If you ever have felt sorry for yourself--read this. | The Glass Castle: A Memoir

Well written and realistic, but... | The Glass Castle: A Memoir | Jeannette Walls

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	• The Glass Castle: A Memoir Jeannette Walls Scribner, 2006 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 1483 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Worth the read

I enjoyed the book. It was a rare glimpse into someone else' life, one far different than most of ours, and leave you with a lot to consider about the way others may view the world.
Sometimes, I would agree with the Walls' parents. Regardless of some of their idiosyncrasies and their behavior, some of the things they would say made sense to me. There are a lot of things that do not really matter; but to live a life where you take those theories and try to apply them to human existence, well that is something altogether different. It was a very unique story and one that is rarely told.

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If you ever have felt sorry for yourself--read this.

I grew up poor with a father who was absent most of the time and was drunk all of the time. After reading this book, I realized how much worse it could have been. This was an eye opener as to how bad things can get.

I am successful and the author of this book also made something of her life. It just fortifies the fact that when your survival instinct kicks in--you can do it!

I highly recommend this book for all readers.

Well written and realistic, but...

Ms. Walls writes a matter-of-fact memoir of a childhood that proves the maxim that truth truly is stranger than fiction. However, even though the writing was clear and lucid, I could hardly get through this book. It is beyond me how two such selfish, narcissistic losers (her parents) raised kids who turned out as well as they did. I have dealt with alcoholism before, and Rex Walls was a textbook alcoholic with a Jekyll & Hyde personality. Rose Mary was no better; she was just the enabler, & certainly had mental and/or emotional problems of her own. All credit to the Walls kids for surviving in the shadow of two of the most self-absorbed people I have ever read about.

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A good read

Intense and absorbing. My book club recommends it!

It's worth reading!

And if you are looking for a positive book for your child that is also written with a great moral overtone, then I'd like to recommend a book called, Smitty's Cave Adventures. It is an action adventure book about a boy who has incredible cave adventures all while learning valuable life's lessons. It's great for ages 9-14 and will keep the reader glued to the thrilling story! I recommend it as a great summer reading book. The kids can't stop talking about it. They want it to be made into a movie! Smitty's Cave Adventures

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Who are we calling dysfunctional?

What a remarkable tale of resiliency and resourcefulness! How one girl escaped from a bizarre and difficult childhood, the likes of which I can scarcely imagine. More than escape, however, Ms. Walls came away from her West Virginia upbringing with a strong sense of the love she received from her strange but intelligent parents, and an amazing home-schooling obtained in shacks, cars, the desert Southwest, and the hills of Appalachia. This book is also an eye-opening story about poverty and homelessness as a choice based on deeply held values, and, as a result, I will view the men and women standing in line at the Salvation Army Center in an entirely new light.

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Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

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