Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
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Book Reviews of Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Book Review: A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Summary: 4 Stars
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews and in the lawsuit is the amount of time Burroughs lived in the house. A synopsis on the back cover states that he began living in the house at the age of 12 and the book suggest he primarily lived there until he was 17, says Bissinger. According to the Turcotte's, Burroughs had a room in the house for approximately a year and a half beginning in 1980, when he would have been 15. Burroughs insists his memoir contain nothing but the truth. According to D. Cloyce Smith, a reviewer on amazon.com, it's unlikely that anyone who endures experiences as tragic as Burroughs even needs a journal to recall them. Running with Scissors also includes a note in the beginning of the book informing readers that the names of the persons in his book have been changed trying to keep their true identity hidden. Despite his efforts to keep the characters anonymous, their real names eventually reached the press and they soon were labeled as the ridiculous family from Running with Scissors.
Other than the Turcotte family's attempt to derail Burroughs dreams, Running with Scissors has received grand reviews and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years. It is obvious Burroughs is very interesting and writes in an attention grabbing manner. Most people will find Running with Scissors to be an easy read and very desirable. "In keeping with this book's dauntless comic timing, this guy doesn't miss a beat", says Janet Maslin, a writer for The New York Times. Burroughs does a tremendous job keeping his sanity while dealing with unusual people. Running with Scissors celebrates Burroughs upbeat spirit which helps him overcome one of the weirder childhoods on record says Deirdre Donahue of USA Today. Burroughs dealt with his upbringing and has now moved on to a better life.
Running with Scissors is a brilliant title for this emotionally stimulating read. This title correctly portrays how reckless and out of control Burroughs childhood really was. Burroughs recalls one day when he came home early from school and decided to go see his mom for some money. As he opened the front door, he interrupted his mother and her close friend, Fern, during an intimate moment. Grossed out, Burroughs walked out of the house to collect his thoughts and was shocked to realize his mother was a lesbian. Burroughs was truly "Running with Scissors", or stumbling through life precariously, not knowing what was going to happen next. It is like watching someone else's child running with scissors but not being able to interfere, the reader feels compelled to guide this cheerful child to the safety of the last page says Judith Robinson.
Burroughs has been busy working on more memoirs since the success of Running with Scissors. Some of the newer memoirs include Dry: A Memoir which was published in 2004 and deals with his own alcoholism and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir which was published in 2008 and peeks into the relationship, or lack thereof, between Burroughs and his father. Inevitably, both memoirs were instant New York Times bestsellers.
Dreaming of a life unknown is a regular occurrence for most teenagers including Burroughs. Wanting what they can't have and not appreciating what they do have, teenagers live their lives doing whatever their heart desires. Burroughs gives a peek into his teenage years, a life not known by most and definitely not desired by any. While most youngsters believe they have it rough growing up they should read Running with Scissors to appreciate the upbringing they did receive. Running with Scissors lets us breathe a sigh of relief and appreciate the people that surround us.
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Book Review: Funny or disturbing: buyer beware
Summary: 4 Stars
Running with Scissors is the first and most popular of six memoirs by Augusten Burroughs. It garnered so much attention when it came out that they even made a movie out of it. So what's the appeal?
Burroughs is reminiscent of David Sedaris. They both use direct language- often with a high cringe-factor- and acidic wit to bring us intimately and humorously into their childhoods. They can both turn the painful challenges of growing up gay into moments of pure comedy. Some of the scenes in Scissors of Burroughs obsessing over his hair and dreaming of growing up to be a hair care mogul are the funniest and, as it turns out, most innocent scenes in the book.
But there are differences. Scissors, while episodic, reads in a more chronological fashion than Sedaris' collections. It is in a more cohesive format, tying up loose ends, and leaving the reader feeling as if she's read a novel. The second and most critical difference in determining whether or not you'll like Scissors is that Burroughs' childhood makes Sedaris' seem like a picnic in comparison.
The biggest player in that turbulent childhood was Burroughs' mother, a failed writer and occasional psychotic. She never learned to deal with life and after a bitter and violent end to her marriage, turns herself and her son over to a psychiatrist with very unorthodox methods, to say the least. This Dr. Finch, who oozes creepy from the moment he walks on the stage, invites Burroughs and his mother to effectively join their family. As a result, Burroughs spends the majority of his teen years shuttling between the two homes.
At the Finch's, Burroughs finds the household run in the loose and bizarre manner one would expect from a radical psychiatrist who lives his unconventional theories. Six year-old children defecate under pianos, crazy patients sleep in upstairs rooms, people walk around the house naked, feces are consulted to read the future. The children are left to their own devices out of the Dr. Finchs' mis-guided belief that children become adults at thirteen. And the results are predictable: Burroughs quits school, turns to drugs, is taken advantage of. It's not long before our suspicions are confirmed and we learn the Dr Finch is not just bizarre, but much worse. Yet his mother's home isn't much better, as Burroughs never knows when she will flip out, never knows how crazy she will behave or even if she will become violent with him.
Though we know no good can come of any of this (at least not until years later when the victim of this abuse can write a best-selling memoir about it) all of it still makes for great reading. There's endless drama and tension. And Burroughs is funny. He wants you to laugh at the horrors of his childhood. And you might laugh throughout, even at scenes that you can't believe you're laughing at because what is happening is so sad. That's the edge that makes Burroughs so good. Scissors is great because it is a polarizing book: you may find yourself laughing or crying depending on your perspective of life. To enjoy this book, you need to be able to read about child abuse turned into comedy by the victim. We know that child abuse is not funny, but what about when the victim themselves make light of it? If you can join this victim in his laughter, if you can read scenes of child rape and abuse turned into jokes in what I can only believe is a cathartic experience for the victim and author, then you'll probably love this book. If you cannot, pass on this one. You will not be able to stomach it.
Book Review: Between the Covers: http://bookreview-blog.blogspot.com
Summary: 4 Stars
Some of the extraordinary contents of this memoir are only made more captivating (or shocking) by the fact that the author is only in his very early teenage years during the majority of these events. However, sometimes it's just nice to know that there are others out there worse off than you. And who better to remind you than someone whom Entertainment Weekly has named one of the fifteen funniest people in America?
After his parents' divorce, Augusten's father will not accept the charges on collect phone calls and therefore Augusten is left alone with his crazy mother. When his mother decides she is unfit to raise her son, she leaves Augusten in the care of her eccentric psychiatrist and his cuckoo family. This dysfunctional family consists of a kibble-eating wife; an overly devoted 28-year-old daughter that still lives at home and treats the Bible like a Magic 8 Ball; a rebel teenage girl yearning for a job at McDonald's; a pedophile; many other peculiar extended and adopted siblings who pop in and out of the house; and finally the psychiatrist, who should really be the patient instead. Augusten is constantly pushed and pulled between the two worlds he sees himself in. There is the no-rules house he thought he wanted (full of dirty dishes, pet hair, cockroaches and last year's needle-less Christmas tree and with an outside just as bad), where he is allowed to drink and smoke and miss months of school by faking an emotional breakdown. Or there is his mother's apartment where Augusten is only a visitor interrupting her writing or psychotic episodes. In all of this mess, Augusten tries to find himself. He dreams to become many different things, ranging from an actor playing a doctor on television to the head of a hair care empire, but he doesn't yet realize that his constant journal scribbling will lead to a future in writing. It is astonishing how much Augusten is involved with during this portion of his young life. Even at his young age, he realizes that he is gay, which is followed by sexual exploration. A strong friendship blossoms between Augusten and the psychiatrist's daughter Natalie, leading to hilarious escapades like ripping apart the kitchen ceiling to build a skylight because they felt oppressed.
I was only slightly disturbed by this memoir every time that I was reminded how young Augusten is at this time and what that all meant, but the writing of this memoir was constantly entertaining. Some readers may find this memoir too explicit or crude, but the writing is as funny as it is emotional. There were as many times I was bursting out in laughter, as my mouth was open in awe. The ending makes it all worthwhile when Augusten realizes that he has a choice to make after some truths about those in his current life come to light. His decision will not disappoint you, but make you proud.
Overall, this was a good book. It was one I enjoyed reading for its unique plot and fascinating characters. I don't think it will be making my personal top five, but I would definitely recommend it in the right situation.
"To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company."
- Andre Gide
Book Review: Reading with Tequila
Summary: 4 Stars
Running with Scissors was the first book I read by Augusten Burroughs and it's the only one I ever like. Most of his books strike me as self-indulgent whining. The general theme of each is that he's strange and therefore his life has been hard. It's everyone's fault but his own.
In Running with Scissors, Burroughs tells of his thoroughly bizarre childhood. His mother and father are both shown to be as strange as he is, but in this book he presents it as just the way things were. I never had the feeling he was trying to vilify anyone and it never seemed like he was fishing for sympathy. Things were even more insane while he lived with his mother's psychiatrist, to the point where one had to wonder is this was really what he lived through or if he was embellishing for entertainments sake.
The description of the book states that this book is an "account of an ordinary boy's survival." This is kind of misleading. Burroughs is no ordinary boy. As I mentioned above, he's strange. As a child he had an obsession with neatness that went beyond the norm. He had a fixation where he needed to boil and shine any change he came across. As his family life deteriorated and he became more and more immersed into the psychiatrists lifestyle, he became manipulative. He engaged in a public sexual relationship with a 33 year old man when he was 13. He then used this relationship as a way to control the man. While the relationship shouldn't have been accepted to begin with, his reaction to the situation was not ordinary. Instead of acting like someone being abused, he became the abuser. What should have left me cheering for his empowerment made me think he was on the path to becoming a sociopath.
The book is entertaining and well written. As a novel, I couldn't praise it more. As a memoir, I find it mean spirited. Living through the hell he experienced, one would expect him to be damaged. And as far as I can see, he is. Instead of getting over the past and moving on, he churns out book after book bashing everyone who's ever done him wrong, becoming famous in the process. One has to wonder about someone who wants to be known for having a horrendous past. I never want to say harsh things about an author personally, but as he is the subject of the memoir, I can't help discussing him personally. I'm never made it a secret that I'm not a fan of Augusten Burroughs. Which is why it kind of embarrasses me when I have to admit that I really enjoyed Running with Scissors. If you ever have any interest in reading one of Burrough's memoirs, this is the one to pick up.
Book Review: Like watching a human train wreck; morbidly fascinating
Summary: 4 Stars
Reading RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Well, maybe not so slow, because the narrative picks up momentum from the first page and just keeps chugging along faster and faster as Augusten Burroughs (aka Chris Robison)endures/survives perhaps one of the most neglectful and abusive childhoods yet recorded in literature. It's like each new chapter is trying to out-horrible the previous one. I'm not even going to go into any specifics here, because the book's already been picked over by thousands and thousands of readers, all of them, I'm guessing, as morbidly fascinated and pulled along as I was by Burroughs's matter-of-fact and often hilarious account of his awful childhood and teen years.
I've had this book lying around here for a year or so, and finally picked it up to read it because I've got a copy of Burroughs's mother's brand-new memoir coming in the mail any day now. I'd already read a memoir by his older brother, John Elder Robison's LOOK ME IN THE EYE, an account of his life with undiagnosed Aspberger's, which was, incidentally, very good. In fact I liked it a little more than RwS. And right now I am reading Burroughs's book about his father, A WOLF AT THE TABLE. So eventually I'll have a prety fair idea of this apparently dreadfully dysfunctional family from at least three points-of-view. All that will be lacking is a book from the senior Robison.
There's no question that Augusten Burroughs is a gifted writer. I just wish his stories didn't cause me to shudder so. I read the book in only a few sittings, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend it. Unless you like that 'human train wreck' kind of story. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir BOOKLOVER