2008 Woodie Awards
Augusten Burroughs' Running With Scissors Captivates
Courtney Roy
Issue date: 12/8/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Running with Scissors, the memoir of Augusten Burroughs, tells the often absurd story of his childhood living between his mentally ill mother and the family of her unorthodox psychiatrist. Though the events may seem difficult to believe at times, Burroughs' wit and natural style of storytelling makes this book nearly impossible to put down.
The story opens with Burroughs watching his mother, a poet, get ready to attend a reading of her poetry. On the surface, things seem completely normal until she leaves, and Burroughs retreats to the solitude of his room. From here forward, readers know that they are in store for much more. His parents then seek the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, to repair their dysfunctional marriage. Burroughs' mother immediately connects with Dr. Finch, and they develop a strong bond. By the time that Burroughs is twelve, his mother can no longer see herself raising a child, so she puts him under the care of Dr. Finch and his family, living in an old, decrepit Victorian home with no rules and several other patients. The Finch family is truly unlike any other people that he had ever been in contact with, and despite his previous feelings, he relaxes around them, and allows himself to accept his circumstances.
Readers immediately connect with Burroughs, and are able to see his love of the ridiculous and keen observations from the onset. It is in his careful selection of details and descriptions that Burroughs is able to best showcase his creativity. He speaks to readers as though they are his close friends, which is one of the most refreshing aspects of the book. Never does Burroughs put on any airs-he simply tells his story as it happened, in all of its absurdity.
The New York Times Book Review says that it "Promotes visceral responses (of laughter, wincing, retching) on nearly every page...funny and rich with child's eye details of adults who have gone off the rails." Although Burroughs is coming to terms with who he is and his situation throughout the story, he seems to be an observer, caught in the midst of the insanity around him. He is well aware that there is little that he can do to change the way that his life is going, so he does what he can to survive, ultimately finding himself and happiness.
Spending much of his time alone, he records the events of his life in great detail, and though he is not aware of it at the time, this is his real source of comfort. Throughout all of the trials and tribulations, he continues to write incessantly. With the aspiration to become the next Vidal Sassoon as a child, it is clear that he thinks of his writing as nothing special, but as readers witness in this memoir, he has a gift for bringing the words on a page to life. Quitting school in his teens, and eventually earning his GED, Burroughs is a perfect example of one who goes against the grain, lives as he feels is best, and ultimately finds success.
The story opens with Burroughs watching his mother, a poet, get ready to attend a reading of her poetry. On the surface, things seem completely normal until she leaves, and Burroughs retreats to the solitude of his room. From here forward, readers know that they are in store for much more. His parents then seek the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, to repair their dysfunctional marriage. Burroughs' mother immediately connects with Dr. Finch, and they develop a strong bond. By the time that Burroughs is twelve, his mother can no longer see herself raising a child, so she puts him under the care of Dr. Finch and his family, living in an old, decrepit Victorian home with no rules and several other patients. The Finch family is truly unlike any other people that he had ever been in contact with, and despite his previous feelings, he relaxes around them, and allows himself to accept his circumstances.
Readers immediately connect with Burroughs, and are able to see his love of the ridiculous and keen observations from the onset. It is in his careful selection of details and descriptions that Burroughs is able to best showcase his creativity. He speaks to readers as though they are his close friends, which is one of the most refreshing aspects of the book. Never does Burroughs put on any airs-he simply tells his story as it happened, in all of its absurdity.
The New York Times Book Review says that it "Promotes visceral responses (of laughter, wincing, retching) on nearly every page...funny and rich with child's eye details of adults who have gone off the rails." Although Burroughs is coming to terms with who he is and his situation throughout the story, he seems to be an observer, caught in the midst of the insanity around him. He is well aware that there is little that he can do to change the way that his life is going, so he does what he can to survive, ultimately finding himself and happiness.
Spending much of his time alone, he records the events of his life in great detail, and though he is not aware of it at the time, this is his real source of comfort. Throughout all of the trials and tribulations, he continues to write incessantly. With the aspiration to become the next Vidal Sassoon as a child, it is clear that he thinks of his writing as nothing special, but as readers witness in this memoir, he has a gift for bringing the words on a page to life. Quitting school in his teens, and eventually earning his GED, Burroughs is a perfect example of one who goes against the grain, lives as he feels is best, and ultimately finds success.