The next prompt for my 52 Book challenge was a hard one for me. It was challenging because how do you know if a character has the same name as a family member until you read it? Ultimately, I asked my book club for a recommendation using names like Wallace, Wally, Bill, Billy, William, Allen, Charles, Chuck, or Guillermo. Coming from a family of women, I was given “Catch-22” with a character named Chuck. When I sat down last weekend to start the book, I skimmed it and did not see the name Chuck at all. So, I decided against that book and hunted through my collection for another book I could use.
“The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch” by Kimberly Potts was purchased before I decided to attempt this challenge and it has moved around on my reading list without finding a true place. It wasn’t the first book I pulled out, but it became the second one.
Greg / Barry – NO
Chris / Peter – NO
Mike / Bobby – NO
Sherwood – NO
Mike / Robert – Hmmmm… Robert? I have an Uncle Bob. Robert. Oh wait… Bobby too. Whoa. This will work.
Robert Reed played a significant role in “The Brady Bunch” and in all discussions of the 60s-70s sitcom; his consistent complaining has always been a source of discussion, especially here, where he gets an entire chapter dedicated to his love-hate relationship with the show.
Potts didn’t come across in this book as an expert in the behind-the-scenes hijinks and shenanigans of the cast members. That role was filled by Barry Williams’ memoir, “Growing Up Brady.” Instead, she explores the fandom of “The Brady Bunch” and how fans have embraced the show and cast members, as well as the impact that the show had on pop culture and television over the years.
As a fan of the show and being part of the fandom, this book is a lot of fun. It has also got me thinking about the concept of documenting as part of becoming a historian of sorts; something I seriously want to do with any one of my passions. I guess this is sort of my blog at the moment, documenting music, movies, books, etc., or at least what I think about them.
STARTED: January 17, 2021
FINISHED: January 23, 2021