I see many copies of this book on many shelfs and it has caught my eye over and over.   So I read the description and then wondered if it would make me angry to read it. 

If you've read it whats your opinion?

I could only get through about half of the book before giving up.  I found it to be quite awful and really disturbing. 

It is very disturbing. I know a lot of people, especially post-Frey, who think it's a total fabrication, but many years ago we knew a family quite similar, very sad, and in those days no one did anything about it. It's a well-written book, I'll say that for it, insofar as it keeps you reading, turning pages, wondering, and certainly his imagery is quite good. However, the child abuse in it was very disturbing to read. 

I suppose it's a matter of what your goal is and how you see these things. 

I read to relax. I've seen quite enough of the hard side of life through my work and volunteer work, and when I come home, I want to read about a happy-ever-after, or I want to learn something about history, or I want to read a mystery in which the perp takes the fall and the H and h ride off into the sunset holding hands. 

Some people read things that are hard to read, true crime, books about child abuse, books like Running With Scissors, because they validate their own experiences, or to learn from them, or because it's the two-headed calf you can't look away from, or from many other motives. So I guess it's a matter of why you read and what your goal is. 

It was not a comfortable read, it made me queasy and disturbed my thinking for a time afterwards as I struggled to make sense of it all. Some people would say that this makes it an effective and worthwhile piece of writing. 

I agree with Froggie, I read about half way and decided I'd had enough, just too disturbing for me

It made me sick.

I have it on my shelf and haven't been able to read it for the reasons above.

I guess that's a no. 

I like to read true events with a little depressing parts OK.  But not to the point of distressing.

To many good books and to little time. 

Thank you all for your thoughts so I won't waste my precious time.

I have not read any of Augusten Burroughs books but i did read his brothers book , "Look Me In the Eye" by John Elder Robinson and it is a good book . It's mostly about how he was able to overcome Aspergers to have an active succesful life.

It was extremely disturbing, but I found it compelling and I read it cover to cover.  Can't say, "this was GOOD book" because good is not the word.   But, it was, for me, a page-turner.

Should you opt to read it, just be prepared - no warm fuzzies here, very graphic.

Hated It

I think this book is one of those that you have to be able to detach your personal reactions to the material.   I do believe this guy that these things happened and his descriptive writing is very well done, but the situations and people who populate this book are pretty detestable.  I also read his book Dry and it is a little more digestable and believable.

I read Running with Scissors ( as a book club read, a long time ago) & it turned me off this author. Then....my daughter began reading his other books & got me interested.  We just both finished reading Possible Side Effects & we enjoyed that.  His sense of humor is kind of like ours is...not everyone can relate, but he can be laugh out loud funny.

I loved it, and most of it didn't seem that far-fetched to me.  I think one's reaction might vary with one's perspective. My boyfriend and BFF agree with me but we were all raised by crazy people, so take this with a hefty grain of salt, and as Marilyn said above, perhaps we all find it validating.  I found lots of it to be very, very funny.

Incidentally, my BFF knew him and his (adoptive) family slightly, and they were completely notorious. 

I didn't hate it but didn't really like it. was just sort of weird.

I also had mixed feeling about this book, but I did read it.

I found it astonishing,disturbing and sometimes, utterly appalling.

I read it and found that his writing was witty and insightful, but portions of the behaviors of adults in this book were disturbing.  I did read the whole thing, and if you can read it w/knowing there are some topics of disturbance, I would say it is worth the effort.

i absolutely love this book, but i cant say that it was enjoyable, per se. reading about the terrible circumstances of the authors childhood was difficult and upsetting, but overall i found it a very cathartic experience once i finished it. there are very graphic descriptions of sexual and emotional abuse and of his mentally ill mother, but i dont think any of it was gratuitous or added for shock value. overall, i thought it was excellent and really turned me on to the authors other autobiographical works (number one amongst them being 'dry', which is hands down the best book on addiction ive ever read). its certainly disturbing, but quite good. ive recommended it to nearly everyone that i know.

I loved reading Augusten burroughs books. The subject matter is a bit disturbing, but he has a great writing style that makes the situations almost humorous and at times just plain ridiculous,

i read it and thought it was weird. it was a page turner for me. i saw the movie too.

Depends what you like I guess. I liked it, although it was pretty vulgar and gross in parts. It sort of reminded me of "Glass Castle" but even stranger. I don't know that I really believe a lot of it.

I LOVED it and I love him.  You certainly have to be in the "mood" I suppose for a book like this, but I just couldn't put it down.  Just knowing that it was non-fiction just wrenches your heart, but like a bad car accident I couldn't look away (or put it down).

I thought it was pretty good!!

I listened to the book read by the author. It was certainly an education for me about people and how complicated life can be. I  found that I was completely amazed at such a life that was lived and survived with success. The author has something valuable to share. His style of writing, reading for the audio book, and survival.

I began reading it and told my mother that I had a great book for her to read.  After reading more of it, more disturbing parts, I had to take back my recommendation.  This is not to say I didn't like the book.  I really actually enjoyed it.  I find the humor to be quite hilarious.  This turned me on to read all of his other books and I would recommend them  Dry was my favorite.