A History of Violence

Townie, Andre Dubus III

One of the most surprising things about this memoir is how the author ever managed to survive his wild youth, let alone become a writer. Andre Dubus III is the son of the acclaimed short story writer Andre Dubus. Yet while his father was leading a charmed existence in a New England college town - teaching and dating co-eds, having his summers off - young Andre lived with his mother and 3 siblings in abject poverty in a violent neighborhood. Both parents failed their children miserably, and they were left to raise themselves. There were plenty of bad influences to lead these neglected children astray, and the author does not sugarcoat the fear, violence, shame and humiliation that comprised his childhood.

In an act of self-preservation, the adolescent Dubus begins running and lifting weights, and, more importantly, learns how to fight. He becomes a kid who can defend himself against bullies, and then an angry young man with an explosive temper and propensity for violence. How he learns to control his rage (and believe me, he’s got plenty to be angry about) and come to terms with his  his father is what this gritty memoir is about. In the process, he becomes a writer. It’s an honest and unflinching look at one boy’s life, how it could have gone wrong but didn’t. I thought it was fantastic, one of the best memoirs I’ve read in years.