Running With Scissors : : a Memoir

Locations
Call Number: 921 Burroughs, Augusten
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	921 Burroughs, Augusten	4-week checkout	On Shelf

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

boo hiss submitted by 21621031390949 on July 12, 2011, 8:52pm I couldn't get through this book. I read the first 100 pages, then skipped to the end. This is an account of a very sick (mentally ill) group of people in a young boy's life. The stories are so bizarre, it's incredibly sad to think any child grew up in this setting. It's also sad to think of all the mentally ill people who were "treated" by the crazy psychiatrist who takes the boy in. Frankly disturbing.

What is really disappointing is that the author does nothing more than recount his bizarre experiences. There is no attempt to interpret or understand the people or events, much less to explore how they got so crazy or to look at the effects of their behaviors. Really, it's just a shallow re-telling of the events, and the author never digs any deeper than the surface.

a letdown submitted by purplelily on June 14, 2014, 10:34am A bookseller recommended this book to me saying it is crazy fun and very good. I finished the book but was disappointed. It was indeed crazy but to the point of weird and not fun. I found it hard to believe that it was a memoir because the events were so crazy it made me feel sick and disturbed.

Good submitted by Stinglikeawalrus on July 1, 2021, 12:10am I really enjoyed this book, but it is definitely not for everyone. The author uses a lot of humor to detail his rather disturbing childhood and while the book is very funny, it can also be hard to read at sometimes. All of the characters are very crazy and very easy to dislike.

Not for everyone but submitted by pictury on June 23, 2023, 11:43am I actually really enjoyed this book. Augusten uses humor to process and share his story. At times he can be an unreliable narrator, writing from the perspective of himself as a child, rather than looking back as an adult. Gives me a newfound appreciation for the importance of professional and parental boundaries, as well as the devastating impact of bipolar psychosis.