Running With Scissors

Despite criticisms of Running with Scissors (by Augusten Burroughs), I enjoyed it immensely. Burroughs's "series of unfortunate events" life shared through this novel/memoir was so unexpected that I flew through the pages. His anecdotes growing up with a literally psychotic mother, alcoholic and distant father, and living in his mother's psychiatrist's home were almost hard to believe. Faking a suicide attempt to avoid school, having nightmares about his inability to make perfect pin curls (he dreamed of having his own beauty empire), and having sex at age 14 with his 30+ year old boyfriend were commonplace occurrences.

Through all of the horrors, there was still an underlying bite of humor that makes it evident that the author has risen above his tragedies. I appreciated the raw, no-nonsense writing. It is unapologetic and does not using being gay as a crutch or excuse. Not all memoirs need to elicit a response of self-discovery or catharsis within the reader (some reviews complain that the story did not make them feel better after reading). This is an example of wit and survival in the midst of a volatile environment.This being said, it certainly is not for everyone. Some of the sexual passages may be squirm-inducing.