Need humor? Read The Guncle | Diary of a Word Nerd

If you, like me, are tired of depressing headlines in your news feed and are dreading the stress of the holidays, let me introduce you to a warm, funny, and thoughtful gem of a book that might be the perfect distraction right now. The Guncle, by Steven Rowley, tells the story of Patrick, a once famous sitcom star who is forced out of his self imposed solitude when tragedy strikes his family.

The Premise

After his TV show was cancelled, and his long time partner Joe died in a tragic car accident, Patrick retreated to the quiet and sunshine of Palm Springs. When crisis strikes his family, he finds himself the sole caregiver of his niece and nephew. Patrick has plenty of money and lots of opinions about fashion, healthy eating, and society’s obsession with social media. However, he has a lot to learn about taking care of two children under ten and helping them navigate the murky waters of grief and loss.

What I Liked

Patrick is hilarious. His humor is witty, his commentary on social norms insightful. I love it when he says that everyone taking, posting, and re-watching videos of themselves is “masturbatory”. His references to pop culture suggest he’s about my age, a child of the 80s, and many of his quips made me smile. His approach to parenting is often unorthodox, but it’s obvious that he cares about his niece and nephew and wants to help them. His unusual approach to guiding his charges gently calls into question what we accept and do not accept as “okay” in parenting today.

When his niece Maisy doesn’t want to wear a girl’s bathing suit, Patrick definitively states, “There is no one right way or wrong way to dress.” When he “tag teams” disciplining his young guests while his sister is visiting, he observes, “wow, this really is easier with a partner.”

Patrick must help his niece and nephew as they grieve the loss of their mother, and in the process, Patrick navigates his own grief and ends up healthier for it.

Even though The Guncle deals with some tough issues, such as grief, death, cancer, and loss, it balances the heavy with genuine humor. I am currently grieving my father, and the book helped me to process my own loss without making me feel sad.

What I didn’t like

The Guncle or GUP are nick names for Patrick that focus solely on his sexual orientation – he is gay. I found this, and many stereotypes about gay people peppered throughout the novel, a little off putting. For example, Patrick’s neighbors are “a thruple” – three gay men living together. They like to swim naked and have statues of gay men with large penises scattered throughout their house. It seemed a little too “The Bird Cage” for me. However, the author, Steven Rowley, is gay, so I guess his sensitivities and understanding of this issue are better than mine.

For an interesting Q and A with Rowley about The Guncle, see this interview on BookTrib: Steven Rowley’s “The Guncle” Packs a Gut-Punch of Heart and Humor.

Have you read The Guncle or Rowley’s other books, The Editor and Lily and the Octopus? Please share your thoughts!

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!