Magical Thinking
by Augusten Burroughs
Magical Thinking
by
Augusten Burroughs
|
|
| published
| 2004
by St Martins
|
| binding
| Paperback |
| isbn
|
0739451588
(isbn13: 9780739451588)
|
| date added
|
12-06-06
|
|
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bookshelves:
2007
Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Burroughs fans!
As I've mentioned before, I'm a pretty big fan of Augusten Burroughs. I loved Running with Scissors, I thought it was a beautiful, hysterically funny book; and I thought Dry was quite good as well. I've defended Burroughs' choice to make his horrible childhood experiences and his battle with alcoholism at once poignant and comical, and I admire his ability to do so.
That being said, Magical Thinking is a whole other thing. It's a more mature, reflective Burroughs that shows through the storie...more
As I've mentioned before, I'm a pretty big fan of Augusten Burroughs. I loved Running with Scissors, I thought it was a beautiful, hysterically funny book; and I thought Dry was quite good as well. I've defended Burroughs' choice to make his horrible childhood experiences and his battle with alcoholism at once poignant and comical, and I admire his ability to do so.
That being said, Magical Thinking is a whole other thing. It's a more mature, reflective Burroughs that shows through the stories that make up this book. It's a more likable Burroughs, who has, in some way, gotten past some of his baggage. And it's great stuff.
The stories in the book aren't chronological--they skip backwards and forwards in time, from Burroughs' childhood and adolescence through his drinking years to his present and around again. This is a bit confusing at first (causing me to think, among other things, that the person who turns out to be Burroughs' partner, Dennis, is a posthumous look at the same person as his friend Pighead, who is featured in Dry), but once you realize that's what Burroughs is doing, it makes sense. In some ways, it makes it easier to see his increased maturity and self-awareness in the more recent stories. And knowing that he, in some sense, "made it," that he's happy and successful in the more recent stories, makes the heart-rendering earlier ones a bit easier to listen to and to see the humor in.
Though it is easier to handle than his previous memoirs, Magical Thinking is still Augusten Burroughs, and so isn't for everybody. He still doesn't shy away from hard topics, or from shining the light on his own flaws. One story, "The Rat Thing," is a long exposition on his torturous killing of a rat he finds in his bathroom (when he's still drinking). It's nasty. It's hard to listen to. But it's still funny, in the way only truly awful things can be. As always, though, if you are someone who believes that there are some subjects that are never funny, this book probably isn't going to do it for you.
One of my favorite parts of the audio book (and I again recommend "reading" Burroughs on audio book, as he's got a great voice and tells his own stories so well) is the "bonus" at the end--a short interview of Burroughs, done by his literary agent. Here, in Burroughs' rambling answers to the agent's questions, you get a bit of insight into how his writing develops, and how he thinks about his own life and the very dark humor in his past. If you have any lingering guilt about finding humor in his horrible stories (which I really didn't, but could have), you lose it when you hear him say that he doesn't find his childhood difficult to talk about, but that he sees humor in it. He goes on to explain that he's really a very average type of person, who just seems to have had a magnet for disaster in his early life. He doesn't seem to regret this, just accept it. It's fun to listen to him talk. He seems very naturally funny and comfortable in his own skin, and if you've listened to or read much of his work, you know it took him a long time to get there.
So I'd recommend Magical Thinking to anyone who likes Burroughs' other books. I'd also say it's probably the best of the three memoirs to start with if you are new to his work. Work your way up to Running with Scissors...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 <em>Running with Scissors</em> and found it over-the-top but tolerable. Then I read the sequel (<em>Dry</em>) and thought it was okay. Last year, I read <em>Sellevision</em> 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 <em>Magical Thinking</em> a chance because Burroughs was going back to his strength, and becaus...more
A few years ago I read <em>Running with Scissors</em> and found it over-the-top but tolerable. Then I read the sequel (<em>Dry</em>) and thought it was okay. Last year, I read <em>Sellevision</em> 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 <em>Magical Thinking</em> a chance because Burroughs was going back to his strength, and because rather than a full-length memoir, <em>Magical Thinking</em> 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
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
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."
...less
Read in August, 2007
Like David Sedaris, another of my favorite authors, Burroughs writes humorous essays about his life and the way he sees the world. But Burroughs focuses more on his sex life, which I think can make people uncomfortable.
I however enjoy his honesty and find him both funny and touching, often at the same time. Magical Thinking was much lighter and funnier than Dry, which left me rather sad and contemplative at the end of the book.
I found myself unable to put this book down while I was readi...more
Like David Sedaris, another of my favorite authors, Burroughs writes humorous essays about his life and the way he sees the world. But Burroughs focuses more on his sex life, which I think can make people uncomfortable.
I however enjoy his honesty and find him both funny and touching, often at the same time. Magical Thinking was much lighter and funnier than Dry, which left me rather sad and contemplative at the end of the book.
I found myself unable to put this book down while I was reading it. I was actually reading while walking down the street (not always the best idea).
I would argue this book is an excellent read, especially for people who have ever been confused about where they stand in life or whether or not they are doing the right thing with their lives....less
Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in November, 2007
Running with Scissors is one of my all time favorite books, so I wanted to read another of Augusten Burroughs' books. Unfortunately, I don't feel that Magical Thinking lives up to Running with Scissors at all. Magical thinking is a book of short stories, all autobiographical. I feel that all of his most interesting stories were written in Running with Scissors and this is a desperate shot at continuing his carreer as a writer. The stories vary from very graphic sexual stories to stories about hi...more
Running with Scissors is one of my all time favorite books, so I wanted to read another of Augusten Burroughs' books. Unfortunately, I don't feel that Magical Thinking lives up to Running with Scissors at all. Magical thinking is a book of short stories, all autobiographical. I feel that all of his most interesting stories were written in Running with Scissors and this is a desperate shot at continuing his carreer as a writer. The stories vary from very graphic sexual stories to stories about his alcoholism to stories about finding a rat in his bathtub. While he is a very tallented writer, these stories were dull and unimportant. He even admits to writing about every single uninteresting aspect of his life in one of his stories, and that seemed to be the basis of the book....less
bookshelves:
books-i-m-obsessed-with
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone
Augusten, Augusten.
I read this recently - my heart still flutters.
When I read that Magical Thinking "is the belief that one exerts more influence over events than one actually has" immediately I became excited. "There's other people like me?!"
Rather than use his powers to trip people like I so often do, Augusten puts his powers to better uses, such as getting the love of his life and making his books bestsellers.
This book is a collection of entertaining...more
Augusten, Augusten.
I read this recently - my heart still flutters.
When I read that Magical Thinking "is the belief that one exerts more influence over events than one actually has" immediately I became excited. "There's other people like me?!"
Rather than use his powers to trip people like I so often do, Augusten puts his powers to better uses, such as getting the love of his life and making his books bestsellers.
This book is a collection of entertaining essays.
(It's always great to read about stranger's lives.)
The essays that really stood out to me were Holy Blow Job, The
Rat/Thing, Ass Burger, and Magical Thinking.
It's official - I'm in love with a gay guy.
Now, I need to use my powers to get him to fall in love with me....less
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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....less
Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone with a dark sense of humor
I really love this book. Because the stories are short, pretty quick reads, it's great for those times when you want something to read but have a lot of distractions around. That's why I took it to the DMV with me a few weeks ago when I was getting my driver's license renewed. It was a long wait, and the lobby was packed with all kinds of cranky people and their unruly kids. As I read about Burroughs' experiences dating an undertaker, getting blowjobs by priests and dealing with a psychotic hous...more
I really love this book. Because the stories are short, pretty quick reads, it's great for those times when you want something to read but have a lot of distractions around. That's why I took it to the DMV with me a few weeks ago when I was getting my driver's license renewed. It was a long wait, and the lobby was packed with all kinds of cranky people and their unruly kids. As I read about Burroughs' experiences dating an undertaker, getting blowjobs by priests and dealing with a psychotic housekeeper, I kept bursting out laughing. At one point, I might have even cried. It definitely made the hellish DMV experience a lot more bearable....less
bookshelves:
read-read-for-fun
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
fans of Running With Scissors, people who like to laugh
I've been an Augusten Burroughs fan for awhile now, having read Dry one day at work. So, having some down time, I was excited to undertake Magical Thinking. Overall, it is much like other works by Burroughs- witty, brash, and sometimes alarmingly tender. He writes satire, and these supposedly "true" stories are obviously embellished a bit. Some might read this collection of stories and see Burroughs as a self centered egotist, but his writings reveal him to be ultimately flawed, and vu...more
I've been an Augusten Burroughs fan for awhile now, having read Dry one day at work. So, having some down time, I was excited to undertake Magical Thinking. Overall, it is much like other works by Burroughs- witty, brash, and sometimes alarmingly tender. He writes satire, and these supposedly "true" stories are obviously embellished a bit. Some might read this collection of stories and see Burroughs as a self centered egotist, but his writings reveal him to be ultimately flawed, and vulnerable. My favorite stories focus on his relationship with his now-husband, Dennis. You see a completely different side of our "emotionally disabled" somewhat vain protagonist. Overall, it is another pleasant offering from Burroughs. ...less
book data (includes all editions)
avg rating
(all editions):
3.87 (4165 ratings)
avg rating
(this edition): 3.86
(130 ratings)
number of reviews: 446
other editions
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Magical Thinking: True Stories (Paperback)
isbn: 0312315953
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Magical Thinking (Paperback)
isbn: 1843543621
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Magical Thinking: True Stories (Hardcover)
isbn: 0312315945
