A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs
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Terrible. Dreadful. Awful book. It’s a bad sign when a book’s cover graphic packs more of a wallop than the text does. But A Wolf at the Table startles from afar by depicting a demonic-looking red fork, its tines bent like evil claws, seeming to point menacingly at some hapless victim. Enter the baby Augusten: the author channels his frightened 1 ½-year-old self. He does this with a burst of psychodrama that seems to have been editor-proof.
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A Son Peers...more
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A Son Peers...more
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I like Augusten. In this post-Frey Scandal world, it seems anyone who writes memoir has suddenly become suspect and frankly, I resent it. No one ever screamed FRAUD at Truman Capote for fictionalizing his past – well, at least not to his face, I’d imagine. Anyway, much has been made of the fact that the quirky humor that has kind of defined his style thus far is missing from this book (and make no mistake: it is) but then the subject at hand, viz., his alcoholic and possibly psychotic father...more
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Read in May, 2008
Burroughs is one of my absolute favorite writers and I've been anxiously anticipating his new book for months. I was also eager to read this book because it's about his father and who doesn't have a few daddy issues, eh?
I also grew up with an emotionally distant father who could say hurtful things, but I didn't live in fear of my father in the way that Burroughs did. My parents fought, but I never thought that my father might physically harm my mother. If Burroughs' dad was a Level 10, mi...more
I also grew up with an emotionally distant father who could say hurtful things, but I didn't live in fear of my father in the way that Burroughs did. My parents fought, but I never thought that my father might physically harm my mother. If Burroughs' dad was a Level 10, mi...more
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Read in April, 2008
I had to stop reading this because I was so infuriated by the first chapter. I'm sorry, but there is NO WAY Augusten Burroughs remembers looking at the mobile above his bed when he was not even a year old (and in such detail!), or what the bottle tasted like at that age (or being sad when it was taken out of his mouth!), or that he was thinking the moment his friend got lost at the seaside ("I just assumed he'd never return"... what toddler thinks like that?). After "Running With ...more
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god, it almost pains me to leave augusten burroughs a shoddy review but im sorry, this book bored me to death.
one of the things i most admire and apriceiate about A.B. is his outstanding humor and wit despite the traumatic events that have shaped his life. this book lacked the humor.
and when you take away the humor, you are left with a husk. a husk filled with crap.
another thing that really drove me mad, were all the seeming contradictions that i am left from all the other books hes...more
one of the things i most admire and apriceiate about A.B. is his outstanding humor and wit despite the traumatic events that have shaped his life. this book lacked the humor.
and when you take away the humor, you are left with a husk. a husk filled with crap.
another thing that really drove me mad, were all the seeming contradictions that i am left from all the other books hes...more
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Read in May, 2008
In general, I have a (really) hard time believing that anyone can remember specific moments in their childhood with such clarity and reflection - so, when the first chapter of this book started with Burroughs' recollection of something at one and a half years old, I thought I was in for a lot of eye rolling. But, I admittedly give Burroughs some leeway, just because I'm so captivated by his wit and style.
I liked this book because it does portray Burroughs' writing in a different light, and...more
I liked this book because it does portray Burroughs' writing in a different light, and...more
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Read in May, 2008
I am half way through this book and while I can't put it down, I also don't want it to end. I am trying to savor every word of it because I love his books so much and know that I won't have a new one to read for a while. It is so brutally honest that it makes my heart break for him.
I am so excited because I preordered the book and got two tickets to a signing/reading on the 18th.
This is a must read. Wolf is much more serious and dark than his other books and doesn't have the comic relie...more
I am so excited because I preordered the book and got two tickets to a signing/reading on the 18th.
This is a must read. Wolf is much more serious and dark than his other books and doesn't have the comic relie...more
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Read in February, 2008
So I rated this one four stars. Not because I loved this book, but because I thought it was so well-written, it's stuck with me, haunted me, risen up and broken me down again. This is not an easy book to read. It is compelling. It is harrowing. It is brave. Did I mention harrowing? Augusten Burroughs delves into the relationship with his father, which he's mentioned briefly before in his other books. Upon reading this one, you know why he waited to write it, and why he devoted an entire book to ...more
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Read in May, 2008
Burroughs tells the story of his relationship with his father up until early adolescence, at which point his parents divorced. This is sort of loosely written, not exactly chronological, but that's to be expected with childhood memories. It's easy to read and moves quickly. If you look at it from the perspective of a child, it's really sad. It must have been so hard to always live with no sense of certainty or safety. He kept trying so hard to get his father to notice him and show approval, ev...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in May, 2008
Let's see, this book is good for those of you that want to be reminded of:
1) a bad relationship with your father
2) a tortured childhood
3) having feelings of inadequecy and rejected affections by your parents.
Or, if you don't have these issues, by reading this book, you have the opportunity to delve into the life of creepy people who make dolls out of their parents clothing so they can snuggle up in bed with it because they:
a) had a bad relationship with their father
b) had a...more
1) a bad relationship with your father
2) a tortured childhood
3) having feelings of inadequecy and rejected affections by your parents.
Or, if you don't have these issues, by reading this book, you have the opportunity to delve into the life of creepy people who make dolls out of their parents clothing so they can snuggle up in bed with it because they:
a) had a bad relationship with their father
b) had a...more
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Read in April, 2008
I love everything else Augusten Burroughs has written, especially "Dry" and "Sellivision", but this one just didn't seem to be up to his usual standards. As I was reading it,I kept wondering if he got behind deadline for the next book he owed his publisher and came up with this at the last minute. There was also a certain "so what" factor that seemed to permeate the whole concept. His father was a particularly unpleasant person; so what? One of the things that make...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Augusten Burroughs fans
Hard, Dark, Unflinching, Frightening, Insightful
This is not like all the other Augusten Burroughs books.
In A Wolf at the Table Burroughs shares his memories of his childhood without any humor and what he recalls is frightening and disturbing.
If you are thinking of reading this book so you can enjoy hearing
the sharp edged wit of Augsuten Burrough you will be disappointed. If you want to learn more about what a horrifying and saddening upbringing he had then your should read this. ...more
This is not like all the other Augusten Burroughs books.
In A Wolf at the Table Burroughs shares his memories of his childhood without any humor and what he recalls is frightening and disturbing.
If you are thinking of reading this book so you can enjoy hearing
the sharp edged wit of Augsuten Burrough you will be disappointed. If you want to learn more about what a horrifying and saddening upbringing he had then your should read this. ...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Rachel by:
Wayne Thayer
As an author, Augusten Burroughs has a way with words. He writes the way we think and doesn't hold anything back. In 'A Wolf at the Table' I could feel the raw pain he has felt his entire life towards his father. It's hard for some to understand how painful it is to live life without being held by your parents when you are sad or yearning for a moment when you are the centre of their universe. I felt Burroughs helped make that feeling real for me, as a reader. Like his memoir 'Dry' I could ...more
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Read in May, 2008
Coming in the mail today......can't wait to start reading!
5/2 - I’ve always had the opinion that if Augusten were to write the alphabet, I’d read it. I do love Augusten. Now, having said that, I was so disappointed in his newest book about his father. It was good to the point that I read it in two days, kept my attention. This is a very sad story of Augusten’s father and how badly Augusten was treated. His poor mother having a break down, suffering from a marriage based on “if you do...more
5/2 - I’ve always had the opinion that if Augusten were to write the alphabet, I’d read it. I do love Augusten. Now, having said that, I was so disappointed in his newest book about his father. It was good to the point that I read it in two days, kept my attention. This is a very sad story of Augusten’s father and how badly Augusten was treated. His poor mother having a break down, suffering from a marriage based on “if you do...more
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I rolled my eyes when I saw yet another memoir out by Augusten Burroughs. I was a huge fan after I read running with scissors. Dry, the sequel was ok...and then his work just went down hill. After his book of short essays, Possible side Effects, I ran in the opposite direction whenever his name popped up. Now he put yet another self indulgent memoir out.... I am assuming filled with mundane, narcissistic details that we can all live with out.
With that said my book OCD kicks in and I still feel ...more
With that said my book OCD kicks in and I still feel ...more
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Read in May, 2008
I will admit to being a fan of Augusten Burroughs' work, particularly the two collections of shorter pieces. Running with Scissors and Dry, his two previous memoirs, left me wondering at the level of exaggeration or selective memory he presented, and with the distinct feeling that his work always led to the inevitable question, "You think YOU had it bad...?" However, those works had the redemption of some self-effacing humor to leaven the horror of the experiences. Not so with this ...more
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Augusten Burruoughs has a very straightforward, yet irrevent way of observing the freakshow that has been his life whether growing up with a deranged freudian pyschaitrist and his equally insane family or stumbling the later stages of alcholism. He's alluded to the violence in his father's behaviour before but something tells me there's much more to the story.
It's really too bad I think Augusten Burroughs is more than likely fabricating what he writes... (just kidding, I hope)
It's really too bad I think Augusten Burroughs is more than likely fabricating what he writes... (just kidding, I hope)
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Read in April, 2008
A departure for Burroughs - this book was very serious, more like Dry than Scissors, but without the comic relief. An intense, intensely sad book. Definitely not a "feel sorry for me" memoir, but an honest look at a human's ability to hold on and to let go, whether for good reason or not. As always, I appreciate Burroughs' candor and honesty. His writing (whether or not you appreciate the content) just gets better and better.
And what a great cover.
And what a great cover.
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Was intrigued by the Goodreads interview with Burroughs. See excerpt below:
Q: What do you think fans of your other books will find most surprising about this new one?
A: Hmmm, well. Probably the fact that Wolf isn't a funny book.... People often say to me after reading Running with Scissors, "Wow, you had such a terrible childhood." And I always think, "But those were the good years." Essentially, I served dessert first. It's time now for dinner.
Q: What do you think fans of your other books will find most surprising about this new one?
A: Hmmm, well. Probably the fact that Wolf isn't a funny book.... People often say to me after reading Running with Scissors, "Wow, you had such a terrible childhood." And I always think, "But those were the good years." Essentially, I served dessert first. It's time now for dinner.
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I love all of Augusten Burroughs's books--he is one of my top ten favorite writers, ever--and I am delighted to say that this is the best book he has written so far. There are so many stunning images and clear expressions of feeling that I started reading with a pen in my hand to mark them. I haven't done that since reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being in high school. I want to reread it immediately and add more to my review later.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.82 (102 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.82 (102 ratings) number of reviews: 68popular shelves
other editions
trivia question
Which of the following book covers were NOT designed by author and graphic artist extraordinaire Chip Kidd?
Chip Kidd: Book One: Work: 1986-2006 (Chip Kidd)
a. Oliver Sacks' 'An Anthropologist on Mars' & 'Uncle Tungsten'
b. Orhan Pamuk's 'My Name Is Red (Vintage International)' & 'Snow'
c. Michael Critchon's 'Jurassic Park' & 'Disclosure'
d. Haruki Murakami's 'The Elephant Vanishes: Stories' & 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'
e. Augusten Burroughs' 'A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir' & 'Magical Thinking: True Stories'
f. Henry Petroski's 'The Book on the Bookshelf' & 'The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance'
g. Donald Antrim's 'The Verificationist: A Novel' & 'Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World: A novel'
h. Peter Carey's 'Theft: A Love Story' & 'True History of the Kelly Gang: A Novel'
more »
Chip Kidd: Book One: Work: 1986-2006 (Chip Kidd)
a. Oliver Sacks' 'An Anthropologist on Mars' & 'Uncle Tungsten'
b. Orhan Pamuk's 'My Name Is Red (Vintage International)' & 'Snow'
c. Michael Critchon's 'Jurassic Park' & 'Disclosure'
d. Haruki Murakami's 'The Elephant Vanishes: Stories' & 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'
e. Augusten Burroughs' 'A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir' & 'Magical Thinking: True Stories'
f. Henry Petroski's 'The Book on the Bookshelf' & 'The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance'
g. Donald Antrim's 'The Verificationist: A Novel' & 'Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World: A novel'
h. Peter Carey's 'Theft: A Love Story' & 'True History of the Kelly Gang: A Novel'
more »