Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors

Augusten Burroughs

Welcome to the life of one Augusten Burroughs. He has a crazy mother, an alcoholic father, a boyfriend more than twice his age and is living in a house full of the oddest people imaginable. However in this coming of age memoir, Augusten takes everything in stride. When forced to live with his mothers therapist he grows to love the family, even if they are strange. Really Augusten is a teenage boy doing teenage things, only he has no boundaries.

I had been thinking about picking up Running with Scissors when I realized I haven't read anything truly funny in a while. I'm a huge fan of David Sedaris and thought the logical step, since I have read everything he's currently published, to move on to Augusten Burroughs. I had always heard good things about him, and people seemed to be laughing out loud as they were turning the pages of his books.

Burroughs has a way with words. He writes like an honest man, stating things as they are and not shying away from difficult subject matter. He deals with his mothers numerous breakdowns the same way he deals with his obsessive boyfriend, his deadbeat father and the crazy therapist he is living with. He writes like a straight man in a comedy troop. His scenarios are already funny, but his deadpan style makes them something special.

While i didn't enjoy everything about Running with Scissors, I appreciate it for what it was. Its easy to get caught up in the weirdness of his early life, but once you put all the weirdness (and poop) into perspective it's a really enjoyable read. I think I still prefer Sedaris to Burroughs but I don't regret picking this one up.