Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 46-50 of 50
 An Autobiography that Reads Like a Novel August 29, 2008
Nancy Muller (Lake Tahoe, CA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm really not much on non-fiction, but this book reads like a novel. Incredible what this woman went through as a child. Just shows the resiliency of children. So well written; you can picture every place and detail that is described. A book you won't want to put down, and will pass on to others.
Fantastic brave memoir of a life of abuse August 25, 2008
Christina Lockstein (Oconto Falls, WI USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall is the type of book that makes you want to give your parents a hug and thank them for being such wonderful parents, no matter how bad they were. Wall was raised by free spirits who want their children to become toughened by life and believe firmly in survival of the fittest. Her mother wants to be an artist and not to be bothered by the inconvenience of feeding and caring for her children. Her father is brilliantly smart but also a vicious drunk. Every time I thought that her childhood couldn't get any worse, I would turn the page. Which is worse? The Christmas he lit the entire Christmas tree on fire (on purpose) destroying their presents or the time he chased his pregnant wife with the car through the desert at night until he pinned her against a rock wall. Wall's story of perserverance through adversity is inspiring and amazing. You can't help but admire the courage it took to survive what she did and accomplish everything she has since. The sick thing about the book. I finished it last night, and today I realized I was a bit sad that I didn't have any more of their crazy life stories to read about!
Captivating August 25, 2008
kat (Arlington, VA United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really liked this book. I felt completely sucked-in to the story. I found it to be well-written, and thoroughly entertaining. The characters are deep and well-developed. I highly recommend this novel; it's a great read!
Some scenarios in the book are outlandish/unrealistic. Additionally I had a hard time accepting that Jeannette would behave the way she did toward the end of the book, but overall I still give it 5 stars.
WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK! August 24, 2008
Nicole Beausejour (Hingham, MA United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This story is truly a must read. Jeannette Walls writes an incredible story of courage and triumph! I love that a majority of the book was written from her viewpoint as a child...it makes the story that much more real and honest. I fell in love with all the characters, and yes, even her father and mother.
This book is sensational!
terrific book, repulsive human beings August 21, 2008
J. M Ullman (Falmouth, ME USA)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
my son was assigned this as a "coming of age" book for 9th grade, and I was absolutely outraged. The language is vulgar and coarse. I was prepared to hate it. He asked me to read it and it is spectacular. But the emotions it generated were really intense, and frankly the parents are beyond defensible; they are not dysfunctional; they were sick, repulsive, narcissistic, paranoid, shameful and neglectful. In fact, words fail me. They were that despicable. I kept hoping a chapter would end with a kid pushing a parent into a river or setting them on fire. Oh, sure, Dad occasionally gave 'em some good insight or information about the universe or mankind, but put enough monkeys in a room with enough paper and typewriters....and the mother was even worse. Both parent's essentially pimped their kids for room, board, and gambling money. I've never had such emotions of anger and disgust about parenting. What sets this off is that usually there's one functional but co-dependent family member creating some attempt at normalcy. In this case, nothing like it. What an amazing testimony to the resilience and internal strength of these kids.
Read it. (just best let your kid read it when they are late high school or college!)
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