Pages: 288
Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Back Cover Synopsis: "The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family. The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered."
Review: Two words that would describe this book are "disturbing" and "interesting". This poor lady's life is like a trainwreck. I honestly couldn't look away. I wanted to see exactly what happened next in her life. Her parents and her upbringing horrify me, still. For instance, her mother used to hide and eat covertly a chocolate bar under the covers while her children starved for days on end.
The topics addressed in this memoir are not of the easy sort. They are highly disturbing and depressing. But, on the other hand, there are triumphs, joy, and love--even for such a dysfunctional family unit.
Overall, I really enjoyed (maybe not in the normal sense) this memoir. I felt it was honest and brutal, yet uplifting and depressing--full of extremes. I would say this book is worth a shot if you are looking for something new to read.
Posts
I felt the same way! Actually I hated the parents. The mother just decides that she's done "living for other people,' i.e. taking care of her children. Walls clearly still loves her mother and late father, but I think that hanging was too good for both of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Potterchik. I think I disliked the mother more than the father. I felt that the father had his good qualities too. He was the worst while he was drunk. But when he wasn't, he was actually kind of sweet to the children. Was I the only one that thought that?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sagar. It is very much appreciated! I'm glad you enjoy it. I hope I will be able to update it soon! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this book, I'll get to it eventually.
ReplyDeleteI've given you an award! Check it out here
Hi Callista. Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for the award. I'll post about it soon! Thanks, again. And let me know what you think of "The Glass Castle" once you read it. :)
ReplyDeleteI was shocked by a lot of what I read in this book- how a parent could so neglect their children! And yet they turned out so well- it's an amazing story.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jeane. The dad stealing the girls hard earned and saved money, the mom eating the chocolate bar while the children were starving, and the mom letting horrible things happen when the uncle (? I think) came over to visit were truly horrible. It IS a miracle that the children turned out as well as they did--and with as much success!
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