Helpful Score: 2
First off, my book is not posted so I am not trying to get you to order it.
I was caught up in this story. Anyone who is an adult child of an alcoholic will see their own absurdities in these pages. What I enjoyed most was the author never feels sorry for herself. There is compassion and I suspect at times she kept the less attractive matters private, however, that does not diminish the story in anyway.
Her stories are riveting, she admires her father's stories hence the title, "The Liar's Club" a group of buddies, he was a part throughout his life. Mary Marlene got his genes for story telling ability.
Almost as good as "Change Me Into Zeus' Daughter" or "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight".
I was caught up in this story. Anyone who is an adult child of an alcoholic will see their own absurdities in these pages. What I enjoyed most was the author never feels sorry for herself. There is compassion and I suspect at times she kept the less attractive matters private, however, that does not diminish the story in anyway.
Her stories are riveting, she admires her father's stories hence the title, "The Liar's Club" a group of buddies, he was a part throughout his life. Mary Marlene got his genes for story telling ability.
Almost as good as "Change Me Into Zeus' Daughter" or "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight".
It was hard to believe this was a true story based on the children's experience.
Helpful Score: 1
Very well written, some sad stories, some happy. She wrote the stories the way she remembered them, and then told how her sister remembered the same event.
Helpful Score: 1
This is an excellent book.
The author tells vivid stories of her childhood. This book made me cry in parts and made me laugh out loud in others. Though she uses her adult perspective to retell the stories, the voice is her as a child. It is uncomplicated and unencumbered.
If you liked Angela's Ashes, you'll like this book.
The author tells vivid stories of her childhood. This book made me cry in parts and made me laugh out loud in others. Though she uses her adult perspective to retell the stories, the voice is her as a child. It is uncomplicated and unencumbered.
If you liked Angela's Ashes, you'll like this book.
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely loved this book. It's no surprise it was on the NY Times Bestseller list for such a long time. Mary Karr relates her memoir in a unsentimental, straightforward way that it calls to mind the plain-speaking, frank nature of East Texas people. A beautifully written book - it's rich descriptions were melodic, visual and swept me away into her family drama. I loved my time there.
Wonderful book. Extremely well written.
A fascinating account of a most dysfunctional childhood. You'll marvel at the survivor finesse of the author. The sequel, Cherry, continues the memoir through the author's teenage years.
Incredible memoir of a turbulent childhood, fascinating and compelling, hilarious and sad, a true masterpiece. I read this after reading "Lit," so I went out of order, but it made no difference in terms of reader enjoyment. Made me appreciate my relatively normal upbringing, but left me longing to know some of the real-life characters Mary Karr describes in the book. Karr redefines "family" in this memoir.
"A triumphant achievement in the art of memoir and in the art of living....Karr fills ter turbulent pages with a prose as pungent and zesty as a Gulf Coast gumbo." -- Newsday
Poet & Pushcart award winning author.
Poet & Pushcart award winning author.
Yuck. Took me nowhere...way overrated. I had to stop in the middle of the book. Boring.
A must read!
I love Mary Karr! The Liars' Club is funny, sad, honest, believable and unbelievable, all at the same time.
I no longer have my copy, to my great sorrow.
Follow this great read up with the sequel, Cherry.
I no longer have my copy, to my great sorrow.
Follow this great read up with the sequel, Cherry.
Good memoir of a tough gal!
ISBN 10 is actually a paperback.
I was hoping it would be as good as Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle, but it wasn't. Karr did a terrific job of remembering her childhood, and she has more details about her life in the first chapter than I could remember from my entire childhood. I'm impressed that she recalled (and researched) so much.
The book is called "The Liars' Club" because that's what the group of friends that her father knew called themselves, so I was expecting some revelation about her father or his friends. In the end, I don't think Karr understood her parents -- which is understandable, given their craziness. But if she couldn't understand what makes them tick, I wish she had written more about what their craziness meant to her in her understanding of herself. I came away thinking that this book was an interesting series of events, but not much in the way of analysis. It didn't satisfy me.
The book is called "The Liars' Club" because that's what the group of friends that her father knew called themselves, so I was expecting some revelation about her father or his friends. In the end, I don't think Karr understood her parents -- which is understandable, given their craziness. But if she couldn't understand what makes them tick, I wish she had written more about what their craziness meant to her in her understanding of herself. I came away thinking that this book was an interesting series of events, but not much in the way of analysis. It didn't satisfy me.
