Author: Jeannette Walls
Genre: Memoir
Pages (words): 288 (N/A)
Readability: N/A
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: Jeannette Walls tells her own story of growing up with an alcoholic father and eccentric (to put it mildly) mother in abject poverty. The family is constantly running from the authorities, sleeping in boxes, and going for days without food. Somehow, the kids get raised without dying from illness or accident, but along the way they are subjected to harrowing adventures and heart-breaking ridicule.
Thoughts: I was this close to giving this book five stars. I really loved it. In fact, I think if I had read this book before Angela's Ashes I probably would have given this one five stars and Angela's Ashes would have gotten four and a half. Add A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to that list as well. All three books tell essentially the same story, and all three are excellent books. I'm not sure what is so compelling about reading about kids surviving poverty...maybe it's the fact that these are people who actually did live the idealized American Dream, or maybe it's just the absolute insanity of it all. Whatever it is, The Glass Castle definitely belongs among the best memoirs about going from rags to riches. I couldn't believe some of the things that Jeannette's parents put their kids through; the stories were just wild. But beyond just being a bunch of good stories, what intrigued me about The Glass Castle in particular was the fact that, despite being the worst parents of the century, many of the things her mom and dad said I completely agreed with. The book was filled with tender moments when you could see her dad really trying to develop a close connection with his daughter, and then on the next page he would be using her to get booze money. Her mom was incredible at adjusting to difficult circumstances--something that I believe is an important skill--but so much so that she never made her situation any better. Anyway, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone. Well-written, a real page turner, and chock full of intriguing issues to think about.
Disclaimer: There are several adult moments in the book including two attempted rapes and some sexual abuse. Never is the book overly explicit, nor did it make me feel too uncomfortable. Also, Jeannette's dad uses a fair amount of colorful language.
