Magical Thinking: True Stories
by Augusten Burroughs
|
|
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of Magical Thinking: True Stories.
discuss this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
lists with this book
This book is not in any lists. Go add it to a list.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 5776)
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
That being said, Magical Thinking is a whole other thing. It's a more mature, reflective Burroughs that shows through the storie...more
Like this review?
yes
(2 people liked it)
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
1 comments
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
That being said, once I realized what it was, a serious of autobiographical essays, Davi...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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, 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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
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 particularly liked Commercial Break,...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
"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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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 also believe ...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
1 comments
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
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
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
recommended to Donohue by:
my sister - Katie Donohuerecommends 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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
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
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 this review?
yes
add a comment
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
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
