The Glass Castle in Crazy Challenge Connection

Mar 01, 2013 Chaitra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, dysfunctional-family, memoir

I honestly have no idea how to review this book. It's a matter-of-fact recounting of a horrific case of bad parenting that the author had to endure. Walls is non-judgmental and understanding and she even makes it sound a bit of fun in the early cases. But it's bad parenting and no amount of sugar coating can change that fact. But I still didn't know what I wanted to happen, except for rooting for the kids who turned out to have (mostly) well-adjusted lives.

Here's the thing, I do think people wo I honestly have no idea how to review this book. It's a matter-of-fact recounting of a horrific case of bad parenting that the author had to endure. Walls is non-judgmental and understanding and she even makes it sound a bit of fun in the early cases. But it's bad parenting and no amount of sugar coating can change that fact. But I still didn't know what I wanted to happen, except for rooting for the kids who turned out to have (mostly) well-adjusted lives.

Here's the thing, I do think people worry too much about their kids, but the Walls took it to its extremes. Which idiot would think of keeping their doors and windows open when they know of the pedos in the locality? I'm sure it beat Ms Walls' intentions, but there is no way I can be as sympathetic towards the parents as she herself is. I wanted to punch the parents almost all the time. I wanted them gone, imprisoned for life for all the neglect and casual cruelty they inflicted on their children, needlessly. Because this is an odd case, it's not that they genuinely couldn't afford basic necessities. Quite contrary. The mother is, we're told, rich. But she's a hoarder - she'd rather let her children starve for years than sell family land or the antique jewelry she keeps even from her thieving alcoholic husband. Yeah, these people really need to have a special place in hell. But, had the Child Services gotten to them, what would happen to the kids? They wouldn't have each other because almost certainly they'd be placed in separate places. The only one of them who didn't do very well in her life was the kid that was out of the rest of their age groups. I'll say this though, the parents got lucky with their kids. The success of three of their four children probably validated their obstinate stance about not having to care about kids.

Such a brilliant book though. I couldn't stop turning pages. Every new page brought a fresh calamity. It was like watching a train-wreck, horrifying yet so compelling. I would have said this is a must read book for wanna-be parents, but, the kids were alright (and I didn't want it to be otherwise, they deserve their better life). People who want to live by the philosophy of Rex and Rose Mary Walls will go ahead and do that anyway. I just hope I never do any of the things they did. ...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Linda C rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir-biography

Jeannette Walls memoir begins with a harrowing experience when she is 3 years old; her dress catches fire while she is boiling hot dogs. She ends up with skin grafts on her stomach. After 6 weeks in the hospital her father decides she’s been there long enough and he unhooks all of the apparatus and carries her out of the hospital; “checking out Rex Walls style”. A few days later when she is very hungry she again pulls a chair to the stove and begins cooking hot dogs. When her Mother sees her she Jeannette Walls memoir begins with a harrowing experience when she is 3 years old; her dress catches fire while she is boiling hot dogs. She ends up with skin grafts on her stomach. After 6 weeks in the hospital her father decides she’s been there long enough and he unhooks all of the apparatus and carries her out of the hospital; “checking out Rex Walls style”. A few days later when she is very hungry she again pulls a chair to the stove and begins cooking hot dogs. When her Mother sees her she says “Good for you. You’ve got to get right back in the saddle. You can’t live in fear of something as basic as fire.” This incident tells you pretty much what the early part of her life is like; her Father setting his own rules and avoiding anything that resembles responsibility and authority; her Mother’s laissez-faire style of parenting.
We follow this family from place to place, living on the edge of survival. A father, who is brilliant, charismatic, and charming, but a self-destructive drunk, and a mother, who is a self-absorbed free spirit, who should never have been parents. The kids fend for themselves from an early age, feeding clothing and protecting each other and to some extent their parents. Eventually they break away as one by one they move to NYC and develop their careers. Their parents follow, but never break their homeless life-style.
The writing of this memoir was beautifully descriptive. You felt you were there in the desert landscape and West Virginia hill country. You struggled with the children as they fought to survive. And you wanted to slug their parents and tell them to grow up. You could empathize with the kids conflicting feelings toward their parents as they each moved to a more normal life-style and realized their parents were never going to change. It is amazing that only one child developed problems in adulthood.
For a memoir this was probably one of the best I’ve read of someone overcoming adversity. My problem with the memoir genre in general is that it is portrayed as exact scenes and language. The first third of the book occurs before she is seven, but these are not vague memories. We get precise specifics. I can’t bring myself to buy it. I think I will always feel a level of disbelief with any memoir, but for a memoir this was beautifully written.
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Apr 14, 2011 Megalion rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-shelfari, year-read-2011

I don't do as well reading non fiction or autobios (unless its about someone I'm already interested in) so I was resistant to this book.

Now I'm really glad that I sat down and read it. It was really interesting and unapologetic which I liked. ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Carroll rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-club, nonfiction, biographies-memoirs

This is a story of a very dysfunctional family. The Walls children had to learn to take care of themselves from a very young age. They fed, clothed, protected one another, and, eventually, found their way to New York City. Their parents followed them choosing to be homeless, even as their children prospered. I couldn't put it down! It was quite a read! ...more

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