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The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls

Discussion: September/October 2007

Discussion leader: Stephanie

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September/October 2007

Peony in Love - Lisa See
By LynnB · 5 posts · 7 views

last updated Aug 28, 2011 04:12AM

The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
By Stephanie · 15 posts · 95 views

last updated Jan 27, 2011 05:14PM

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Feb 18, 2009 Lisa Hickman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, bookmarks-2005, library-books, memoir

"Baptism by fire" is a fitting metaphor for Jeannette Wall's life. At the young age of 3, Walls literally set herself on fire while cooking hotdogs unsupervised on the stove. Thus begins her story and the first real memory she has of her life.

Fire seemed to be a dominant theme in Walls book. After the incident of the burn to her torso and her 6 week hospitalization, Walls instead of showing fear of something that caused pain and scarring, became fascinated with fire. She experimented with matche "Baptism by fire" is a fitting metaphor for Jeannette Wall's life. At the young age of 3, Walls literally set herself on fire while cooking hotdogs unsupervised on the stove. Thus begins her story and the first real memory she has of her life.

Fire seemed to be a dominant theme in Walls book. After the incident of the burn to her torso and her 6 week hospitalization, Walls instead of showing fear of something that caused pain and scarring, became fascinated with fire. She experimented with matches and setting things on fire, from chemicals she and her brother found to paper in the toilet. She had one rental where her family lived burn down. She saved her brother from a burning shed. A flash fire started at her home in Welch and one year her father set their Christmas tree on fire. I don't know if Walls intentionally set out to use fire as symbol of her life, but after reading her book I found it very apt.

After Jeannette and Brian set the shed on fire, her father described the the top of the fire where the flames dissolved into an invisible shimmering heat. He said, "...that zone was known in physics as the boundary between turbulence and order. It's a place where no rules apply, or at least they haven't figured 'em out yet."

I thought that was the zone where the Walls children lived, between turbulence and order. They took care of themselves without much help from their parents; dad was an alcoholic and mom a self-centered artist. For a while Jeannette was mesmerized by her father and their nomadic way of life, just as she was mesmerized by fire. Eventually, the reality of the way they lived set in and Jeannette fought for herself and her siblings to escape to a world of order.

I was fascinated by Walls memoir and the fact that she rose above her life of poverty and dysfunctional family. She came out of it with scars (from the fire), but instead of being hindered by them, she chose to view them as something that added texture to her life. Amazing story! I can't stop thinking about it. It truly is a must read!
Bookmarks Issue: 17-July-Aug-2005 ...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another book about a seriously screwed up family, the main character grows up "normal" despite her family. They even lived in Battle Mountain, Nevada for a time. ...more

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Jun 16, 2008 Christiana Borack rated it really liked it

A heartfelt, yet disturbing memoir.

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Jul 09, 2009 Alison rated it it was amazing

I can say without exaggeration that this book has changed me.

The first line: "I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster."

Walls then takes us back to the beginning, to her earliest memory of when she was three years old, and making herself hot dogs. Her mother was painting in the next room, and her father was off somewhere, probably at a bar, leaving Jeannette to fend for herself, standing on a ch I can say without exaggeration that this book has changed me.

The first line: "I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster."

Walls then takes us back to the beginning, to her earliest memory of when she was three years old, and making herself hot dogs. Her mother was painting in the next room, and her father was off somewhere, probably at a bar, leaving Jeannette to fend for herself, standing on a chair by the stove. Her dress caught fire. The six weeks Jeannette had spent in the hospital had been the only time in her childhood that she was clean, clothed, ate three meals a day, and had electricity and someone to look after her.

The Walls parents: Rex, the alcoholic father who could never hold a steady job, fueled his children's creativity when sober, but left them to survive the horrors of his own deceitfulness when he was drunk; and the artist mother who was a bit manic without the aid of alcohol, so the children never knew if they were going to wake up to an able teacher who worked and saved money and occasionally paid bills and put food on the table or the depressed irresponsible woman who doesn't work because it's her time to be taken care of. These two are madly in love...or just simply mad.

The Walls children: Lori, the eldest sister, was the smart one; Brian, the only brother, was the brave one; and Maureen, the baby sister, was the pretty one. Jeannette went without description, as they were never quite sure where she fit in. All of the children were extremely bright and capable. Their parents taught them reading, writing, arithmetic and survival by way of throwing them into the deep-end of life and told to sink or swim. As the children grew up, not being able to count on their parents for basic human needs, they supported and protected one another.

Jeannette Walls takes us through 13 years of her family's life with painful honesty, yet maintaining a graceful and humorous courage. From reading descriptions of this memoir, one would think it would be heavy, emotional and downright depressing, but that's not the case with The Glass Castle. Not at all. This book is beautifully written, and I turned the pages with ease.

In fact, Jeannette compares herself to Francie Nolan, the main character in one of my favorite books of all time, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I found it befitting that she would make this connection, since I felt the same way after reading A Tree Grows In Brooklyn as I did when I finished The Glass Castle and they now sit on my shelf side-by-side.

The Walls children not only survived, but prospered. It actually made me wonder if maybe their parents weren't all that mad in teaching their children self-sufficiency. Maybe.

I can hardly wait to read Jeannette Walls's second book, Half Broke Horses, which was published earlier this month. ...more

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Aug 25, 2009 Suzanne Moore rated it it was amazing

Shelves: east-texas-library-friends, memoirs, biographies

The adventures of the Walls family were certainly exciting. I still don't know if I'd want to be an "excitement addict" like Jeannette's mom. Rex Walls was an inspiration to his children, despite his serious vices. I can understand why they hated him at times, although family ties kept them together. Even though there were lies, thefts, and loads of let-downs the love they shared was evident in Jeannette's reflections.

Jeannette proves that dreams can come true as long as you never give up. And ...more

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May 10, 2009 Handd51 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So dark - the author must be remarkable to have survived that youth.

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Aug 20, 2008 Mimi rated it really liked it

Shelves: personal-library

Those poor pitiful people--- I have thought and thought about this book-- should be 4.5 stars. I cannot imagine growing up like they did. This book definitely gave me a different answer to the question of homelessness. My perceptions were changed by this book

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