Random ramblings, book reviews, personal photos and observations on life from a small town girl with a big heart. Welcome.
1.07.2008
Book Review: The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This is one of those books you stay up way past your bedtime to finish.
I chose this book as our book discussion title for January, despite not having read it before, based solely on the weight of all the positive reviews floating around, and now I can't wait to discuss it.
This memoir, written by successful journalist Walls, traces her growing up as the second daughter in a family that was loyal and loving - but extremely underprivileged, always on the run, and making poor choice after poor choice. Walls' father, an alcoholic, and her mother, an "adventure seeker", cared for their children, but provided little for them. The memoir begins with Walls in a cab on Fifth Avenue in New York, looking out the window and seeing her homeless mother digging through a dumpster, and the book just explodes from there.
I can't adequately summarize this memoir, except to say that it's written without self pity, despite the sometimes pitiful circumstances, and that Walls' writing is engaging, and the story clearly arresting.
Highly, highly recommended!
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4 comments:
Like you, I thought The Glass Castle was a powerful memoir, though I was a bit harsher on the parents.
does anyone out there think that maybe the glass castle was completely authentic????
hw
I thought the book was poorly written. I cannot understand the overwhelming support for this book. She romanticizes her upbringing and provides excuses for her parents. Glad she made it out of her situation but that does not make it a great read.
i do not understand why so much uproar with this book. for me this book is more fantasy than reality. the story occurs in USA,not in a south american town.
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