Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Addams Family [Book Review]

"The Addams Family" that I am referring to in this blog is a book written by Jack Sharkey and published in September 1965. It was a novel intended to help promote the brand new ABC sitcom of the same name. So this book is pretty obscure for what it is. It's a book based on a sitcom. So is it any good? Oh yes!

I actually did not think this book was going to be a winner, but it surpassed all my expectations. If you really want to get down to the nitty gritty with who the Addams Family are and why they act like they do, this book essentially acts like an origin story as well as a solid explanation of their way of life. All of the characters get their time in the sun [or under the moon in this case]. I had a blast reading it.

Each chapter of this book has a different focus. It's much like having a book with 9 distinct episodes which still acknowledge each other. There are actually 10 chapters, but I'll get back to that in a minute. Many of the chapters take place from the Addams' own perspective, but they sometimes switch it up and narrate from the perspective of people meeting them. This turns out to be a very good idea.

In one chapter, we see how a school teacher deals with Wednesday and Pugley. In another, we see the story of Gomez's depressed broker, who honestly was a gloomy person in his own right. We also get to see how a professional scam artist deals with Morticia.

The other chapters are more about the family itself. Gomez opens a clinic for monsters. This unfortunately ends up being the weakest story, in my own personal opinion. It was still funny though. But I think the best chapter was when Fester gets drafted. It is probably the most disturbing, because it dissembles Fester himself down to his own nakedness.

As to the final chapter of the book, I could only sigh. It was a glorified promotion for the show. When Gomez asks which network their own TV show will air on, Morticia explained that "It's as simple as A-B-C." I rolled my eyes. I guess it was a little funny, but it left me with a somewhat empty feeling. That said, the rest of the book was fantastic.

I heavily recommend this book. There are still copies of this out there in used book stores. Jack Sharkey is an amazing author. He brought the Addams Family to life with a hard-hitting narrative that doesn't let up. It explains the origins of all the characters, even Thing! Find yourself a copy and enjoy it. This one is a must read!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!