“The Family Law” is a fun and quirky not-quite-biography of the Frankie editor, Benjamin Law. It details the life of a Chinese family living in Australia, putting their most humorous and fun moments to pen and paper.
This book is certainly not without its charm, particularly in the individual characters and most often their peculiar traits. The Law family is one which is closely knit, but not without strain or troubles.
While the characters and stories aren’t personally familiar to me (I come from a typical white, domestically-troubled family), they were reminiscent of my Chinese-Australian high school friend’s childhood and adolescence (the close bonds of the siblings and cousins, their joking-teasing nature, and the huge family gatherings).
The only thing I dislike about this book is the anecdote about cockroaches and his pet mouse. I am realising that animal neglect in childhood is a common theme for humour writers, but I find this somewhat disappointing, but my guess is that most readers won’t really have a problem with the dismissive air, “They were just a child!” (I wish parents would realise that it is a sentient life, and a far greater responsibility than watering a pot plant or putting your shoes on the rack, and should be supervised closely.)
It is an interesting but sometimes heart-breaking view of Australia (relatives who are illegal immigrants are sent back to China, despite being in Australia to escape the violence there). I recommend “The Family Law” to those with an interest in humorous writing like that of David Sedaris, family anecdotes (especially those a little dysfunctional), Australian literature, or Chinese-Australian perspectives.
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