The Glass Castle in Crazy Challenge Connection

Oct 11, 2011 Kirby rated it it was amazing

Just as hauntingly beautiful the second time around.

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May 15, 2011 A. S. rated it liked it

Jeannette Walls' odd childhood is exposed in The Glass Castle, a memoir of her two eccentric parents and how it shaped her feelings towards life. Jeannette is the third of four children born to Rex and Rose Mary Walls. To say that Jeannette's parents were unconventional is an understatement, for they are neglectful of their children to the point where it could be argued that they were abusing their own children. Rose Mary Walls prefers painting and rifling through dumpsters to raising her childr Jeannette Walls' odd childhood is exposed in The Glass Castle, a memoir of her two eccentric parents and how it shaped her feelings towards life. Jeannette is the third of four children born to Rex and Rose Mary Walls. To say that Jeannette's parents were unconventional is an understatement, for they are neglectful of their children to the point where it could be argued that they were abusing their own children. Rose Mary Walls prefers painting and rifling through dumpsters to raising her children or going to work to provide for them, and Rex basically cannot hold a steady job because he drinks so much. All this precipitates into the Walls constantly being broke, often broke enough that they cut and run on their bills, escaping to other states.

At first it seems like a lot of this is just an adventure, but as Jeannette and her siblings grow older, their needs change, and Jeannette constantly yearns for a mother and father who can get their acts together and provide a stable home for herself and her siblings. Unfortunately, because of her parents' problems, Lori, Jeannette's elder sister, and Jeannette herself take on the burden of trying to get money for basics for themselves and their brother Brian and little sister Maureen.

Despite the shameful neglectful behavior of Jeannette's parents, they are often presented in a sympathetic light. Jeannette realizes that her mother's behavior may have been triggered by her strict upbringing by her schoolteacher mother. While Jeannette herself loves her maternal grandmother and her unchanging daily routine, she shows understanding that most children try to rebel from their parents. Only it seems that Rose Mary never grew up past that point to see that her behavior was juvenile.

Jeannette also notes that her father's behavior might have been rooted in (view spoiler)

Jeannette also shows the creative, interesting parts of her parents. Her mother is, in fact, a brilliant painter. Rose Mary finds ways of looking at the beauty of things that no one else does. Rex is great at working with his hands and is actually great at physics, mathematics, and engineering things. It is his wish, actually, to build the titular Glass Castle in which he believes he can use solar energy to power the house and use green technology in all other parts of the house. Jeannette is definitely closer to her father, but as she grows older she begins to wonder if staying with her family all her life is the right way to go.

Overall I really liked this book, but I would say the last few chapters were a bit boring. ...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Joanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, 5-star, non-fiction

2nd read: September 2016

1st read: July 2011

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Aug 26, 2010 Kristina Simon rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-classic, bio-memoir

Fascinating story.

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Dec 19, 2011 Jessie Marie rated it it was amazing

Among the first lines of The Glass Castle: "I was on fire. It's my earliest memory." There is no metaphor to be taken from that. When Jeannette was just three years old, she was cooking hot dogs for herself and ended up burning her side pretty severely. At the hospital, a nurse introduced Jeannette to chewing gum for the first time; her mother scolded her and the nurses, claiming she was the one to decide how Jeannette was raised. After a few short days in the hospital, her dad "did the skedaddl Among the first lines of The Glass Castle: "I was on fire. It's my earliest memory." There is no metaphor to be taken from that. When Jeannette was just three years old, she was cooking hot dogs for herself and ended up burning her side pretty severely. At the hospital, a nurse introduced Jeannette to chewing gum for the first time; her mother scolded her and the nurses, claiming she was the one to decide how Jeannette was raised. After a few short days in the hospital, her dad "did the skedaddle" with her and whisked her away from the hospital. This is just a taste of her parents.

Jeannette's parents are a classic case of "never should have been allowed to procreate". But they did, five times, one of which died shortly after her birth. Rose Mary Walls was a free-spirit, so to speak. She valued painting more than anything. She was a self-proclaimed "excitement addict" and had no shame or qualms against living in squalor, nor to subjecting her children to the same living conditions. Jeannette's father, Rex Walls, loved Jeannette more than anything. And extremely smart, in his own way. But he was incredibly flawed. A drunk who lied to and manipulated his family for his next drink. A master with words to make one think things are better than they were.

Even through describing her life, her situation, Jeannette never faltered in her love and caring for her parents, however messed up they were. And it wasn't out of naiveté or misconception. She simply understood that they were who they were and as her parents, she loved them unconditionally. Meanwhile, I was screaming bloody murder at them to wake up and smell the stink.

What I appreciated most about this memoir is the extent of Jeannette's memories. I mean, it's astounding what she's remembered from a childhood most of us would seek narcotics and hypnotism to block out. Being burned at just three years old by cooking hot dogs. A rock collection her father made her leave behind in one of the many towns they left. What she was thinking and feeling when she was so young and bouncing from desert town to desert town.

The story is a heartbreaker, to be sure. You know that her father loves her but it's such a messed up situation that you can't help but hate him. And her mother, too. And society for not stepping in to make it better for she and her siblings. But it's also a story of hope. Because even though Jeannette endured all of that, survived all of that, she and her siblings got out. For the most part, they broke the circle and succeeded. All four of them managed to find their way, sanely, into this world and make normal lives for themselves. The story is sad and depressing and generally uplifting. I closed the last page with a happy sigh, knowing that not only Jeannette will be alright, but so will the rest of us.

5 / 5 Stars ...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Helen Southall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very good book. It held my attention and the children were wonderful. How they managed to even survive in this environment was remarkable. It is a great stereotype of a dysfunctional family. A must read for those with children or in mental health fields.

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