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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780446540940
ISBN: 0446540943
Label: Twelve
Manufacturer: Twelve
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: May 06, 2009
Publisher: Twelve
Studio: Twelve
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Product Description:
In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Christopher Buckley coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York's most glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their relationship was close and complicated. Writes Buckley: "They were not - with respect to every other set of loving, wonderful parents in the world - your typical mom and dad."
As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes readers on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."
Just as Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion gave readers solace and insight into the experience of losing a spouse, Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the death of a parent, while telling a unique personal story of life with legends.
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
"Losing Mum and Pup" is Christopher Buckley's retrospective on the life and death of his famous parents, the iconic conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. and his socialite wife, Pat Buckley.
I found the book interesting because it is a poignant and well-written study in the changing of generations and because it provides a glimpse into the personal lives of an iconic American family.
While the book communicates a number of unflattering details about Buckley's parents, he avoids the self-pitying plea for the reader to agree that his parents did him wrong. His motive for writing seems to be (a) that he's a writer himself and processes life on paper and (b) his parents were intensely interesting people and his relationship with them, particularly his father, is the stuff of an interesting book. How many people, for example, had friendships with Ronald Reagan, David Niven, Barry Goldwater, George McGovern, Gordon Liddy, and, well, nearly everybody whose name appeared in headlines from 1970 to 2009.
Christopher Buckley is a political satirist and can't help but find the ironic moments in the tragic year in which both his parents died. For example, the phone call from the mortician saying, "Your dad is looking much better now." The writing is often humorous, thought not so hilarious as his novels.
Buckley does reveal a number of negative things about his parents and himself, including Mum's penchant for telling whoppers (she invented at least 8 different reasons for her leaving college after two years) and Pup's self-medication with Ritalin and sleeping pills, and Buckley's own dilemma about whether to assist his father in suicide (he didn't and he didn't).
This book is a poignant read for baby boomers--and perhaps others--who are dealing with passing of their parents' generation. It's humorous, revealing, poignant, and very well written. Fans of either Buckley will enjoy it.
Rating:  -
Losing Mum & Pup is at once: funny, provocative, eminently readable, callous, disturbing, ironic and self-serving. The last is not a criticism. A memoir of losing one's parents within a year of one another cannot help but be self-serving if it is at all revealing. The irony stems from the fact that there is a glint of "woe is me" in all this but not much in the way of empathy for one's parents. As a wise man once said, "Expectations lead to frustrations," and perhaps that's what a significant portion of this book is about.
I'm sure many reviews are a product of the constant bifurcation of left/right, theism/atheism in our culture. The revealing negative underbelly of Pat and WFB, Jr. were not all that surprising or disturbing. Anyone so revealed would unveil equally flawed lives. Knowing people the way I do (I know no one who does not, in his or her own way, have as troubling personal issues), it is expected. If this lessens the two in the eyes of some, then they are too judgmental. I do think much is left unsaid that probably should have been given greater emphasis.
I am very understanding of WFB's contemplating an overdose as he lived out the final few months of his life in agony over momentary loss of some of his faculties, the suffering of emphysema, and the loss of his lifelong compatriot and wife. Many elderly pass on very shortly after losing a spouse. The interesting aspect of this is that CB writes of this with a certain glee, as if to say, "Aha! See, in the moment of need my father abandoned one of the very tenets of the things you conservatives disagree with and in which I, the enlightened atheist, am 'in the right' - though not 'on the right.'" But, asking an 82 year old enduring such difficulties of the flesh we inhabit to be fully rational about the issue (regardless of where one comes down on the topic) is like asking a 16 year old boy and girl alone in the back seat of a car - who as they speed around 3rd base to stop, rationally consider what they have done or are contemplating, and calmly retreat back 'round the bases to home plate. Especially in a world of protection, are they going to be rational or is the flesh going to dominate at that moment? It was not disturbing that it occurred. Nor that CB wrote about the contemplation of it (I know many who wish they could go), but the manner in which it was handled. This issue is not the reason the book was disturbing but the pattern this exhibits was.
One wonders - did any Buckley disciples offer condolences? Surely they did. What prompted Christo to be so unforthcoming about such? About all that could be mustered was exactly what he criticizes his father and mother for doing: a rather critical, I saw no other republicans at the funeral other than Chris Shays. Just interesting. Perhaps it's really what was not said, in terms of balance, that made the book disturbing and callous. His rather harsh and mostly unfavorable revelation of his mother (without much hint of positives other than fashion, looks and food) are unnecessarily slanted negatively. There is bitterness in this book - in spite of the humor that only slightly attenuates it.
CB has, for the most part, left the two faiths at the core of his father's world-view (religious and). I disagree with him on both counts, but if one were to honor the spirit of WFB, Jr. then one should certainly should permit an honorable exchange of ideas and disagreements there. But, there is no doubting an attempt to get in subtle and in some respects unfair digs and slights in these matters. Too bad (for him and the reader).
The lighter moments are entertaining. However, they often come across as contrived - almost calculated (throw in a funny line here - that would work well) in an, "I think I'm actually pretty funny here," kind of way. They are enjoyable at times; "the tie" thoughts and some of the classic WFB personality coming out (as in the "ar-gu-ably" comment), were funny, indeed.
I think "Christo" wrote and published a bit too close to the emotional moment. Pop psychology and modern art likely finds that "healthy" and "important." Yet, I suspect that healthy would be writing just this book - setting it aside in a vault - for posterity or better, to be revisited five years down the road (should life give us that). We aren't always at our best or say the most appropriate things, for example, with a spouse when the wounds are fresh - in the moment of frustration. Perhaps the same book would be published in five years - who knows. And, perhaps pride would prevent CB from ever admitting, "I made some serious mistakes here," but I think the emphatic tone is troublesome - whether one loved or despised WFB.
Ultimately, perhaps the weakest part of the book is the final chapter and his really ridiculous way of dealing with death. The William Hazlett quote (that since we didn't trouble ourselves for not being around ... Read More
Rating:  -
I never cared for William F. Buckley, Jr., but nobody deserves to be treated the way his son treats him here.
Little, if any, narrative talent is displayed here. Clearly, had Buckley and his wife not been so prominent in society and politics, this book would never have found a publisher...and the world would have been better off for that. I hope the Buckley trust fund holds up, because it's pretty clear little Chrissie ain't gonna earn much of a living off his writing!
To use an obscure WFB-ish characterization, this book, and its "author", are empyemic.
Rating:  -
Christopher Buckley is a fine writer and, more importantly, a much better human being than his neo-nazi father and socialite mother. My heart goes out to him for having the soul (and the brains)
to love his parents and yet still become that better human being. William F. Buckley, Jr. was an articulate cheerleader for racial segregation, apartheid, FDR-bashing, and apparently his right to [...] in public. He [...] over us for fifty years and his legacy ain't pretty but his son puts it all in perspective in this book. Christopher supported (and continues to support) President Obama---if he can forgive his worthless parents (Bill inherited his wealth and so did Pat) and lead a more moral life, more power to and admiration for him. "Conservative" is now the dirty word in American politics (see the last election returns)---only hardcore racists and mentally challenged nitwits want to apply. Throughout this book, my view of Bill Buckley was solidified---a very gracious neo-nazi whose time and sick "philosophy" no longer poison us. Thank goodness the apple Christopher fell far away and in a better place from the poisonous tree. We are a better country for Christopher's presence.
Rating: -
I decided to buy this book after reading some negative reviews. I should say that I subscribed to National Review for about 25 years until Bill Buckley retired. I've also read about a dozen of his books. I was therefore very interested to read what Christopher had to say.
It is not an easy, or even a really sensible task to write about your parents - either soon or a long time after their demise. However, it is done quite regularly - perhaps because it is cathartic for the grieving daughter or son.
Overall I enjoyed Christopher Buckley's effort. It reads well and you get the feeling that it is honest - both in terms of his feelings towards his well known parents and in his portrait of them. No doubt someone will psycho-analyse what he has done but I think it is a worthy effort in difficult circumstances.
By the way - on page 45 is refers to the 'famous five, highly variegated Mitford sisters'. Actually there were six: Nancy, Diana, Pamela, Unity, jessica and Deborah. There was also a bother - Tom.
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