From the Bookshelf of Bookmarks Subscribers …
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
By Stephanie · 15 posts · 95 views
By Stephanie · 15 posts · 95 views
last updated Jan 27, 2011 05:14PM
showing 1 of 1 topics
view all »
Other topics mentioning this book
(June/July 2011) Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
By Lisa · 12 posts · 45 views
By Lisa · 12 posts · 45 views
last updated Nov 30, 2011 08:58AM
What Members Thought
"Being homeless is an adventure," Walls's mom used to say. In her extraordinary memoir, Walls recalls her nomadic life with surprising affection__though she would not want to relive it. The title, which derives from her father's dream house, serves as an apt metaphor for the Walls' fragility. Yet Walls sheds no tears nor succumbs to self-pity__she probably learned early on they would get her nowhere. Instead of condemning her parents' foibles, she unblinkingly examines how they transformed hards
...more
I really enjoyed this book. It's about children who grow up in a very different type of abusive household. This book is not about physical child abuse; it's about pure neglect, and how the children each turned out based upon this upbringing. It's a sad story, but quite uplifitng and hopeful, as well. A great read for anyone.
...more
A heartfelt, yet disturbing memoir.
BIT OF A SPOILER ALERT.
Get out your DSM IV-TR, people. This book requires it.
Dad: Drunk, child of drunks, likely sex abuse victim, and a paranoid streak about 14 miles wide.
Mom: Depressed co-dependent who never grew past age 13.
I know she did her best to put a human face on her parents. And I see the humanity. But it in no way excused them. Am I the only one who wanted to just yell at them, "What the hell is wrong with you!!!! You had kids. You HAVE TO FEED THEM!!!" Her mother's decision that s ...more
Get out your DSM IV-TR, people. This book requires it.
Dad: Drunk, child of drunks, likely sex abuse victim, and a paranoid streak about 14 miles wide.
Mom: Depressed co-dependent who never grew past age 13.
I know she did her best to put a human face on her parents. And I see the humanity. But it in no way excused them. Am I the only one who wanted to just yell at them, "What the hell is wrong with you!!!! You had kids. You HAVE TO FEED THEM!!!" Her mother's decision that s ...more
I was given this book to read by a friend/therapist. She said that I would like it and connect with it. And that I did on many levels, which is probably the reason why I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Jeannette Wall's tells of her childhood growing up and the ups and downs of an unstable family life with a father that drinks a lot and a mother who is self absorption...Mrs Wall's displays that in life you can either follow in the paths of the "unhealthiness" and sometimes "toxic" upbringing or y ...more
Jeannette Wall's tells of her childhood growing up and the ups and downs of an unstable family life with a father that drinks a lot and a mother who is self absorption...Mrs Wall's displays that in life you can either follow in the paths of the "unhealthiness" and sometimes "toxic" upbringing or y ...more
I am not really sure what to say about the book. I am not even sure if i really liked it. There was not much emotion in the book, just a list of things that happened to her and not all of them believable - how can a 3 year old remember so much... details, conversations etc but not really any feelings? I think maybe 2.5 stars would be what I could rate it if I could.
Those poor pitiful people--- I have thought and thought about this book-- should be 4.5 stars. I cannot imagine growing up like they did. This book definitely gave me a different answer to the question of homelessness. My perceptions were changed by this book
What an amazing childhood these children had. It's a wonder how they turned out to lead 'normal life' and rather successful at that. I still wonder, though, what happend to the younger sister, Maureen (i think that was her name).
...more
I am still unsure about my thoughts on this book. The author seemed quite removed from what had happened to her in her life. The book lacked emotion for me, as if the author was writing about someone else and not her own life.
For some reason I love good memoirs and this one was very compelling.
Excellent memoir!
