REVIEW - The Friday Afternoon Club (audiobook)

 The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

I remember hearing the horrific story of the murder of Dominique Dunne when I was a senior in college. During the late 70s/80s, Los Angeles was "crime central" so I was concerned about what had happened. I was shocked to learn that Dominique was murdered by her boyfriend. I felt so sad for her and her family. 

Griffin Dunne, Dominique's older brother, tells the story of the Dunne family before/after Dominique's death. It is a real, raw story of a dysfunctional American family. 

One caveat, this is a real and raw story with lots of sexual scenes, drinking to excess, drug usage, and murder details. If that bothers you, please do not read this book. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Griffin writes beautifully. He is a strong writer who wrote about personal and intimate events in his family. He writes with "Irish dark humor", but handles the murder of his beloved sister with grace and love. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was wonderful. Griffin has a nice voice for narration and tells the story of his family with the perfect amount of inflection, feeling, and emotion. 

Character Arc: 5.0 stars

The audiobook is basically told chronologically in two parts - before/after the murder of Dominique Dunne. As someone whose paternal grandmother was murdered in 1939, I could viscerally understand the horror that the Dunne family lived through, unfortunately.

Griffin writes about the good, bad, and ugly in his family. There was mental illness, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, sexual issues, and the murder of a daughter/sister. But, there was the beauty of a family that rallied around a mother with MS, supported a sister after her death during the trial of her murderer, and loved each other deeply. This was a tortured family who survived it all with love.  

Memorable:  5.0 stars

Griffin struggled with dyslexia which was not fully understood in the 60s and 70s. It made me understand my own struggles with depression and how children are sometimes not diagnosed properly. 

The large Dunne family loved one another deeply but had their own issues. They all reconciled in the end which is my hope for my dysfunctional family. It gave me hope!

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

It was so entertaining! I love the friendship with Carrie Fisher stories and the "Santa Claus" story.  

Book cover: 5.0 stars

A perfect family portrait.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

On point! 

STRONG recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne

Penguin Audio

12 hours, 19 minutes

Release date of 6/11/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Griffin Dunne

My Goodreads review

Penguin Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜