Have you ever started reading a book, thinking you generally understood what you were getting into, only to immediately discover it was going to be a different ride?  I checked out Misfit:  Growing Up Awkward in the '80's, by stand-up comedian Gary Gulman from the local library, thinking it would go in one direction.  We eventually got to the expected destination, but the twists and turns to get there were a bit of a surprise.

As a child of the 1980's, and being somewhat familiar with Gulman's thoughtful and funny takes on life, as well as his battle with depression, this title seemed promising.  Plus, "awkward" is an apt way to describe my own childhood, so again, the hopes were high that this would be an entertaining look back at that formative decade.  Everyone can always use a laugh, after all.

With that in mind, I cracked open the book, which starts with a harrowing account of a suicidal adult Gulman desperately racing to an appointment with his psychiatrist in 2017.

Gotta admit, didn't see that coming.  There's brief allusion to it in, "The Introduction to the Introduction," but I was unprepared for the level of detail in describing his despair. 

Being familiar with this kind of crisis, I was about to bail.  It is a testament to Gulman's writing abilities that his harrowing account generated such an anxiety spike.   Recognizing that, I decided to give it chance for at least a few chapters.

Gulman's tale of his childhood in the late 1970's - 1980's will hit home with anyone who grew up during that time.  The mention of the first book he learned how to read will bring a smile to your face if you're of that age.  His accounts of shopping malls, land lines, and the joy of watching TV programs like Happy Days and The Love Boat, when you only had three networks to choose from, will make you grin.  If you remember the glory days of Pizza Hut, you'll easily be able to picture the scenes he describes.

However, what makes Misfit special is Gulman's honesty about his life as a sensitive boy, who grew up in a poor family with divorced parents, and his struggles to fit into the world around him.  His openness pulls you in more and more as his story continues.  Regardless of the decade of your own childhood, these larger challenges are universal.  Gulman's account of his depression (even if he didn't know something was actually wrong at the time) is moving.  There's no doubt that by telling these stories, he will be helping readers who find themselves in similar situations.

One part of the book didn't completely click, and it has to do with the opening.  As mentioned, Gulman starts with that 2017 crisis, and then there are additional brief mentions of it throughout the book, interspersed with the stories from the 1980's.  It sounds like he was at the lowest of low points, but in the final mention, it's 2023, and he's been recovered for six years.  That's terrific, but how did he get there?  No idea. 

To be clear, it's great that Gulman is in a much healthier position now, but it would have been better to either include the details about his road to recovery, or remove any mention of this fight and just focus on the account of his childhood.

That aside, Misfit is a funny and relatable story that will resonate with anyone who has ever seen themselves as awkward.  In other words, everyone.

Gary Gulman is a terrific storyteller.  (pic via donyc.com)