If you have seen the film adaptation of this book and you haven't read the book then get off your duff and read it. It's ten times funnier and more strange than the film is. And if you've not seen it or not read it, then do both soon.I identified greatly with Burroughs and his account of his crazy early life. Sure, I'm not a gay male but the parallels between us are many. We're both roughly the same age so we came of age during the same time period and I felt each of his cultural references keenly, even if he and I had wildly different tastes. Like him I was living with a mentally unstable parent, both of his were mentally ill but only my dad was in my case. Like him I was sent to live in a house full of crazy people after having already lived with mentally parent(s). I knew where he was coming from and I appreciated his journey thorough the nuttiness. Like him I tried to bond with some of the nuts I was sent to live with and like him I was forced to cut them loose later in life, although he did it much earlier than I did.
This memoir is at times sweet, touching, harrowing, laugh out loud funny, and insane. Burroughs writing style is easy going and accessible and it makes for a fun read. I found my self chuckling at his pop culture likes and dislikes and I found myself laughing my ass off over his adventures with his first boyfriend who was 20 years older than him, Dr. Finch's use of his poop for divination purposes, and over the silly stupid things he and Natalie Finch did together growing up. The antics of his psychotic mother are also insanely funny, the image he paints of coming home one day to find the Methodist minister's wife going down on his mother is priceless.
As you can probably tell I really liked this book and I'm going to seek out and read his other books soon. I'm also going to watch the film adaption of this book again soon to compare it against the book version. If you're a fan of the 1970's, memoirs, or crazy people who do wild things, then this book is for you.
I honestly can't recommend this bittersweet memoir of growing up amongst a slew of mentally ill people enough.
6 comments:
I LOVED this book, but haven't seen the movie. Saturday is National Bookstore Day -- go to your local bookstore and get his others -- you won't be at all disappointed! :) xoxo
I have seen the film, and enjoyed it, so I really should add the book to the tetering pile of books on the bedside table.
I loved this book - the movie, myeah.
While I was pregnant I made a point to read everything I could get my hands on - this book was left with a note "read me" in our lunch room at the university I was employed by at the time. I read and put it back with the note again for someone else to enjoy.
;)
I majored in psych and have worked with mentally ill people before and thought this would be a great book to read. I'll grab it on my next run to Chapters!:)
Such a good book. Read "Dry" next!
His older brother has Aspergers and has also written a book which I highly recommend called "Look me in the eye"
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