Fiction Ruined My Family

A Memoir

By: Jeanne Darst

Narrated by: Jeanne Darst

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Introducing a deeply funny, charismatic new voice: an entertaining memoir of a family haunted by its own myths and its obsessive idolization of the literary life.

Jeanne Darst was born the youngest of four daughters in an old, celebrated family long past its glory days. For the early part of her life, the family survived on the memory of past generations' grandeur and the romantic belief that Darst's father would restore that greatness with his destined career as a novelist. Within a few years, however, it was abundantly clear to everyone but him that despite the many years enslaved to the writer's craft and lifestyle, he was never going to sell a book. By the time of Darst's adolescence, the family was broke, and her mother was consoling herself with nightly booze-fueled weepathons, while her father was still too possessed by the dream to get a job.

Later, Darst realizes she has inherited both the gene for alcoholism and the gene for wanting to write, and she isn't sure which is more devastating. Does her need to write, to tell stories, mean that she's doomed to repeat the mistakes of her father, or can she find a way to move beyond her family's curse, and not have fiction ruin her life?

Now sober and a productive writer, Darst looks back on all those years with warmth, affection, and a moving degree of understanding - as well as wicked, deadpan humor.

©2011 Jeanne Darst (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Jeanne Darst's memoir about growing up in a hard-drinking family with big literary dreams is hilarious, heartbreaking, and inspiring." ( Marie Claire)

" Fiction Ruined My Family had me laughing out loud, which I almost never do, with one jaw-dropping scene after another. On nearly every page there's some sentence that's so perfect, in an old-school Oscar Wilde/Dorothy Parker sort of way, that it made everything I've ever written or said seem like dull, drunken mumbling." (Ira Glass, host of This American Life)

Rediscovered this gem

One of my favorite repeat listens! She is also the perfect narrator for the story.

Not life changing but a good read.

If you could sum up Fiction Ruined My Family in three words, what would they be?

It wasn't life changing, but I don't think that the author intended it to be a great work of nonfiction. It's just her families story. It was very entertaining and really hilarious. A good encouraging read for any artist young or old alike.

Best Audiobook I've Heard in Awhile

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES. It's good and super funny.

What other book might you compare Fiction Ruined My Family to and why?

Any humorous memoir about dysfunctional/weird families, such as "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" (Jenny Lawson), "The Liars' Club" (Mary Karr), or "Running With Scissors" (Augusten Burroughs).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed until I cried.

Any additional comments?

I tell everyone they need to read this book immediately.

Sorry the book ended.

Where does Fiction Ruined My Family rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I've listened to. Loved her voice, her insight and use of language.

What did you like best about this story?

Funny funny funny

What about Jeanne Darst’s performance did you like?

Loved her parents' voices.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I'm listening to it again.

Amazing!!

Joanne Darst is my new favourite author. Absolutely brilliant!
Cannot recommend this book enough. Hilarious, poignantly sad, moving, thought provoking.

Darst Family Dysfunction on Display

Would you consider the audio edition of Fiction Ruined My Family to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version, but loved hearing the author's voice.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Liked hearing about the interactions between her and her sisters & the humor. The chapter about crabs was hilarious. The childhood parts were kind of dull; not sure why. Sometimes she is too profane. Profanity is an important narrative tool, but it is ambiguous and overused (in general, not just in Darst's work). As writers, we want to represent truth, and if a direct quote was profane in its inception, we feel compelled to reproduce it verbatim. A more professional (mature?) writer might better serve artistic truth by replacing the bland profanity with more specific words, even if they belie the conversational talents of the original speaker.

Some of Darst's strengths include original and funny descriptive phrases, and fresh observations on common human experiences: the idea that it's possible to struggle desperately to get sober, only to realize that no one cares, or the idea that the seemingly irrelevant historical/literary lectures of pedantic older men (fathers) are their weapons against the heartaches of life. The idea that artistic drive or literary ambition are destructive and dangerous addictions like alcoholism is perhaps not new, but freshly expressed.

It was over too soon. The original and climactic idea of thrusting Joyce or Fitzgerald ahead of one into the void was profound. I wanted a lighter note for the end, funny and more current about Darst, instead of her dad.

What does Jeanne Darst bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does a wonderful job with the voices of her family, and her timing reading her own funny , original lines was delicious. It's always richer to hear the author's own intonation. It adds a lot to the poetry and interpretation for the listener to hear how the author wants a line to sound. Punctuation can only take the reader so far.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Didn't want to hear it all in one sitting because a.) I wanted to prolong the pleasure and b.) It was little intense and claustrophobic to inhabit her life so vividly for six hours all together. Wanted to get back to my own life between hearings. Heard the whole book over about three or four days while doing chores.

Any additional comments?

Made me feel better about my own weird parents.

Ruined by Fiction, Saved by Humor.

The title alone made me want to read this book, and I was not disappointed. Fiction (and alcohol) ruin a lot of things in this book about Darst's coming-of-age, but her particular brand of humour, her truthfulness, and ultimately her compassion for her parents elevate and illuminate even the saddest parts of the story. A couple of times, the pacing of the narrative seemed off, but Darst is such good company, I didn't really mind. Very well narrated by the author. I was sorry when it ended. Write more, Jeanne!

Hysterically funny

I found myself repeating chapters because I love the way she tells her story. This book is honest and witty. The author reads the book herself which is sometimes a mistake, but not in this case. She has perfect timing and a gift for mimicry. Loved every minute of it!

Hilarious

Hilarious, witty, true new york. Grey Gardens meets HBO Girls. I love the raw honesty that is laughable and used as a coping mechanism. Great quick listen.

F*ck David Sedaris.

He's a punk--this is better. I am utterly charmed by this wonderful book, the beautiful writing, the super-heartedness, the sharpshooter character sketches, the evocative moving portraits of places and times. And no damned Hugh to sweep in and save the day by fixing something at the end.