Anyone here have books that show good but flawed parents?
Any books where one of the focal characters are parents who are, ultimately, still good despite having major flaws that lead to conflicts from time to time?
I think you would like *The Shining* by Stephen King. I just finished it for like the 5th time, and one of the biggest differences from the film adaptation is just how hard Jack Torrance is trying to be a better man and a better parent. For a while it grapples with the question of can you overcome your flaws? How hard is that to do? Do you ever finish, or is it the work of a lifetime, like forever being a recovering alcoholic instead of ever becoming an ex alcoholic. It’s really pretty tragic. Wendy too. They are both trying so hard to not turn into their own abusive parents that they just can’t see the bigger picture and that allows a lot of…things to happen.
brenunit on
Ordinary People by Judith Guest. I rarely say this, but the movie adaptation was even better than the book. Parents handle the death of a son and the trauma experienced by the surviving son in very different ways. A tear-jerker!
unlovelyladybartleby on
Try The All Girl’s Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. The mom is a journey, but she has a good heart.
Charming-Bluejay-740 on
The Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman
tragicsandwichblogs on
*The Latecomer* by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Chica3 on
*The Great Alone*, by Kristin Hannah
*Night Garden*, by Kristin Hannah
Imperfect parents are definitely a theme, along with mother-daughter relationships.
Embarrassed_Base_668 on
The Glass Castle
CrazyGreenCrayon on
If you’re okay with a comic {{Baby Blues by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott}}
Zato_Zapato on
Literally anything by Jodi Picoult. My Sisters Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, Handle with Care, Change of Heart all come to mind, etc
9 Comments
I think you would like *The Shining* by Stephen King. I just finished it for like the 5th time, and one of the biggest differences from the film adaptation is just how hard Jack Torrance is trying to be a better man and a better parent. For a while it grapples with the question of can you overcome your flaws? How hard is that to do? Do you ever finish, or is it the work of a lifetime, like forever being a recovering alcoholic instead of ever becoming an ex alcoholic. It’s really pretty tragic. Wendy too. They are both trying so hard to not turn into their own abusive parents that they just can’t see the bigger picture and that allows a lot of…things to happen.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest. I rarely say this, but the movie adaptation was even better than the book. Parents handle the death of a son and the trauma experienced by the surviving son in very different ways. A tear-jerker!
Try The All Girl’s Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. The mom is a journey, but she has a good heart.
The Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman
*The Latecomer* by Jean Hanff Korelitz
*The Great Alone*, by Kristin Hannah
*Night Garden*, by Kristin Hannah
Imperfect parents are definitely a theme, along with mother-daughter relationships.
The Glass Castle
If you’re okay with a comic {{Baby Blues by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott}}
Literally anything by Jodi Picoult. My Sisters Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, Handle with Care, Change of Heart all come to mind, etc