Comments on: Christopher Buckley’s family chronicle http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/04/27/christopher-buckley%e2%80%99s-family-chronicle/ Conservative and Libertarian Intellectual Philosophy and Politics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: George Shadroui http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/04/27/christopher-buckley%e2%80%99s-family-chronicle/comment-page-1/#comment-77860 George Shadroui Tue, 05 May 2009 22:18:52 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/?p=5885#comment-77860 oh gee, if only they could have been as bad as you want them to be -- I think the memoir suggests something a bit more complicated than mommie dearest, complex talented parents who loved their son greatly but, yes, who were pulled in many directions even by the force of their own personalities. It's just not the nightmare you might want --for that you will have to look to the Kennedys oh gee, if only they could have been as bad as you want them to be — I think the memoir suggests something a bit more complicated than mommie dearest, complex talented parents who loved their son greatly but, yes, who were pulled in many directions even by the force of their own personalities. It’s just not the nightmare you might want –for that you will have to look to the Kennedys

]]> By: fregan http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/04/27/christopher-buckley%e2%80%99s-family-chronicle/comment-page-1/#comment-77713 fregan Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:41:56 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/?p=5885#comment-77713 Didn't read the book but reading the piece in the Times I thought that it was a shame that CB couldn't write a real Mommie, Daddy, Deaest book which would reveal his true feelings about Mum and Pup without having to equivocate each step of the way. "Pup was a remote hog, but I loved him," "Mum was a pathological liar, but I weep whenever I think of her." The continual reminders that there are no hard feelings belie the hard feelings that are at the heart of the memoir. Hard feelings and fear that his anger and resentments will be discerned and interpreted as anger and resentment by those who were extreme admirers of his father or social lionesses who hitched their wagons to Pat's star. The photos of CB with his parents were disturbing in what they revealed and what his words were unable to say. Such awkward body language, such love of the camera by the parents and such discomfort by the son. CB has sold his parents apartment and says he wants to get rid of the Stanford place. He seems to need to extirpate the memory of these two juvenile parents and their pursuit of their separate narcissistic goals. Needless to say there will be many interpretations of the book. CB might be able to get on with a life he was heretofore not allowed to live. The relief he feels at their absence is clear as a bell in this memoir. Didn’t read the book but reading the piece in the Times I thought that it was a shame that CB couldn’t write a real Mommie, Daddy, Deaest book which would reveal his true feelings about Mum and Pup without having to equivocate each step of the way. “Pup was a remote hog, but I loved him,” “Mum was a pathological liar, but I weep whenever I think of her.” The continual reminders that there are no hard feelings belie the hard feelings that are at the heart of the memoir. Hard feelings and fear that his anger and resentments will be discerned and interpreted as anger and resentment by those who were extreme admirers of his father or social lionesses who hitched their wagons to Pat’s star.

The photos of CB with his parents were disturbing in what they revealed and what his words were unable to say. Such awkward body language, such love of the camera by the parents and such discomfort by the son. CB has sold his parents apartment and says he wants to get rid of the Stanford place. He seems to need to extirpate the memory of these two juvenile parents and their pursuit of their separate narcissistic goals. Needless to say there will be many interpretations of the book. CB might be able to get on with a life he was heretofore not allowed to live. The relief he feels at their absence is clear as a bell in this memoir.

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