Wednesday, December 13, 2006
book report: The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
by Jeannette Walls
This book blew my mind. I knew Jeannette Walls by name from her gossip column at MSNBC.com. But I had NO IDEA that her childhood was so incredibly bizarre.
Walls' parents were, ah, eccentric to say the least. They kept their family on the move all the time, saying something vague about "the tax man" or "the government". The family lived in serious poverty, often going without food or shoes because they couldn't afford to buy them. Surprisingly, the parents were not uneducated or incapable of supporting themselves - they were more like hippies out on the road. They taught their kids to appreciate art and books, but often made them change schools multiple times in the school year.
It's fascinating to read about this family's extremely unconventional, sometimes upsetting lifestyle, and how Wells went on to become conventionally successful as a journalist. I found myself angry with the parents, who were so phenomenally self-centered and devoted to their "ideals" that they subjected their children to awful conditions and deprivation. And yet, one factor that keeps coming up throughout the story is that the family members genuinely love each other. In most scenarios I would say that genuine family love is more important than anything, but in this case... I don't know.
Anyway. Good read. I recommend it.
by Jeannette Walls
This book blew my mind. I knew Jeannette Walls by name from her gossip column at MSNBC.com. But I had NO IDEA that her childhood was so incredibly bizarre.
Walls' parents were, ah, eccentric to say the least. They kept their family on the move all the time, saying something vague about "the tax man" or "the government". The family lived in serious poverty, often going without food or shoes because they couldn't afford to buy them. Surprisingly, the parents were not uneducated or incapable of supporting themselves - they were more like hippies out on the road. They taught their kids to appreciate art and books, but often made them change schools multiple times in the school year.
It's fascinating to read about this family's extremely unconventional, sometimes upsetting lifestyle, and how Wells went on to become conventionally successful as a journalist. I found myself angry with the parents, who were so phenomenally self-centered and devoted to their "ideals" that they subjected their children to awful conditions and deprivation. And yet, one factor that keeps coming up throughout the story is that the family members genuinely love each other. In most scenarios I would say that genuine family love is more important than anything, but in this case... I don't know.
Anyway. Good read. I recommend it.
Labels: book reports
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I read this and wondered how on earth she is a functioning, accountable, productive adult? So much of what we learn in nursing talks about modeling and mental illness/alcoholism being hereditary. This book was indeed jaw-dropping to me.
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