Full of Life

John Fante's 1952 novel, the inspiration for the film starring Judy Holliday and Richard Conte

If you have ever been a member of a family that has ever been "in a family way," this is your book. The narrator of this extravagant domestic comedy—also named John Fante—finds himself a homeowner and expectant father almost simultaneously. While his wife, Joyce, reads up on pregnancy and motherhood, John finds himself at loose ends as he struggles to deal with his quickly changing life.

When term...