Running with Scissors

Running with Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs

Some of the extraordinary contents of this memoir are only made more captivating (or shocking) by the fact that the author is only in his very early teenage years during the majority of these events. However, sometimes it’s just nice to know that there are others out there worse off than you. And who better to remind you than someone whom Entertainment Weekly has named one of the fifteen funniest people in America?

After his parents’ divorce, Augusten’s father will not accept the charges on collect phone calls and therefore Augusten is left alone with his crazy mother. When his mother decides she is unfit to raise her son, she leaves Augusten in the care of her eccentric psychiatrist and his cuckoo family. This dysfunctional family consists of a kibble-eating wife; an overly devoted 28-year-old daughter that still lives at home and treats the Bible like a Magic 8 Ball; a rebel teenage girl yearning for a job at McDonald’s; a pedophile; many other peculiar extended and adopted siblings who pop in and out of the house; and finally the psychiatrist, who should really be the patient instead. Augusten is constantly pushed and pulled between the two worlds he sees himself in. There is the no-rules house he thought he wanted (full of dirty dishes, pet hair, cockroaches and last year’s needle-less Christmas tree and with an outside just as bad), where he is allowed to drink and smoke and miss months of school by faking an emotional breakdown. Or there is his mother’s apartment where Augusten is only a visitor interrupting her writing or psychotic episodes. In all of this mess, Augusten tries to find himself. He dreams to become many different things, ranging from an actor playing a doctor on television to the head of a hair care empire, but he doesn’t yet realize that his constant journal scribbling will lead to a future in writing. It is astonishing how much Augusten is involved with during this portion of his young life. Even at his young age, he realizes that he is gay, which is followed by sexual exploration. A strong friendship blossoms between Augusten and the psychiatrist’s daughter Natalie, leading to hilarious escapades like ripping apart the kitchen ceiling to build a skylight because they felt oppressed.

I was only slightly disturbed by this memoir every time that I was reminded how young Augusten is at this time and what that all meant, but the writing of this memoir was constantly entertaining. Some readers may find this memoir too explicit or crude, but the writing is as funny as it is emotional. There were as many times I was bursting out in laughter, as my mouth was open in awe. The ending makes it all worthwhile when Augusten realizes that he has a choice to make after some truths about those in his current life come to light. His decision will not disappoint you, but make you proud.

Overall, this was a good book. It was one I enjoyed reading for its unique plot and fascinating characters. I don’t think it will be making my personal top five, but I would definitely recommend it in the right situation.

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company.”
- Andre Gide