Fiction for fathers

March 11, 2019 12:58 PM

What should I read next? Looking for book recommendations and am interested in suggestions that are not overly dark or pessimistic and that would help me think about parenthood and fatherhood and provide me some perspective as I raise my sons. Not quite sure how best to explain it, but two books that fit this mold for me are Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (bought for my oldest son when he was born) and Cosmos by Carl Sagan (bought for my younger son when he was born). Fiction preferred.
posted by buddha9090 to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

It's been over 15 years since I read it, so I can't really say whether the ideas still hold up, but Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance might be just what you're looking for.
posted by dis_integration at 1:19 PM on March 11, 2019

Best answer: Since you mention Siddartha, which isn't explicitly about fatherhood, you may like The Razor's Edge, which may be my favorite novel. The main character rejects his family's plans for him in order to pursue what he sees as a meaningful life.
posted by FencingGal at 1:39 PM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Gilead is a beloved classic that is in the form of a man's long letter to his young son. It is profound and beautiful and decent.
posted by minervous at 5:28 PM on March 11, 2019 [5 favorites]

Try A Tale for the Time Being
posted by CMcG at 5:28 PM on March 11, 2019

And if you like Gilead, try Home and then Lila. These are the same characters from other points of view. Both deal very much with the relationships between fathers and sons.
posted by FencingGal at 6:54 PM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Chocky by John Wyndham.
posted by perhapses at 8:14 PM on March 11, 2019

Not fiction, but Free Range Kids should be required reading for all parents, IMHO. Ditto Pink Brain, Blue Brain

Despite the somewhat off-putting name, The Art of Manliness website has some great resources on fatherhood and non-toxic masculinity that might be of interest to you, including book recs.
posted by Tamanna at 9:21 PM on March 11, 2019

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk. Also not fiction, but absolutely life-changing for me as a parent.
posted by FencingGal at 4:27 AM on March 12, 2019

Do not read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I read that book when my first kid was little, it messed me up.
posted by trbrts at 8:50 AM on March 13, 2019 [1 favorite]