The Glass Castle
I just finished this book.
It may have been the most frustrating reading material I have ever encountered. It was also interesting, absorbing, well-written, not believable, depressing but also a little bit inspiring.
The book is a memoir basically about four children growing up with parents who refused to provide for their children on almost every level. These children went without structure, guidance, security, food, plumbing, electricity, you name it. The parents, however, had money and opportunities at their disposal that they neglected to use to help their children. Cue my frustration.
I was bugged not only because these parents ought to have been in jail--why didn't anyone do anything?--but also because I am naturally a little skeptical of memoir as a literary genre. The author begins with detailed descriptions of her life starting at age 3. Huh? So much of the dialogue, reactions, feelings, sequence of events, and actual occurrences have to have been invented. How accurately could a person remember the details of her childhood, enough to write a book 288 pages long? I'm a cynic. But, in this post-A Million Little Pieces era, can anyone get away with a memoir that is even the tiniest bit fabricated? It confuses me.
Regardless, I really really liked this book. If anyone has read it, please share your impressions. If you haven't read it, put it on your list.
It may have been the most frustrating reading material I have ever encountered. It was also interesting, absorbing, well-written, not believable, depressing but also a little bit inspiring.
The book is a memoir basically about four children growing up with parents who refused to provide for their children on almost every level. These children went without structure, guidance, security, food, plumbing, electricity, you name it. The parents, however, had money and opportunities at their disposal that they neglected to use to help their children. Cue my frustration.
I was bugged not only because these parents ought to have been in jail--why didn't anyone do anything?--but also because I am naturally a little skeptical of memoir as a literary genre. The author begins with detailed descriptions of her life starting at age 3. Huh? So much of the dialogue, reactions, feelings, sequence of events, and actual occurrences have to have been invented. How accurately could a person remember the details of her childhood, enough to write a book 288 pages long? I'm a cynic. But, in this post-A Million Little Pieces era, can anyone get away with a memoir that is even the tiniest bit fabricated? It confuses me.
Regardless, I really really liked this book. If anyone has read it, please share your impressions. If you haven't read it, put it on your list.
Comments
I agree about the memoir thing, but I admit to liking some of them. I enjoyed Sting's.... "Broken Music: A Memoir." But then I'm a big fan of his.
Jordan, welcome! I love that you commented, although if I know that people in my real, everyday life are reading, I might have to be more careful about who I talk about. Just kidding. I love that we have a lot in common. I think you are a doll.
Alyssa, whoa.
My name is Katharine, I am friends with Mandy from BYU. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book. I just started it and am loving it! My mother-in-law recommended it highly and I am so glad I started it.