Review: I Was a Child

I Was a Child by Bruce Eric Kaplan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I Was a Child is a memoir by Bruce Kaplan, who is an artist, writer and producer. The book includes story snippets of life as a child in the age where television raised you as well as simple line drawings that accompany each bit of information. The memoir covers a variety of topics, from family and friends to television and learning how to transition from childhood to adulthood.

Not sure what was special about this book in particular. I failed to see what made these vignettes of childhood stand out from all the same experiences other American children have (at least before computers and cell phones). For something like this to work to keep me interested, it would have needed more than just “hey, here's a snippet from childhood” and a simple drawing. There was little introspection or any kind of deep revelation to the things included in this book.

If you like Kaplan's work in The New Yorker or any of his television screenwriting work, you may be interested in picking up his memoir. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

*Received a copy of this book through NetGalley

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