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Indlæser... The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suitaf Jj Lee
Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. “The suit tells the tale of the man who wears it.” In the Measure of a Man, Lee sets out to alter his deceased father’s suit in an attempt to understand how the threads of his own life were woven. The alteration process releases long dormant memories of a childhood filled with alcoholism and abuse but it also allows him to get closer to understanding his father. Interwoven with stories of the alteration, Lee’s childhood, and his apprenticeship at a Gastown tailor, are sections on the history and evolution of the suit. Lee’s description of the people and events that influenced the changing styles of suits was quite interesting, so much so that now I notice lapels and how many buttons are done up on a man’s suit! His fashion intervention of a graduate struggling to find a suit at The Bay was heartwarming. Grads and best men would do well to take his advice on boutonnieres this June. Reviewed here. ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
HæderspriserNotable Lists
FINALIST - Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (2012) FINALIST - Governor General's Literary Award - Non-Fiction (2012) FINALIST - BC Book Prize's Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize (2012) nbsp; A son's decision to alter his father's last surviving suit for himself is the launching point for this powerful book - part personal memoir, part social history of the man's suit - about fathers and sons, love and forgiveness, and learning what it means to be a man. nbsp; For years, journalist and amateur tailor JJ Lee tried to ignore the suit hanging at the back of his closet. It was his father's suit. But when JJ decides to make the suit his own, little does he know he is about to embark on a journey to understand his own past. nbsp; As JJ cuts into the jacket, he begins to piece together the story of his relationship with his father, a charismatic but troubled Montreal restauranteur whose demons brought tumult upon his family. JJ also recounts his own ups and downs during the year he spent as an apprentice at Modernize Tailors - the last of the great Chinatown suitmakers in Vancouver - where, under the tutelage of his octogenarian master tailor, he learns invaluable lessons about life. Woven throughout JJ's tale are stories of the suit's own evolution, illuminating how this humble garment has, for centuries, been the surprising battleground for the war between generations. nbsp; Written with great wit, bracing honesty, and narrative verve, and featuring line drawings throughout by the author, The Measure of a Man is an unforgettable story of love, forgiveness, and discovering what it means to be your own man. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsIngenPopulære omslag
Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)646.40092Technology Home and family management Sewing, clothing, management of personal and family life Tailoring and Pattern-MakingLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
Er det dig?Bliv LibraryThing-forfatter. |
I didn't expect to like it. I picked it up because I gravitate towards immigrant stories, being an immigrant myself. There's something about the dual-identities that draw me in, and then a deeper realisation, that immigrants are not Chinese and Canadian, or, in my case, Australian Canadian, but Chinese Canadian, as its own separate entity that I adore and come to terms with on a daily basis.
And then I started reading it, and it completely blew me away. JJ's passion for menswear is infectious. He would pick an article of men's clothing, such as the pocket square, or the tie, or the lapel and I would be passionate about it. He weaved intricate tales about how the frock coat came into being, how Oscar Wilde defied all of England's fashion conventions, how knights in armour defiantly raised their skirts so they could move better in battle. He told stories of James Dean, of Sean Connery, of Frank Sinatra, all from their pant hems, from their upturned brims of their hats, from their tie pins.
JJ Lee is a sentimental, romantic, admirable little nerd and I adored all of his Star Trek, Star Wars and comic books references.
He challenges masculinity as much as he welcomes it. Through these stories, he tells the story of the fraught relationship he had with his father, how he aspired to be him, his father's alcoholism and his resolve never to be like him. He becomes a tailor for a short time, and in a moment of inspiration, decides to alter his father's suit.
Though the sections about his father's alcoholism were hard to read, the author used micro-histories about clothing between each emotional chapter. As a mechanic of writing, it helped me to keep reading and not get swamped with miserable detail. Lee does what I think is difficult to do when recounting a story of someone who suffers from substance abuse, and that is that he wrote about the good times as well as the bad.
This book is layered without being difficult. It is emotional without being draining. If Lee could be sure of one thing, it is that he can write. Not only that, but that he can write and make the reader care.
tw: alcoholism, domestic abuse ( )