The comedic edge mixed with the deep emotional portrayal makes for
an intense rollercoaster ride of a novel. The prologue of the book
is a few paragraphs that will be forever engrained into my memory
as one of my most favorite pieces of writing (and can i just say,
every sentence is a brick to the building of the story. I always
hate usless information in novels, and thats one thing that does
not exist here).
I felt I had to give my take on this book, as there are so few
positive ones. I don't quite understand how someone could say
something bad about a novel, where the only thing a little boy
wants in his life is love from his father. It breaks my heart to
read the constant attempts of young augustens plead for this.. and
the bizarre inter-workings of his family's story is something else,
to say the least.
Burroughs writing alone is what made me pluck this book for the
second time from my shelf. If the "self-pity" and "exaggeration" of
it is too much, the words alone are enough to make this memoir a
standout. (Of course for me, the self-pity/exaggeration people tend
to talk about is exaggeration in and of itself.) The story is one
that pulls you along with every flip of the page. The ending? One
that will resonate with you long after its over.
In my opinion, you may need a pacemaker for this one.