Reading My Father

Reading My Father (2011) by Alexandra Styron. Alexandra Styron is the daughter of William Styron, famous author of a number of books, including The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice. Ms. Styron's book is about what it's like to be the daughter of a famous writer, and the fact that -- from her point of view -- her father was really not a very nice man. It's a pretty well written memoir, and if nothing else her constant name-dropping of famous people her father knew keeps it interesting. Really, it's a fine book, but I didn't feel that it illuminated much about William Styron, other than that he was a tyrannical father. A daughter, obviously, has a narrow viewpoint from which to observe her father. She can't possibly see him objectively, and this is both a strength and a weakness of this book. Grade: B