I had read chapters of Life With Father when they were included in my reading curriculum back in seventh grade or something. My reader had included only the best chapters, so my high expectations were slightly dashed when I read the full book. The stories center on the character of Father and the family's life in the 1880s in busy New York, as told by the oldest son, Clarence. I have to admit I really disliked Father in the first six or seven chapters. I don't care how funny his bullheaded antics and loud yelling are to read about — I've been that poor person in retail being yelled at and walked all over by some imperious, ego-driven man. I would never have chosen to marry a man like that, and I rather wondered at Mrs. Day for it.

But when we started seeing more about the family, I didn't mind Father so much. The best parts are the bits about family life, not just the portraits of Father. Seen by himself out the context of family life, Father is almost a caricature of himself, and positively insufferable. He yells all the time and is pretty much incapable of seeing anyone else's point of view. But when this is portrayed in a family setting, with Mother practicing her little stratagems to evade his bluster and the sons observing their parents' often humorous interactions, I softened up a bit until finally I consented to laugh. Father has his good points too.

The story itself is a string of vignettes and little snapshots of family life. I couldn't stop giggling over this little gem of a paragraph:

Whenever Harold got hurt, which was perhaps rather often, the important thing to do was to choke him. If we had tried to comfort him first, his wails would have brought Mother up on the run. We also had found out by experience that it was a great mistake to choke him in silence, because the silence itself would make Mother suspect that something dreadful had happened. Consequently, while choking our indignant little brother, we had to make joyful sounds. This must often have given us the appearance of peculiarly hard-hearted fiends.

Anyone who has younger siblings can testify to the truth of these words.

These stories remind me excessively of Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes (charismatic, larger-than-life father and intelligent, fun mother — and a crop of redheaded kids). But I think I prefer the Gilbreths to the Days. Mr. Gilbreth is just easier to imagine living with, and the stories are much funnier. But they are enough alike that fans of one would enjoy the other. Overall, this is a fairly well-written book with some very memorable moments and fun characters. ( )