Amazon.co.uk Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir Running with Scissors that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours."
There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription medicines and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a paedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorises it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a cappella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward.

Burroughs' perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs' survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all.

Apparently this is now being made into a film.

This is now going out as an international bookring

Please message me with the Bookcrossing ID and your postage preferences, ie, which countries your willing to post to.

List so far.

StoryChaser..UK.......Europe
KenseyRiver...UK......UK
RDWirral......UK......Anywhere
cookewitch
Gizmopuddy..Ireland...Anywhere
cat207.......Australia...International
queensknob...US.......US
rebeccaljames...US....US
prollacct.......US....US
star11-80.......USA...International
karenlea........US....Prefer US if poss
glade1..........US....Prefer US
Bibliocrates....US....US
momx3lovesbooks .US...US
ilovethehutch....US...US


Why not chart this books travels?

http://www.bookcrossingmaps.com This site lets you enter a public BCID and see a map of the book's travels. If you have any questions, check the FAQ, or email me at [email protected] or PM VVilliam. Please give feedback/suggestions as this is a new site, and spread the word, I'd love to see it used. Happy mapping!

Arrived safe & sound. Will start this as soon as I have finished my current book. Thanks safrolistics for starting this bookring:)

Err...not really sure what to say about this book, it was all a bit bizarre for me I'm afraid. I know they say truth is stranger than fiction, but this seemed to go beyond the realms of weirdness and if it was made up no-one would ever believe it. It makes the stuff on Jerry Springer look normal...! Not really me cup of tea; I think I am more comfortable with a made-up story, at least then I can sleep at night knowing its not real.........
Will be passing on to KenseyRiver as soon as I have their address.

Arrived safely in my grubby little paws and is currently being consumed.

Sorry, it took a while to read this. I found I had to read it in small chunks as it just got too disturbing. I started off quite enjoying the book. The amusing writing style fitted with the "have to laugh or else you'd cry" events, but I became increasingly disturbed by the juxtaposition, and indeed overlap, of humour and sexual abuse. I didn't feel that Burroughs had survived these experiences, but repressed and minimised them into anecdotes. It was uncomfortable spending time with someone, who was so damaged that they were reduced to being entertaining, when they clearly just needed help.

Recieved this today - have recieved a few books at the same time but will try and be quick

RD x

I'm just leaving a note to say that I am a little behind, but I am coming to this one next - thanks for your patience.

Hi all, I read this today, and found it a page turner, although I found much of the detail shocking, I found the best course of action was to suspend belief. I DID find myself wondering whether Running With Scissors was one of the new breed of autobiographies were certain things are exaggerated for literary effect, such as James Frey's two memoirs or the excellent Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts an "autobiography" which reads like a thriller. I'm also young enough to remember my teens and I know that teenagers aren't as sheltered these days as they once were and that drugs and underage sex with inappropriate partners are more prevalent than a lot of people would like to believe. what is shocking is that neither Augusten's mother or Agnes and Dr Finch were ever proseceuted either for child abuse or their enablement of child abuse. I would like to know also what became of Augusten following his move to New York.

PMing next in line.

On its way to Cookewitch

This is now on it's way to Gizmopuddy :-)

Received from Cookewitch with thanks, have started it already and will send it on as soon as possible.

I actually read this book with a large pinch of salt, I cannot concieve but some of these stories have to be blown out of proportion, such as the acceptance of a man in his thirties having an affair with a 13 year old boy, or selling your daughter, or even down to the simple story of Freud the cat. If I have any faith in civic and legal systems, I would have to believe that the authorities would have been down on all the adult figures in this book like a ton of bricks. I didn't enjoy it, I didn't like Augusten, actually there was very few characters in the book I had any time for, their behaviour was just too depraved. But glad I read it all the same.

Contacting CAT207 now for address.

Arrived in today's mail. Thank you Gizmopuddy and safrolistics for sharing.

Yeah, well. What can you say? I'm sure my life is no richer for having read this. What was I thinking?

Have PMed queensknob for address.

05/06/07 - queensknob has asked to be skipped. Have PMed rebeccaljames for address.

06/06/07 - rebeccaljames has asked to be skipped. Have PMed prollacct for address.

07/06/07 - Mailed today to prollacct. Enjoy!

Received today and will be starting soon.

OMG! So, maybe I'm the only one who enjoyed this, big city life can be numbing. The most insane book I think I've ever read. It is justly described by the San Francisco Chronicle as making "..even the most outrageous episode of the Jerry Springer Show seem rational by comparison." Can't wait to see the movie. PMing for next address.

Star11-80 has asked to be skipped. I pmed karenlea but she is on vacation until July5. If I do not receive a response by July7, I will contact the next in line.

I still haven't heard from karenlea so I pm'ed glade1 for an address.

Glade1 asked to be skipped so I pm'ed Bibliocrates.

Bibliocrates has asked to be skipped because she has already read this one. I will pm momx3lovesbooks for an address.

Well, while cleaning out my inbox, I found a message from karenlea, still interested in the book and forwarding an address. I am marking this book as traveling and will be dropping off at the post office in the morning. I have informed her of the current status of the ring participants.

Caught! I have a few rings/rays ahead of it, but I should be able to start it this week. Thank you for sharing!

Enjoyed it, although I had to wonder how many of the events were grossly embellished. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter, because it was entertaining all the same. I saw the movie first, so that really influenced my imagination with the characters. I like Burroughs writing style and the book was hard to put down. It made me thankful for my sedate family!

I am waiting to hear back from the next participant. The book will be in the mail as soon as I have an address.

Thank You to Safrolistics for sharing!

Update- Looks like I am the last person in the ray that is interested in the book. I am placing it on my avail. shelf, but will get it traveling again soon.

Placed in Jumieges Bio/memoirs/nonfiction book box. Enjoy!

Taken From Jumieges' bio/memoir bookbox, been wanting to read this one for awhile now. Thanks for adding it!!