lokroma reviewed Dirtbag, Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald
Review of 'Dirtbag, Massachusetts' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I generally and pretty diligently avoid memoir as a genre, and am sorry I didn’t in this case. I had to try this one since I’m a Massachusetts native who’s lived in the state most of my life, and for a number of years in the town next to the one where Fitzgerald grew up (during the time he was there). I did like reading descriptions of towns and places I’m familiar with.
Geographical connections aside, the book was pretty funny at first, starting with the opening sentence: “My parents were married when they had me, just to different people.” He talks about his own conception, which happened on a spiritual retreat while each of his Catholic parents (who met in divinity school) was cheating on his/her spouse. His parents are educated but penniless and spend time in South Boston working for a charitable organization helping out the poor. His …
I generally and pretty diligently avoid memoir as a genre, and am sorry I didn’t in this case. I had to try this one since I’m a Massachusetts native who’s lived in the state most of my life, and for a number of years in the town next to the one where Fitzgerald grew up (during the time he was there). I did like reading descriptions of towns and places I’m familiar with.
Geographical connections aside, the book was pretty funny at first, starting with the opening sentence: “My parents were married when they had me, just to different people.” He talks about his own conception, which happened on a spiritual retreat while each of his Catholic parents (who met in divinity school) was cheating on his/her spouse. His parents are educated but penniless and spend time in South Boston working for a charitable organization helping out the poor. His mom moves with her son to north central Massachusetts when things start breaking down in her marriage.
With the start of his teenage years, Fitzgerald kind of devolves into a repetitive recitation of endless drinking, drugs, fights, and motorcycle rides which continue through private boarding school, college, and beyond. I got through 100 pages and then was so bored and uninterested I stopped. While I can’t legitimately claim this as a finished book, and I’m guessing he goes on to redeem himself somehow, I simply couldn’t waste any more time on it. I gave it two stars because the writing is pretty good.
