My Daddy Was a Pistol and Im a Son of A Gun by Lewis Grizzard

My Daddy Was a Pistol and Im a Son of A Gun Reviews

• 
  Anne Hendricks

  I wept.You'll weep. Lewis wept writing it.You will learn about Lewis' father, an American hero with a still unsolved mystery- but in the end?
  He loved and honored his daddy.
  The most personal book Lewis ever wrote, juxtaposed with humor and heartbreak: he finds out the man he is in the past of his father's story.
  No spoilers: you will learn more about Lewis Grizzard in a specific time and place of his writing life in My Daddy Was a Pistol and I'm a Son of a Gun. Every Georgian should be required to read Lewis Grizzard. He is our proudest Bulldog and our greatest Southern humorist of the twentieth century.
• 
  Jay French

  When I reviewed Grizzard’s later “Shoot Low Boys – They’re Ridin’ Shetland Ponies” I found that book was a collection of what appeared to be newspaper columns Grizzard had written earlier, then pasted together with some introductory material and a bit of loose thematic organization. I was expecting much the same from this effort, focused on his father and their relationship. This was different. Instead of a collection of columns, this appeared more an entire book written to the subject. This was good, and author Grizzard injected his humor along the way, playing up the strange character that was his father. Another thing I noticed about Grizzard’s writing is that he knows how to pull the heartstrings when he wants to. He does that here, judiciously. It had to be done judiciously, as Grizzard’s father was a flawed individual, with a past as a war hero and an ability to ingratiate himself with others, but with a knack for borrowing money and disappearing, and a weakness for drink. Grizzard’s father answered to his demons, making him not fully a character for pity. Everything we are told is through the author’s eyes. You feel more for poor young Louis than his father. Yet Grizzard is portrayed as a Southern character, with musical abilities that allowed him to wheedle free food from churches after singing some hymns, while calling himself “Major” even though he was discharged not honorably at a lower rank. In the end, you realize this was son Grizzard’s story of trying to understand his father. It shouldn’t surprise you that he’s not much closer by the end of the book. Major Grizzard was too overwhelming a character to understand. I liked the writing, I liked the descriptions of how Grizzard’s father lived (what a character), but I hoped to find growth beyond expected forgiveness and it wasn’t in the story.
• 
  Katie Pressley

  Lewis has a god-given talent for writing. This was a heartfelt amazing book!
• 
  Mariel

  "To love someone unconditionally--as I loved Daddy--is to remember each detail of their personal-age, to remember isolated and long-past moments together, to remember nuances that made such an object of love unique and impossible to replace."
  
  I've never know someone that speaks like that about their father. I've not ever understood what and how a father-son bond is, seeing how he--as a little boy-- saw everything and how he couldn't understand why someone as mahvelous as his father could end like he did.
  My favorite book of the year so far.
• 
  Phillip

  Lewis Grizzard writes an honest but heart-warming memoir of his father - his heroics in WWII and Korea, his return home with demons, alcoholism, the abandonment of his family, and the continued ups and downs he experienced as a son in search of a father figure. This is an interesting story for anyone to read - a quick read of one son's tale.
• 
  Russ Adcox

  Every bit as good as the first time I read it 31 years ago. My mother introduced me to Lewis Grizzard as a kid and from age 10 to 20 I read him almost exclusively. Have read everything he ever put in print. This book is his best. Funny one moment and heartbreaking the next. A boy's Dad has more influence on his life, for good or bad, than any other person in his life. This book is a reminder of that truth and Grizzard tells the story well. I may have to re-read "Kathy Sue Loudermilk I Love You" next!
• 
  Michele Schrotenboer

  Recently read this one. I liked it much more than I thought I would. It's definitely a regional book about Southern culture, but it's mostly a book about a boy's love for his father, despite the ups and downs of life--abandonment, alcoholism. A neighbor lent it to me and it took awhile for me to get into it, but once I did, I enjoyed it a lot and feel like I'm a better person for reading it. Even made me cry.
• 
  Kenneth Allen

  This book speaks of a man filled with faults yet still a hero to the author. A heart felt description from Lewis reveals the fact of how he loved his father, even though he was not perfect. A very human book.
• 
  James

  As funny as the rest of Grizzard's books and the most touching of them all - his account of the life of his alcoholic war hero con man father and their relationship.
• 
  Marty

  In the bookcase waiting a second read. Loved his writing. His early death was a great loss to those of us who look to humor in writing at times.
• 
  Mary Barks

  I've read all of Grizzard's books - several times. He brings me back to my roots of Georgia.
• 
  Melissa

  Touching and hilarious memoir of a larger-than-life man. Lewis Grizzard, Sr., could have been a character in a Tennessee Williams play.
• 
  Lisa

  My Daddy Was a Pistol and I'm a Son of A by Lewis Grizzard (1988)
• 
  Dan Smith

  When we lost Grizzard, we lost a great southern spokesman. I love to read his stories.. I love to read about his life..
• 
  Laura

  Great book. I liked the part where he was talking about his dad's hot dog stand.
• 
  Tricia Rogers

  Very touching story of a son's love for his Daddy. I love Lewis Grizzard's work and this one was very moving indeed.
• 
  Jasmine Dao

  my first humor book, forced upon me in high school newspaper class. Fell in love with the whole genre. Southern wit, wry, easy.
• 
  Kitty

  More fun from the Cracker who can write. OMG, I know that character!
• 
  Shannon Maddox

  Read my review here:
  http://iron-diva.blogspot.com/2016/06...