The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson

I devoured "The Family Fang" in two days, after letting it sit on my bookshelf for months. I had read an overwhelming number of amazing reviews of the book prior to it's release in August 2011, and although I pre-ordered the title, it took me quite a while to get around to reading it. Why the delay? While the premise sounded interesting, it didn't grab me enough to bump it up to the front of the queue. Once I picked it up, however, I found it almost impossible to put down. I began it on Sunday evening and raced home from work on Monday to finish it. 


The plot focuses on Caleb and Camille Fang, performance artists for whom art is their entire life, and whose work revolves around creating abnormal situations in public places and filming the reactions of oblivious observers. Once their children, Annie and Buster (or "Child A" and "Child B," as they are known in the art world) are born, Caleb and Camille immediately begin to integrate their children into their "art," with and without their knowledge. In one such example, Annie and Buster perform original songs on stage in front of an audience. Neither knows how to play an instrument or sing, but the children eagerly perform a series of terrible songs in an attempt to earn money to pay for an operation for their (nonexistent) dog. While a crowd gathers and onlookers encourage the children, Cecilia and Caleb lurk in the audience, heckling the children with jeers including, "You're terrible!" and "I hope your dog dies!" The aftermath, as predicted by the Fangs, involves half of the crowd jumping to the defense of the children, while the other half joins in the angry protest, even as the children begin to cry. 


The story alternates between stories of such family adventures and the lives of Annie and Buster in present day, both of whom are struggling to establish an identity separate from "The Family Fang" and to overcome the abnormality of their childhood. Normally I find this technique to be confusing and distracting, but in this case, I truly enjoyed it. Wilson provides just enough information that you understand what's happening and why, but you don't get bogged down in background information or over-explanation. By immediately revealing information including the fact that Annie is now an Oscar-nominated actress and drawing you into Buster's adventures while in Nebraska on a freelance writing assignment, the reader becomes instantly invested in their individual journeys, as well as their family's history. This device also serves to establish the distinctive voice of each family member, with the family dynamic itself almost becoming it's own unique character. 


I truly found the book to be unique, observant, funny, bizarre, and insightful, and I was impressed by the thought, creativity, and imagination put into developing the ideas for the various "performances." I struggled a bit with the second half of the book, in which an element of mystery is introduced (in my notes, I simple wrote, "it gets weird..."), but I'd still happily recommend this book. While some "literary fiction" can read as beautiful, yet dull, The Family Fang is a very well-written AND highly entertaining novel.