The Glass Castle in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Mar 26, 2008 Nadine in NY Jones rated it liked it

Shelves: memoir-and-autobiographical-essays, appalachia

An oddly emotionless retelling of the author's childhood spent mostly in poverty. The writing was good enough to keep me wanting to read what happened next, but yet the strange lack of emotion made it feel more like a long list of misery rather than a memoir. The awfulness of it was almost unbelievable; every time something the tiniest bit good happened, either her father or her mother would manage to ruin it. Her mother also seems to have an odd lack of emotion - she views death as a curiosity ...more

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Nov 15, 2007 Ann rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoir

Jeannette Walls, along with her brother and two sisters, was raised by parents who could never get their acts together. Her dad was an alcoholic with grandiose plans to strike gold in the desert and to build a "glass castle" where the family would live. He couldn't hold a job down, but could hustle people for their money when times were tight. Her mother, Rose Mary, was educated as a teacher but refused to work so that she could pursue her artistic endeavors. As a consequence, the children often ...more

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Sep 27, 2009 M rated it really liked it

what a life of skedaddling! my heart ached for the kids every time i turned the pages.

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Sep 13, 2010 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Absolutely an amazing book!

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Dec 17, 2011 Becky rated it really liked it

I have no idea how Jeannette survived her childhood. I would have turned out like the youngest daughter -- sullen and stabby.

Makes me wonder: if the parents could have gotten some medical treatment (for alcoholism for the father, for manic depression and who knows what else for the mother) and some therapy -- could they have been wildly successful? They seem like extremely intelligent people, and their kids are bright and resilient and made great lives for themselves as young adults.

A haunting b ...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Heather rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub-book

I already hate this book and I don't even know if I am 20 pages into it. Since I am not going to be able to go to the book club meeting about it, I don't know if I want to waste my time reading all of it.

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I can't do it. I would rather spend what little time I have to read, reading something I actually enjoy. ...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Amy Richard rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. Her upbringing was so different than mine but as a teacher I see things like this from time to time. VERY good writing and excellent story!!!

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