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Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Running with Scissors A Memoir
Author: Augusten Burroughs
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophi...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780312938857
ISBN-10: 0312938853
Publication Date: 8/29/2006
Pages: 352
Edition: Reprint
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 532

3.5 stars, based on 532 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

kben avatar reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
I don't think it's fair to write this book off due to "ick" factor.

It's a memoir. This is someone's life. Augusten Burroughs presents an era of his life, the way he perceived it at the time. If you read his later work, you understand that he views the time period that spans the length of this particular book to be a series of very bizarre experiences that he does not consider normal.

But that's the beauty of Running with Scissors. It's the story of a young man who is thrown into the oddest of situations, some of which, yes, are incredibly disturbing. But, as in all of his work, it's Burroughs's dark sense of humor that carries through.
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I always enjoy books were I am reminded that my childhood was not as unusual as other people. This memoir is a candid collection of stories about a mother with mental illness, an alcoholic father and the Finch's. It never ceases to amaze me what happens behind closed doors!
PaganAngel avatar reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I'm in the (mental health) field, and enjoyed this immensely. From what I've heard, it's a bit rougher for those who are less familiar with the ins and outs of mental illness.
SuzanneB avatar reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on
Helpful Score: 4
Extremely graphic (sexually explicit) memoir of a boy raised in a world without limits. Funny and shocking. Strong narrative voice. People under age 35 might not "get" some of the pop culture references. Brave biographical tale. Page-turner.
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This book is written in a very emotionally detached way so that it seemed even more disturbing than if it had been another "poor me" tale. It's horrific to read about the childhood Mr. Burroughs had, but it is refreshing to have it told in a humorous rather than ranting way. He has every reason to be bitter about how things happened when he was growing up, but he chooses not to.
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reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 22 more book reviews
Didn't enjoy this book at all. Didn't get the point- was there a point?
sharalli avatar reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 16 more book reviews
Great book. It took me a minute to get into it.. but once I did, it was quite a ride. Funny & horrifying all at the same time. Each chapter focuses on a specific event or series of events that occured during his childhood, starting from about 11-12 years old, and ending at 17. As far as memoirs go.. this one will probably be the most interesting one you'll ever read.

I'm looking forward to watching the movie -- although I'm sure there's LOTS that will be left out.
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 8 more book reviews
Good book. i didn't see the movie. The book was a little weird. I like David Sadaris better, but still a good read.
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 15 more book reviews
worthless
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 77 more book reviews
Wow. Just finished this. Have just requested his next book. I have a feeling I won't be forgetting Augusten or his unconventional, and sad in many ways, childhood. What a skilled writer he is, despite not finishing school. Just goes to show, we all have different talents and we learn in different ways. Schools are not set up for alternative learners. Felt very bad about the parents he was dealt, the sex predator who stole his childhood, and most of all - the sham therapist who made a living "helping" people, but probably caused a lifetime of problems in his wake.
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 3 more book reviews
This was one of the best books I've ever read. A heart rentching story told by the person who went through it so hillariously! His follow up book "Dry" was even funnier, has been requested by me and has already been sent out. If you want a real story, told in a fashion that leaves you laughing, get these two books!
reviewed Running with Scissors: A Memoir on + 32 more book reviews
Bizzarre. Even more bizzarre when you remember that it's all true.


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