Werbepause
by Augusten Burroughs
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| published
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August 31st 2007
by RH Audio
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| binding
| Audio CD |
| isbn
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3866047223
(isbn13: 9783866047228)
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| ebook |
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| date added
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02-13-08
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bookshelves:
lulz,
memoirs,
short-stories
Read in June, 2008
Heh. I bet this guy gets compared to David Sedaris- they have similar writing styles (as in, short memoir-essays), and they are both seen as clever and funny. And they are.. but Sedaris is moreso. Sedaris comes off as charming and a bit self-depriciating; Burroughs (while occasionally realizing his douchy ways) constantly references his horrible childhood as an excuse for some of his less-than-nice behavoir. Which is fair enough in a lot of ways.. but at the same time.. makes him come across as ...more
Heh. I bet this guy gets compared to David Sedaris- they have similar writing styles (as in, short memoir-essays), and they are both seen as clever and funny. And they are.. but Sedaris is moreso. Sedaris comes off as charming and a bit self-depriciating; Burroughs (while occasionally realizing his douchy ways) constantly references his horrible childhood as an excuse for some of his less-than-nice behavoir. Which is fair enough in a lot of ways.. but at the same time.. makes him come across as a bit of a bald-headed-douche.
But I don't care. Reading his stuff is kind of like watching TV, in that you don't really need to be THAT mentally engaged and it isn't going to change your life; but it will momentarily amuse you. And it does. Also.. to continue with the TV analogy.. he's a bit of a bad person in the way that everyone on Seinfield was a bad person. Which is amusing to read about, at least, but I don't really want to be bffs with this guy in person (Sedaris, I kind of do.. so that's another difference..)
Anyway. This is perfect gym-reading.. something to read whilst on the elliptical machine or treadmill.. it's distracting and amusing enough to hold my attention but not so much so that I can't focus on something else at the same time. So..good times. I will definitely be reading more of his writing.
Also Chip Kidd designs this guys covers. Yaychipkidd.
Also! You'd think this guy would be a little more...practical. I mean, just in general, being a person of his age, with his background. In one of the stories he like.. visciously kills a "rat/thing" that was in his bathtub... though he admits in the essay that it was more of a "tiny mouse" than a "rat/thing". The death was brutal. Poor mouse-erson. Also.. when there was a possum in his backyard he just thought HOW DO WE KILL IT. I'm like WHATS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU RODENT KILLER?! At least he realized it and made some kind of remark about how Americans think it's an acceptable strategy to kill things that displease them. Anyway..Burroughs.. for next time... catch it in a box and release it outside (the mouse, I mean.. the possum I don't know) instead of subjecting it to a horrible slow death...less
bookshelves:
lulz,
short-stories
Read in June, 2008
Heh. I bet this guy gets compared to David Sedaris- they have similar writing styles (as in, short memoir-essays), and they are both seen as clever and funny. And they are.. but Sedaris is moreso. Sedaris comes off as charming and a bit self-depriciating; Burroughs (while occasionally realizing his douchy ways) constantly references his horrible childhood as an excuse for some of his less-than-nice behavoir. Which is fair enough in a lot of ways.. but at the same time.. makes him come across as ...more
Heh. I bet this guy gets compared to David Sedaris- they have similar writing styles (as in, short memoir-essays), and they are both seen as clever and funny. And they are.. but Sedaris is moreso. Sedaris comes off as charming and a bit self-depriciating; Burroughs (while occasionally realizing his douchy ways) constantly references his horrible childhood as an excuse for some of his less-than-nice behavoir. Which is fair enough in a lot of ways.. but at the same time.. makes him come across as a bit of a bald-headed-douche.
But I don't care. Reading his stuff is kind of like watching TV, in that you don't really need to be THAT mentally engaged and it isn't going to change your life; but it will momentarily amuse you. And it does. Also.. to continue with the TV analogy.. he's a bit of a bad person in the way that everyone on Seinfield was a bad person. Which is amusing to read about, at least, but I don't really want to be bffs with this guy in person (Sedaris, I kind of do.. so that's another difference..)
Anyway. This is perfect gym-reading.. something to read whilst on the elliptical machine or treadmill.. it's distracting and amusing enough to hold my attention but not so much so that I can't focus on something else at the same time. So..good times. I will definitely be reading more of his writing.
Also Chip Kidd designs this guys covers. Yaychipkidd.
Also! You'd think this guy would be a little more...practical. I mean, just in general, being a person of his age, with his background. In one of the stories he like.. visciously kills a "rat/thing" that was in his bathtub... though he admits in the essay that it was more of a "tiny mouse" than a "rat/thing". The death was brutal. Poor mouse-erson. Also.. when there was a possum in his backyard he just thought HOW DO WE KILL IT. I'm like WHATS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU RODENT KILLER?! At least he realized it and made some kind of remark about how Americans think it's an acceptable strategy to kill things that displease them. Anyway..Burroughs.. for next time... catch it in a box and release it outside (the mouse, I mean.. the possum I don't know) instead of subjecting it to a horrible slow death. ...less
The best way to guarantee exposure in this day and age in the literary world -- or so James Frey's publishers would have you believe -- is to write a memoir. A few years prior to the publication of this book, Burroughs did just that and scored a major bestseller with Running With Scissors. That was followed up with Dry, which chronicled his attempts to become sober. Magical Thinking, on the other hand, details no one particular period of his life, but instead gives us a disjointed look at many d...more
The best way to guarantee exposure in this day and age in the literary world -- or so James Frey's publishers would have you believe -- is to write a memoir. A few years prior to the publication of this book, Burroughs did just that and scored a major bestseller with Running With Scissors. That was followed up with Dry, which chronicled his attempts to become sober. Magical Thinking, on the other hand, details no one particular period of his life, but instead gives us a disjointed look at many different individual moments in short story format. The stories range from his being cast in a Tang commercial as a child to his life in advertising and his most recent relationship (at least insofar as the time of publication of this book). All the stories have bite and show a man at odds with his surroundings... from a child who could tell he was gay early on to a young man willing to tell off his raging bitch of a boss to a self-proclaimed obsessive compulsive who cannot bring himself to clean his own apartment or figure out how to rid it of a rogue mouse. It's amazing to think that one person could've lived through such a variety of events.
Short stories always have been and always will be my cuppa. I love the fact that every detail in the story is essential to the overall enjoyment of it. The brevity of this style of writing makes me want to keep reading until the end and having multiple payoffs within one bound volume keeps me going. However, these stories were pretty middle of the road in my mind. Yes, he can be funny and sarcastic and they're far from bad. Yet for every one good story, we have one or two average ones. There seems to be an overall lack of consistency or quality control. Yet I still want to read his other, full-length memoirs. But the stories in this particular collection have been done before and better by David Sedaris....less
recommends it for:
martin gore
Even though this book was recently a best seller it was only 2$ at borders. I was quickly disappointed when i realized it wasn't a series of essays about being manic depressive. It includes only one essay on 'Magical Thinking' and it is more the every day try to concentrate on the plane not crashing if you are scared of while flying sort, not the deeply delusional can hear others thoughts sort I was hoping.
That being said, once I realized what it was, a serious of autobiographical essays, Davi...more
Even though this book was recently a best seller it was only 2$ at borders. I was quickly disappointed when i realized it wasn't a series of essays about being manic depressive. It includes only one essay on 'Magical Thinking' and it is more the every day try to concentrate on the plane not crashing if you are scared of while flying sort, not the deeply delusional can hear others thoughts sort I was hoping.
That being said, once I realized what it was, a serious of autobiographical essays, David Sedaris style, despite my disappointment was entertained. Though, I ended up being surprised how much like David Sedaris it was, upper class homo-sexual at times shamelessly shallow and self centered. Whereas, with David Sedaris Shamelessness it made him more endearing and human, with Augestun Burroughs it just made him increasingly unlikeable, yet I still felt so drawn to him. I always enjoyed myself while reading the book, and while I stopped several times to read other books I always came back to it with pleasure. I am even planning on reading his most well-known book, running with scissors. He made several references to the events covered in that book, and while having researched it online and feel somewhat dubious of the more far-fetched claims, still feel extremely intrigued by the subject.
In review. Augestuen Burroughs is an unlikeable guy and an unoriginal writer, yet does what he does well enough it is rather entertaining. OH yeah! also, he is NOT funny! His jokes are only slightly more entertaining than those made by co-workers and tend to be of a very similar style. I maybe laughed once or twice the entire book....less
Read in October, 2004
recommends it for:
people who like memoirs, personal essays, and quirkiness
OK, so some of these memoir-essays are about as unique in their subject matter (dating an undertaker, fending off a psycho cleaning lady) and writing style as the things you'll find on some of the above-average weblogs.
OK, I barely made it through "The Rat/Thing," too -- there's no way to include something like that in a memoir if you still want people to like you after reading it.
OK, so Augusten Burroughs seems to find himself extremely compelling.
Here's the thing -- I fin...more
OK, so some of these memoir-essays are about as unique in their subject matter (dating an undertaker, fending off a psycho cleaning lady) and writing style as the things you'll find on some of the above-average weblogs.
OK, I barely made it through "The Rat/Thing," too -- there's no way to include something like that in a memoir if you still want people to like you after reading it.
OK, so Augusten Burroughs seems to find himself extremely compelling.
Here's the thing -- I find him compelling, too. He's like a Douglas Coupland character, come to life. He spends extravagant amounts of money ($700 for a pair of sunglasses, a blithe layout of $900 in cash for the psycho cleaning lady) with hardly an eyeblink and, in another page or three, just as breezily mentions that he's broke. He's obsessed with packaging, advertising, and glitz, and he knows it.
He was a functioning alcoholic with a high-powered job for years, and though he's dry now, he's got other stuff going on -- real issues -- that aren't going to just go away. How does a person this messed up get through a day? Read Magical Thinking to find out. You might not come away from it loving Augusten Burroughs, or even wanting to pat him on the head and tell him everything's OK, but that might just be fine with him. It's clear from some of the stories in this book that Burroughs has messed himself up enough times with big expectations and delusions of grandeur (the Tang commercial, the fantasy about the Vanderbilts) to know exactly what he's doing when he gets going with the "magical thinking." How many of us know ourselves this well?...less
bookshelves:
memoirs
Read in January, 2008
A few years ago I read Running with Scissors and found it over-the-top but tolerable. Then I read the sequel (Dry) and thought it was okay. Last year, I read Sellevision and detested it, swearing off Burroughs forever. But then I realized something: Burroughs is not a fiction writer – he’s a memoirist. So I decided to give Magical Thinking a chance because Burroughs was going back to his strength, and because rather than a full-length memoir, Magical ...more
A few years ago I read Running with Scissors and found it over-the-top but tolerable. Then I read the sequel (Dry) and thought it was okay. Last year, I read Sellevision and detested it, swearing off Burroughs forever. But then I realized something: Burroughs is not a fiction writer – he’s a memoirist. So I decided to give Magical Thinking a chance because Burroughs was going back to his strength, and because rather than a full-length memoir, Magical Thinking is a series of short snippets of his life. Overall, I found it uneven. There are several snippets that are hysterical (my favorite being “Vanderbilt Genes”), but there a number that are fairly uninteresting. Burroughs’ trademark wit is still here, so I’m sure fans of Burroughs will like this very much. My biggest problem is, as I have written elsewhere, Burroughs is a poor man’s David Sedaris – the same crazy life stories flush with humor – but Burroughs lacks likability, and he admits that. Burroughs admits that he’s a terrible person with lots of issues, so the only thing that I can think of that makes him so popular is that he’s so open to revealing his terrible side to everyone it’s captivating in a horrible way. It’s like watching a train wreck happen. If you’re into keeping up with what stupid thing Britney Spears did this week, you’ll probably enjoy the Burroughs memoirs, too. I think this one is the last one for me, thanks....less
Read in May, 2005
I have a fondness for Augusten Burroughs and his steady stream of memoirs: Running with Scissors, Dry, and now Magical Thinking. This collection of stories isn't as outlandish as his bizarre sojourn with a deranged psychotherapist or as thematically cohesive as his tales of alcoholism and rehab, but he's still got a healthy stock of amusing anecdotes and enchanting turns of phrase (laugh-out-loud funny, touching, wry, sarcastic, self-lacerating, insightful, etc.).
I particularly liked Commercial Break,...more
I have a fondness for Augusten Burroughs and his steady stream of memoirs: Running with Scissors, Dry, and now Magical Thinking. This collection of stories isn't as outlandish as his bizarre sojourn with a deranged psychotherapist or as thematically cohesive as his tales of alcoholism and rehab, but he's still got a healthy stock of amusing anecdotes and enchanting turns of phrase (laugh-out-loud funny, touching, wry, sarcastic, self-lacerating, insightful, etc.).
I particularly liked Commercial Break, on the big break (a Tang commercial!) that he botched with his utter inability to behave like a normal boy; Debby's Requirements, on his dependence on a diminutive, extortionate cleaning lady; the self-explanatory My Last First Date; and Total Turnaround, in which a dispute over lotion escalates and ebbs, leading to a realization that marriage has snuck up on Burroughs.
Quotes
The tour guide was very strict: we had to stay in a neat pack, like crayons.
This further proved my own belief that there is only so much any given person can see for themselves in Manhattan. It takes two people, looking in all directions at once, to see everything.
I smiled the whole way home. I was walking and smiling, and because of this, because of my Happy Face, I probably looked like a very simple person, unencumbered by complicated thoughts. Like somebody who was just happy because there was macaroni and cheese in the world. And socks! Maybe people looked at me and wished they were more simple and idiotic, like that guy there....less
recommends it for:
everyone
My favorite part of the book, and some of the most profound and prophetic writing ever:
"The truth is, Dennis has no bad qualities and no faults. When he's working late and I'm alone, or sometimes when we're in bed together, the lights off, I try to make even a small list in my mind of his faults: Things I Put Up With Out of Love. But I haven't been able to think of a single thing that I am not able to first overlook and then come to cherish. Even the fact that he sometimes loses things h...more
My favorite part of the book, and some of the most profound and prophetic writing ever:
"The truth is, Dennis has no bad qualities and no faults. When he's working late and I'm alone, or sometimes when we're in bed together, the lights off, I try to make even a small list in my mind of his faults: Things I Put Up With Out of Love. But I haven't been able to think of a single thing that I am not able to first overlook and then come to cherish. Even the fact that he sometimes loses things has led to a treasured nickname: Mittenclips.
Because sometimes he misplaces things: keys, his wallet, our car once. But his face, when he sees that he's done this--where are my keys?--it's the most crestfallen face, and I tell him, " Have you checked the pockets on that jacket you wore last night?" And I check the bathroom and the floor under the sofa and all the unlikely but possible places for lost things to be. And we always, always manage to find whatever was missing.
Unconditional love. That's what this is. I love him, as is, fully. I've had to stop arm wrestling with the facts. Why me? Didn't I already have a big love once? And lost it? So why should I get it again? I've had stop trying to look for cracks and flaws to prove that it's not as good a it seems. Because it's as good as it seems. Even when we fight we fight inside a container of good.
Somehow, through a flip of the coin, I ended up here. Feeling like somebody at the top of the heart-lung transplant recipient list. Damaged but invigorated and fucking lucky.
...less
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in May, 2007
It gives me comfort that I'm not the only one with the habit of narcisstically writing about myself for hours everyday.
Sheri gave me this book (and Possible Side Effects) for my birthday last year and I finally got around to reading it. I'm sure I'll read Possible Side Effects soon. The only other Augusten Burroughs book I've not read is Dry. I seem to be the only one of the opinion that the best Augusten Burroughs book is Sellevision, his only "fiction". I don't understand...more
It gives me comfort that I'm not the only one with the habit of narcisstically writing about myself for hours everyday.
Sheri gave me this book (and Possible Side Effects) for my birthday last year and I finally got around to reading it. I'm sure I'll read Possible Side Effects soon. The only other Augusten Burroughs book I've not read is Dry. I seem to be the only one of the opinion that the best Augusten Burroughs book is Sellevision, his only "fiction". I don't understand the current obsession with calling everything a memoir. Why would I or anyone else care whether it's fiction or not? So many of the things in this book can neither be proven nor disproven (such as the Dr. Pepper enema woman). Lots of things aren't even clever (the $900 of pennies). Also, I am also suspicious because the romantic relationship seems very fictious to me. As if romance novels weren't damaging enough to people's sense of reality now there are books calling themselves "true stories" which most-assuredly stretch the truth and spread the impression that fairy tales exist.
This book is slightly amusing, not great, not hilarious. The main character is not someone I would want to be friends with in real life.
...less
bookshelves:
biography,
short-stories
Read in November, 2006
According to the opening page of this book: "Magical Thinking: A schizotypal personality disorder attributing to one's own actions something that had nothing to do with him or her and thus assuming that one has a greater influence over events than is actually the case." Hmm, this doesn't sound like anyone we know... and yeah this came out like a year before the Joan Didion book The Year of Magical Thinking, so apparently it is a cultural trope and not just a popular page in the ...more
According to the opening page of this book: "Magical Thinking: A schizotypal personality disorder attributing to one's own actions something that had nothing to do with him or her and thus assuming that one has a greater influence over events than is actually the case." Hmm, this doesn't sound like anyone we know... and yeah this came out like a year before the Joan Didion book The Year of Magical Thinking, so apparently it is a cultural trope and not just a popular page in the DSM IV.
I bought this book basically cause it was on clearance for like, $2 or something.AB is almost incurably pretentious -- there's way too much of just like, throwing in a totally revolting sentence into an otherwise dull paragraph just to be like, "subversive" or whatever. Not that I've never done that, but he does it like, every other paragraph. When he can't find any suitably repulsive detail within a given situation, it just reverts to like, "I've smoked a lot of crack in my life." So what, do you want a medal? If this guy met me he'd punch me in the face. If I didn't punch him first. This is also one of those rare books that I did not hang onto, I traded it in at a local bookstore....less
So I already knew I was deeply in love with the writing of Mr. Augusten Burroughs before reading this book (because I had already fallen for Running With Scissors and Dry)...but, this! It touched me on many levels. Man, I even devoted a whole post to it earlier today, but then made it private because I felt it was whiny because I was talking about how I was crying straight for hours as I read it...but it's the truth. I was having a bad night, and sat for two hours reading the book without a wink...more
So I already knew I was deeply in love with the writing of Mr. Augusten Burroughs before reading this book (because I had already fallen for Running With Scissors and Dry)...but, this! It touched me on many levels. Man, I even devoted a whole post to it earlier today, but then made it private because I felt it was whiny because I was talking about how I was crying straight for hours as I read it...but it's the truth. I was having a bad night, and sat for two hours reading the book without a wink. And I couldn't stop crying, somehow all the stories he wrote of hit a non-ending tear-jerk nerve within me. Reading his books is like opening a present. It makes me so stable and so in touch with myself and so motivated to get my own writing out there. I could go on forever, but I've decided Burroughs is my favorite contemporary author. Genius! Brilliant! So.MUCH.fun! I love reading about everything from transsexuals ("this is a more expensive vagina...") to having sex with different priests THREE times to adventures in Kmart to strange greetings from fans he sees on the street, and of course, the whole concept of Magical Thinking. It embodies Burroughs so well....less
Read in May, 2008
I'm really enjoying this book! I can only deal with a collection of short stories when they're about the same person; and in this case the main character of each story is the author, Augusten Burroughs. Who knows if all the details are true, i don't care. What is evident, and wonderful is that the stories are each little gems that i don't want to end. Each chapter has wonderful sentences that make me run into the room where jason is, or poke him on the train, and read aloud.
I also believe ...more
I'm really enjoying this book! I can only deal with a collection of short stories when they're about the same person; and in this case the main character of each story is the author, Augusten Burroughs. Who knows if all the details are true, i don't care. What is evident, and wonderful is that the stories are each little gems that i don't want to end. Each chapter has wonderful sentences that make me run into the room where jason is, or poke him on the train, and read aloud.
I also believe i'm destined to have a gay son just like him, because I adore the character description of him as a flaming little boy fascinated by broadway, practiced monologues, and famous transexuals. What constant entertainment! I don't want this book to end.
UPDATE: I am finished reading this book, and loved every single story except the story about him trying to kill a mouse trapped in his bathtub. It was way too detailed, and involved bleach, pesticide, scalding water. ugh. disgusting. I didnt finish that one. Every other story was perfect, moving, and humorous. ...less
bookshelves:
memoirs
Read in August, 2008
recommended to philip by:
whim
I got this book on a whim after reading all it's praise on the front cover. I mean 237 positive critiques from the worlds most reputable sources can't be all wrong, can they?
Besides, I love David Sedaris, and out of the 237 reviews, 235 of them had a fond comparison.
One of the things that gets under my skin is the way he approaches his homosexuality. It defines him. And he comes across as saying, "I don't want to be defined by my homosexuality, but let me tell you about the cat...more
I got this book on a whim after reading all it's praise on the front cover. I mean 237 positive critiques from the worlds most reputable sources can't be all wrong, can they?
Besides, I love David Sedaris, and out of the 237 reviews, 235 of them had a fond comparison.
One of the things that gets under my skin is the way he approaches his homosexuality. It defines him. And he comes across as saying, "I don't want to be defined by my homosexuality, but let me tell you about the catholic priests I've seduced," or "my boyfriend likes big black men with tight butts..." I'm toning it WAY down, and the list goes WAY on... David Sedaris is gay too, but I didn't feel that in his writing it defined who he was. I don't walk away from David's book saying, "memoirs of a gay man," just like if I ever write I would hope people walked away with more than, "*sigh* another straight man's memoirs..."
Not that there weren't funny anecdotes in here. The "rat thing" was great, and I loved the episode with his cleaning lady. But they weren't enough to elevate the book above, "it was ok."...less
Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
beachgoers, suntanners
I was in Target, looking for some lunchtime reading, and picked this book up at random. (At checkout, I was told that the book had actually already been taken out of their inventory, but they would sell it to me anyway -- how about $5.00? I thought about haggling, as for a Persian rug, but paid $5.00 like a Midwestener.) It was the first book by Augusten Burroughs that I read; he has at least 2 other books out there in print. About halfway through the first chapter, I thought that this book ...more
I was in Target, looking for some lunchtime reading, and picked this book up at random. (At checkout, I was told that the book had actually already been taken out of their inventory, but they would sell it to me anyway -- how about $5.00? I thought about haggling, as for a Persian rug, but paid $5.00 like a Midwestener.) It was the first book by Augusten Burroughs that I read; he has at least 2 other books out there in print. About halfway through the first chapter, I thought that this book was just like David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty Someday" or "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim", only without being quite as funny, tragic, or endearing. This thought carried through right to the very end of the book, with its humorous (but pointless) digressions. It's easy, breezy reading, no more taxing than listening to a particularly funny friend tell a story over coffee or a glass of wine, and just about as deeply meaningful, which, I think, makes this book just about perfect for the beach....less
Read in February, 2007
So Anthony bought me this book last weekend and I finished it in 3 days.
It's a collection of his essays, much like the style of David Sedaris. And just like David Sedaris, only a couple of these essays are "laugh out loud" funny.
The first 5 essays feel like he's just trying to fill space in the book with nonsense "what if" stories that are obviously all taking place in his head. This led me constantly think, "I thought this was a memoir based on things that actua...more
So Anthony bought me this book last weekend and I finished it in 3 days.
It's a collection of his essays, much like the style of David Sedaris. And just like David Sedaris, only a couple of these essays are "laugh out loud" funny.
The first 5 essays feel like he's just trying to fill space in the book with nonsense "what if" stories that are obviously all taking place in his head. This led me constantly think, "I thought this was a memoir based on things that actually take place." But again, I'm uber critical because I get bored easily and need to be constantly entertained.
I would say that my favorite essays (which actually did make me laugh) were Beating Raoul, which is about a "almost-perfect" date (read to find out why I used the words almost-perfect") and I'm Gonna Live Forever which is about Burroughs' experiences with new found fame in New York City.
Overall Grade: B+...less
I really liked Dry, but i have not been as impressed with Mr. Burroughs other efforts. While I read Magical Thinking, I found myself wondering whether the author was trying to get the reader to like him and to think he was witty. It reminded me of the kid at school who isn't well liked and tries to ingratiate himself to a group of his piers by making fun of someone else (an example-his story about some of his stranger readers) or by telling stories that are (i think)intended to be endearing a...more
I really liked Dry, but i have not been as impressed with Mr. Burroughs other efforts. While I read Magical Thinking, I found myself wondering whether the author was trying to get the reader to like him and to think he was witty. It reminded me of the kid at school who isn't well liked and tries to ingratiate himself to a group of his piers by making fun of someone else (an example-his story about some of his stranger readers) or by telling stories that are (i think)intended to be endearing and self-depricating but are really just kind of gross (like the mouse in the bathtub). I also wonder if he is trying to be more like David Sedarias (sorry if it offends you that i am drawing a comparison between one gay humor/memoirist/story teller and another... If he is, I wish he would stop. I suspect that he is trying to be funnier/more self depricating, but this is not his true voice. I liked Dry so much because it had such a "tell it like it is" tone. ...less
Read in April, 2008
recommended to Donohue by:
my sister - Katie Donohue
recommends it for:
people who see themselves as a bit off
Another book recommended to me by my sister that I loved. Another Augusten Burroughs book I loved. I laughed at loud repeatedly at Burroughs' social observations and his take on the world. Apparently, I was enjoying Magical Thinking so much, that a stranger who happened to be sitting next to me on a flight where I came across the story of Burroughs threatening a small child (also stranger in a crowd) with physical violence, that he had to get the name of the book and the author, and I happily...more
Another book recommended to me by my sister that I loved. Another Augusten Burroughs book I loved. I laughed at loud repeatedly at Burroughs' social observations and his take on the world. Apparently, I was enjoying Magical Thinking so much, that a stranger who happened to be sitting next to me on a flight where I came across the story of Burroughs threatening a small child (also stranger in a crowd) with physical violence, that he had to get the name of the book and the author, and I happily obliged. It was not as wild or insane as Running With Scissors, but that is not a negative, just an observation. It was a bit more serious and melancholy towards the end as he veered away from the humorous and was relaying the mundane details of his relationship. Regardless, the book was very very funny and I would recommend it to anyone who has read any of his other works and enjoyed them....less
Read in October, 2007
Magical Thinking is a riotous series of vignettes. It was my first Augusten Burroughs offering (thanks, Catherine, for the birthday gift!). Why have I not heard about this guy before? I've read David Sedaris, but Burroughs pushes the boundary just a little bit further - with success!
He is acerbic, perceptive, and at times, brilliant. Warning: cliche following. He literally made me laugh out loud. Now, this is fine if you are home alone. But reading in public, in a foreign country, and ...more
Magical Thinking is a riotous series of vignettes. It was my first Augusten Burroughs offering (thanks, Catherine, for the birthday gift!). Why have I not heard about this guy before? I've read David Sedaris, but Burroughs pushes the boundary just a little bit further - with success!
He is acerbic, perceptive, and at times, brilliant. Warning: cliche following. He literally made me laugh out loud. Now, this is fine if you are home alone. But reading in public, in a foreign country, and guffawing with saliva spillover is really just not appropriate. Kudos, Augusten, for making a fool of this American while abroad.
Perhaps most surprising was the author's savvy in throwing in some truly poignant moments. Just when I thought he was going to have me LMAO, he sucker punches me with some awww-inducing sentimentality. Very easy read with great returns. ...less
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Readers of comedy/memoirs
Loved it. Burroughs has such a tongue-in-cheek approach to things, and his sense of humor kills me. I found myself laughing out loud while reading his book - which doesn't happen that often. It is a collection of short stories taken from Burroughs's life, and displays his twisted sense of humor and knowledge of his own pretentiousness at times.
One of the funnier chapters involves his relationships with priests..."Suddenly, inexplicably, we have turned our collective eyes away from terrorists and are now obsessing over men of the cloth. We have stopped asking 'But how did little Tabitha get a machine gun in the first place?' and are now asking 'Is Griffin spending too much time with Father O'Brian?' Well, I'm here to defend our Holy Fathers. The fact remains, Catholic priests have given me some of the best blow jobs of my life."
...more
Loved it. Burroughs has such a tongue-in-cheek approach to things, and his sense of humor kills me. I found myself laughing out loud while reading his book - which doesn't happen that often. It is a collection of short stories taken from Burroughs's life, and displays his twisted sense of humor and knowledge of his own pretentiousness at times.
One of the funnier chapters involves his relationships with priests..."Suddenly, inexplicably, we have turned our collective eyes away from terrorists and are now obsessing over men of the cloth. We have stopped asking 'But how did little Tabitha get a machine gun in the first place?' and are now asking 'Is Griffin spending too much time with Father O'Brian?' Well, I'm here to defend our Holy Fathers. The fact remains, Catholic priests have given me some of the best blow jobs of my life."
Priceless....less
Read in September, 2007
I really enjoyed this book, a collection of true, quirky, and honest stories, hilarious and universal in their appeal. Each chapter is its own anecdote, not necessarily related to the others, and most are humorous, although a handful are a tad serious. Burroughs is able to turn the most mundane event, such as finding a rat in his bathtub, training his NYC dog to pee on grass, or messing with telemarketers, into an absolutely fascinating narrative. Had I realized that this was third in a series o...more
I really enjoyed this book, a collection of true, quirky, and honest stories, hilarious and universal in their appeal. Each chapter is its own anecdote, not necessarily related to the others, and most are humorous, although a handful are a tad serious. Burroughs is able to turn the most mundane event, such as finding a rat in his bathtub, training his NYC dog to pee on grass, or messing with telemarketers, into an absolutely fascinating narrative. Had I realized that this was third in a series of memoirs by this author, I would have have saved this for last, but it stood on its own just fine. It was a quick read that I finished in a few hours and was unable to put down. I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy comedy or memoirs in general, but I'd suggest beginning with the other two books, "Running with Scissors" and "Dry."
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(all editions):
3.89 (5560 ratings)
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number of reviews: 584
other editions
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Magical Thinking: True Stories (Paperback)
isbn: 0312315953
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Magical Thinking (Paperback)
isbn: 0739451588
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Magical Thinking (Paperback)
isbn: 1843543621
