Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Ok, so I FINALLY finished this book yesterday at lunch.

Like I said in a previous post, the book was mildly offensive and disgusting, but I'm pretty sure you can't sugar coat what goes on in your life. Augusten's book starts with his childhood and goes through to his late teens. It starts off talking about his life with his mother and father and their dysfunctional life together. They go to therapy with this doctor who immediately grosses you out by his uncleanliness and talk of sex. He even has a "masturbatorium" which is located in his office for when he feels the need to relieve himself of his sexual frustration. The thing I liked about Augusten's writing is that it's comical and you can see into this kid's thoughts and relate to him. Augusten is naive (as most kids are) and doesn't see the red flags everywhere regarding his mother's relationship with her psychiatrist.

I guess the things that disgusted me were the living conditions that he supposedly lived in at the Finch's home and some sexual encounters he had as a thirteen year old. I have no problems with gay people, but like I said before, I guess reading about that kind of stuff when you're on your lunch break isn't such a great thing.

The whole time I was wondering how on earth a person could come out a normal human being after dealing with the things that Augusten was put through...but I guess you can. He managed to get his GED and attempted college.

Final verdict:
I liked his style of writing, but it wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed some parts of the book but for the most part I didn't enjoy reading about the filth he had to live in, the weird people he lived with, his sexual encounters, and the pooping. (no, I'm not joking)
I guess it all depends on your sense of humor.....or how hungry you are while you're reading the book...because seriously, you WILL lose your appetite. And maybe I haven't been in the mood you should be in while reading about these things, so my sense of humor may be warped at the moment...I don't know. It wasn't easy for me to get through it, though I will say it was an easier read than The Memory Keepers Daughter (probably because it wasn't a very serious subject). I don't know. I guess I take things more seriously, so when reading about his life, I'm just like, "Oh my God, get out of there now!!", instead of just laughing about it and being amused at the dysfunction he lives around.