Gina's review of Dry: A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs
This book, in addition to being an incredible read on its own, helped me to crystalize my thoughts on humor. I read it at a time when I was struggling with wanting to hold onto the sort of quippy, lighthearted, entertaining tone of the writing I had done for an alt weekly in my early 20s, but seriousness was beginning to surface, demanding more substance. So, I happened to read "Dry." Best thing I could have done. Burroughs is a genious when it comes to maintaining a sense of humor while exploring with appropriate sincerity subject matter that in lesser hands could have found its place in a support group instead of on a book shelf. The funny parts, which are really sort of random asides, are that much funnier because of the tension that has built in the narrative. He provides such deft, well-timed comic relief without ever making light of subjects that are actually not funny. The humor is in word play and scene-setting, not in, oh, say, alcoholism. So that was eye-opening for...more
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