LITERATURE

You Think It Strange

by Dan Burt
Overlook. Sept. 2015. 184p. ISBN 9781468311259. $21.95. MEMOIR
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Burt's memoir could be characterized as bitter, unsentimental, and emotionally unavailable. Events are related clearly and straightforwardly; however, we get little sense of how the author felt about them. While readers learn a lot about Burt—he worked in a butcher shop, fathered a child while still in his teens, and earned a scholarship to Cambridge University—once the book is put down, it's hard to recall much about him as an individual. What makes this even more frustrating is that a large portion of Burt's upbringing was harsh, his father being angry and aggressive, his mother largely absent. This is material ripe for exploration, insight, and making connections to other people's experiences. Regrettably, none of this happens in this sad and unmoving book.
VERDICT Burt describes the world he grew up in well. His reactions to his experiences are less strong, making for an unsuccessful memoir.
Reviewed by Staff , Oct 01, 2015
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