The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Book Review: Haunting, unforgettable, bittersweet memoir.
Summary: 5 Stars
As a connoisseur of memoirs, particularly 'miserable childhood' ones, I found this quite unique. The author's parents are the most maddening, eccentric and unforgettable parents I have ever read about. It reads totally truthfully, and is also very honest, very funny and never less than engrossing. Jeannette Walls captures the strange tension between her parents' love and their completely insane way of raising their children...not providing for them in any way.
The author's Ma and Pa were two people who should NEVER have had one child, let alone four. Yet the author has made her way in the world, is a terrific writer, has retained her sense of humour and has produced this wonderful book. It is tragic, yet triumphant.
Read it, you will not forget it.
Book Review: Interesting and heart warming.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful story and a real page turner. It is amazing to think how Jennette Walls became who she is after induring a childhood like this. Although her parents style of parenting leaves a lot to be desired, the author paints a very interesting picture of them, and its hard not to see why she can't help but love her Dad. These parents are not your regular down-and-outs, they have a love of literature, art and knowledge, and (at least on the fathers part), big dreams, if only he had enough gusto to make them happen! The kids on the otherhand have more of their fair share of smarts; courage and determination allow them a way out of the life they were given.Book Review: Gripping Memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
Jeannette Walls offers another book on terrible childhood experiences that have gained popularity of late. Unlike other books, this isn't about blame or whining. In fact, even after all the hardships she endured you can sense her love for her parents. She is willing to forgive them for their self-absorbed lifestyle that led to neglect and even abuse.
The book starts off with a gripping first sentence:
"I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a dumpster."
We learn more about the Walls' dysfunctional parents. Her father was an alcoholic, who had fanciful ideas of finding gold and building Jeannette a glass castle, which gives the book it's title. Her mother a crazy artist could look at anything in life even morally questionable or wrong choices as logically right in her everything-is-positive thinking. You hate the parents for thinking this way but still their love for their kids is also there.
Just when things get settled as both parents get a job, the dad decides to skedaddle and they would take off to another state or town. Through being uprooted again and again growing up, Jeanette has to deal pedophilic relatives, hunger, bullies, eating food from the garbage and so much more. It's very heart-wrenching!
Jeannette and her sister eventually find a way out of their life with their parents. It's remarkable that the kids create positive lives for themselves after all the abuse and neglect they went through as children. It's a book that is emotionally hard to take all at once but if you like a memoir that tugs at your heart, then this a great book, especially because the love of parents after everything still shows.
Another poignant book that I recommend is NEXUS: A NEO NOVEL, which offers a dynamic story of people trying to overcome pain in their life set at a fictional retreat. It focuses on themes of courage, community, equanimity and compassion.
Book Review: One of the best books I have ever read!
Summary: 5 Stars
If anyone is questioning whether or not to buy this book...do it! I could not put this book down. Reading about the way she grew up, and the sense of humor she had throughout her childhood is just amazing. It really put my life in perspective. I cannot stop thinking about this book and I am actually dreading starting a new book because "The Glass Castle" was so great that nothing else is going to compare!Book Review: Look through the glass.
Summary: 5 Stars
'The Glass Castle' is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Jeannette Walls' style of writing- witty, easy to read, functional prose- makes it flow so smoothly, you've finished the book before you know it. Walls details the events growing up with dysfunctional, alcoholic and mentally ill parents, and the image you get is one of Dickensian orphans covered in soot. Yet Walls didn't ask for pity, she just gave information about this life growing up in a family where the children basically have to raise themselves. As a reader, you get so enmeshed in the storyteller's life wanting to reach out and do something to help these children, but of course, there is no way, and you just have to hope they make it through this mess. It is frustrating to the reader that someone somewhere didn't do something- just allowing these children to live in poverty, filth and less than ideal conditions with her selfish, mentally ill mother and alcoholic father, but this was a different time, and many people looked the other way concerning things like this. However, no matter how horrible their childhood was, Walls and her siblings were always able to imbue their days with humor and adventure, creativity and even fun, trying to make the most of each uprooting move, each change of living conditions, and each change of life. This seems to have made each one of them (excepting the youngest) into very strong adult individuals, capable of withstanding a ton of problems. The ending had me in tears- for what reason, I don't know. Maybe because I was just letting out all the emotion I felt over the course of the book, possibly similar to how Jeannette Walls felt over the course of her childhood.