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From Publishers Weekly
These often hilarious, sometimes contrived essays put the "me" in "confessional memoir" front and center. Burroughs recounts scenes from the floridly dysfunctional childhood chronicled in his bestselling Running with Scissors, along with vignettes from various bad jobs, including his travails at an ad agency, and his life as a famous writer. His theme is himself: his struggles with alcoholism, a voracious Nicorette habit, compulsive Web surfing, slovenliness, social isolation, unfitness for employment, gross bodily emissions and general embarrassment at being alive. The thin story lines—a visit from the tooth fairy, a trip to the doctor, house-training a puppy—suggest that Burroughs's well-mined vein of life experience may be played out. He fattens up the material—a (Frey-inspired?) disclaimer warns some events have been "expanded and changed"—in ways that sometimes ring false, especially in his childhood reminiscences, which are improbably detailed and infused with an adult sense of camp. Often, though, the only thing animating the writing is the author's perverse imagination. Fortunately, Burroughs has superb comic sensibility, throwing off sparkling riffs on everyday humiliations in a voice that's alternately caustic and warm, bitchy and self-deprecating. His self-involvement can get claustrophobic, but when he steps outside his head no one is funnier or more perceptive. (On sale May 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Burroughs is the author of the memoir Running with Scissors (2002), a "runaway" best-seller, and an equally popular collection of essays, Magical Thinking (2004). In light of recent publishing events vis-a-vis truth versus truth-stretching in memoir writing, it is interesting to note the author's prefatory comments in this, his latest collection of memoir-essays. He indicates that some events recounted in the pieces have been "expanded and changed" and that some of the "individuals portrayed are composites of more than one person." What follows is a series of funny, extremely eloquent takes on modern life and Burroughs' own particular responses to life's various stimuli. "Bloody Sunday" begins with a nosebleed on an airplane flight from New York to London and then describes his reluctance to get out and enjoy the sights once there. "The Sacred Cow" is a very sweet story about getting a second bulldog, and now both his dogs, the new one and the older one, are "more precious to me than anything." And "Killing John Updike" finds Burroughs collecting Updike first editions before he dies ("If I was going to spend two thousand dollars on a book about a rabbit, that old man better be dead by morning, or I was going to be furious"). Irreverence done to an amusing turn. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The guy never misses,
By Pen name Mark (My house) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Possible Side Effects (Hardcover)
Perception of the human condition, whether by movie, book, or stand-up comedian, is one thing I admire. You see it every so often in the mind of someone like David Sedaris ("Me Talk Pretty" or perhaps Jackson McCrae "Katzenjammer") but not too much more than that.Enter Augusten Burroughs. If you liked his "Running With Scissors" this, believe it or not, is even better. First rate in fact. "Possible Side Effects" is his BEST work to date. In it, he gets out of that "look at me" syndrome that "Running" worked to death (with great success, by the way) and more into viewing others for what they are. I can't recommend this book enough. You must also try the knowing and funny "Katzenjammer" by McCrae or the ever-popular "Fight Club" by Palahniuk---both of which are excellent reads as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Possibly his best,
By Bad to the bone (Sherman) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Possible Side Effects (Hardcover)
First I read RUNNING WITH SCISSORS and loved it. Bizarre, you bet! My best mate and I flew through it and then took on this book. Loved it. The same hilarious writing you might find in Sedaris, or McCrae with his KATZENJAMMER. This author never seems to miss and anything by him is great. Would also recommend the James Frey books, whether they're fiction or not.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great one by Augusten Burroughs!,
By
This review is from: Possible Side Effects (Paperback)
Another fabulous novel by Augusten Burroughs! His stories are light-hearted, true-to-life, and just generally enjoyable to read! Each chapter is a story unto itself, so read it all at once or spread it out over time. There isn't a member of my family or friends who hasn't enjoyed reading him yet. You will actually find yourself laughing out loud, and trying to explain the funny parts to those around you.
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