he repeats one form or another of this goofball mistake throughout the novel, despite his daughter and a cadre of women trying to teach Dad the proper way to raise a teenaged daughter. His bumbling pays off in the conclusion, however, with one fine discovery. A fun read.

[Gabriel Dedeic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was very colourful and rich in details and characters. I rushed through the book to discover the ending. A very good read but smiles, laughs and tears.

I received this novel as a free copy from Goodreads.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting tale of a 40-year-old father relationship with his 16-year-old daughter and the adventures that happen before they manage to understand each other. It had its moments and was a fun read, some of these were laugh out loud.

[Tianne Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to receive this via giveaways. This is the ultimate comedy of errors if you thought the Griswells or Home Alone is well give this comedy a try

[Nicholas George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though this book is only five years old, many of its elements (punk rock, drug use, lesbianism, teenage sex) would have made it seem dated even when it was new. True, it takes place in rural Alabama, not a major liberal urban zone, but nevertheless, the characters' hang-ups about sexuality and marijuana (!) come across as almost quaint. The writing is very good, but I couldn't muster up enough interest to wallow in single parent Vance Seagrove's struggle to understand his daughter Chloe, his bisexual girlfriend, and his own place in the world. If there had been a more timeless focus to the novel, it would have been much stronger.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raising Aphrodite was an interesting take on comedy and parenting.

I liked this novel, but it wasn't a book that had me hooked at every word. In fact, I almost put it down numerous times due to the slowness of the plot. Kirk Curnutt did a great job at writing this novel, I just didn't find it to be attention grabbing.

The novel did have it's great parts though! It was quite amusing, and followed an interesting plot line I hadn't seen very often - parenthood of teenagers, punk rock, and sex. It all made for a great tale! I just found it to be lacking of a fast paced, fun story line! But that doesn't mean other readers won't like it - it just wasn't for me!

The characters and details were well written out, and I applaud Kirk Curnutt for his story writing!

Overall, it wasn't a book that I found to be very exciting, but it was an incredibly well written book.

Two out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.