Dry: A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs
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Book Reviews of Dry: A Memoir
Book Review: After Running with Scissors this story comes as no surprise.
Summary: 4 Stars
I strongly recommend following Running with Scissors with Dry. This is Burroughs memoir. Now an adult in New York his life is falling apart. It is no surprise Burroughs turned to alcohol after all he had gone through in life. But now he must be accountable for himself. In his professional life he is given no choice but to face his drinking problem.
Burroughs tells this story in the same tone of Running with Scissors, witty, funny but a serious subject. In this book you will not find the story of a man who faces his drinking problem, gets help and lives happily ever after. Here you will read about his real recovery and all it's obsticles to stay Dry. A quick spin through detox and rehab and back to New York where he now has to attend his 12 step meetings and out patient groups. Once again sex comes into the story diverting Burroughs from his recovery. There are sad truths about addiction in this book and I found his experience of facing life sober very honest.
Book Review: Don't read Sedaris before you read Burroughs...
Summary: 4 Stars
I had the good fortune of reading "Running with Scissors" which was a departure from anything I'd ever read before. It's topic and the author's prose were a welcomed change.
Immediately after I finished "Running..." I went out and bought "Dry." However, I never got around to reading it. It was hidden away for a good year after moving. But I did manage to discover David Sedaris.
Now, I'm not sure if reading Sedaris tainted my response to this book but Dry didn't really grab me. Don't get me wrong, it's a good book, but definitely not as great as Running. It's on a much darker level, which is understandable considering it's focus, but I was expecting something quirky and different like I'd experienced with his first book.
Whatever you do, don't read Sedaris before reading anything by Augusten Burroughs. Their writing and points of view are similar and if you read Sedaris... you might think that anything by Burroughs is just a copy.
Book Review: Astounding
Summary: 5 Stars
Augusten Burroughs never ceases to amaze. This is by far my favorite book of his. The writing is terrific, the story is captivating. I couldn't put it down. The characters are so real, and even if alcohol isn't you thing, you can identify something in your life that has taken over and relate.
One of my favorite lines comes from a passage where he is describing an ex boyfriend of his. He says,
"He's like this incredibly beautiful Van Gogh painting with slashes all through it. True, it's a Van Gogh. But look at those slashes."
That line made me identify with someone in my own life and helped me realize that sometimes we have to let people go because no matter how much we love them, we cannot make them whole. It actually helped me set aside someone I had been unable to leave behind.
This book is a terrific read. Go out and pick it up. Don't get it from the library- bo buy it. You'll end up buying it anyway.
Book Review: Non-stop Craziness and Humor--Incredible!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow. How to write a review of this book...Augusten Burroughs' sense of humor and ability to take his life experiences and weave them into stories that are engaging, entertaining and at times a bit disturbing is absolutely incredible.
His style of writing and revealing of clips of his life endear the reader to him. I could not put down the book and I was truly sad when I read the very last word on the very last page. I wanted more of Augusten, I was hooked. I went out the next day and bought another one of his engaging pseudo-biographical book and devoured that in a day or two as well.
Augusten Burroughs has a gift and I am so very glad he chose the medium in which he did to share it with the world.
Augusten, if you are out there, I just want to say thank you for finding the motivation and determination to publish your stories. You are truly an inspiration and your words have touched me. Thank you.
Book Review: Compelling and insightfull
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read all four of Mr. Burroughs memoirs over the course of a single summer. I feel that this was the best piece of the four of them. Burroughs' account of his stint in rehab and how his life progressed afterwards gives the reader a glimpse into the world of the alcoholic and the addict in general.
Burroughs has a way with words that makes the most trivial of topics seem meaningful in the world of his story. The stripped down language gives the reader the feeling that all parts of this book have been included for a reason, no matter how trivial they may seem. His relationships and interactions with people are illuminated by the narrative giving the reader a greater understanding of Burroughs' life as a whole, while concentrating on this single aspect.
Of his four memoirs this is the only one that caused a visceral reaction in me. It is at once heart-wrenching and hilarious, and a wonderful read for those interested.