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A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father
A Wolf at the Table A Memoir of My Father
Author: Augusten Burroughs
The Instant New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller by the author of Running with Scissors — A Today Show Summer Reads PickWith A...  more », Augusten Burroughs takes a quantum leap: mining the emotional stratum of love and hate, and the unspeakably terrifying relationship between a father and a son. Told with unflinching emotion, A Wolf at the Table is a story for anyone who ever yearned for unconditional love from a parent. 
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ISBN-13: 9780312428273
ISBN-10: 0312428278
Publication Date: 3/31/2009
Pages: 256
Edition: 1
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 82

3.5 stars, based on 82 ratings
Publisher: Picador
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

bookreadera avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
Can I give it a negative star?

Disclaimer: A. If I hadn't had to review this, I never would have picked it up. I've only ever thrown 2 books in the dumpster and "Running With Scissors" was one of them. B. As a mental health professional, I'm biased in my interpretation of this work.

Often when I review a book I find myself typing "great story, just poorly written." Well, this is the opposite. It is well written. Self-serving load of crap. But well written. Two hundred and fifty pages of self-indulgent, that can't possibly be true, garbage.
pinkshoes avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
This book is about the author's absent relationship with his father. Everything right down to the way he pronounced "dad" is shocking. It definitely will make you feel better about any strained relationship you are in.

It incorporates a completely different aspect of his childhood and adolescence unseen in his other books. If you are a fan of his you'll see some of the same events from previous books written with a different focus.

I wouldn't recommend it as something to start with because it has a different tone, but the subject has a different tone too.
Erinyes avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 279 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
This is easily one of the most disturbing books i've ever read. I have to agree with another reviewer that it is very self-serving. I got the feeling the whole time that Augusten was writing the whole time thinking that everyone would love him more for his terrible childhood. That he would finally get the love and attention that is his due. That the world owes him. It seems to be a theme in his work.

I think that if it is a true portrait of his childhood, then he is just exactly like his father.
noisynora avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 130 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This was a good book . . . HOWEVER, if you are a first-time reader of Burroughs, I would not suggest it as the one to start with. Try DRY or RUNNING WITH SCISSORS first. It will give you an insight as to who Burroughs is and his background; then try this book. It's good and revealing of the author, but very dark (probably theraputic for him), but to be honest, if I had started with this book, I wouldn't have read any others. Don't make that mistake - he's too bright of an author to be dismissed. Give POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS a spin first.
mrsb avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 78 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Well, this is the latest part of the author's life. This one deals with his relationship with his father and seems to all have taken place BEFORE Running With Scissors.

I had now read all of his books and I really admired the first few, but these last few (Possible Side Effects annd A Wolf At The Table) I found myself saying ... Yeesh, enough is enough. Don't get me wrong, he has a BEAUTIFUL and TALENTED writing ability, but maybe he should try to write something else than his supposed life's story. (I only say "supposed" because of what I found out about Possible Side Effects from an almost hidden note from the author himself in the book ... how a lot of it was embellished and even some characters were somple made up ...)

Although, I like his writing style, I think this will be the last book on Augusten Burroughs life that he writes ...
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portabellopig avatar reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 40 more book reviews
So, I'm giving this a 4 star review for a couple of reasons:

-I expected a very different collection based on Burrough's other books. Don't get me wrong; it's nice to see versatility from an author. But as a regular reader, I feel a little side-swiped, as it were. 3 stars here.

-The stories themselves are well written and engaging. 4 stars there.

-Being a child of an alcoholic father and emotionally abusive mother, these stories definitely hit home for me. What impressed me most was not just Burrough's honesty (because let's face it: its never easy to talk about your family's dirty, nasty, skeletal laundry) but the general tone of forgiveness that carries throughout. I don't know if it is due to the author beng able to forgive or being able to emotionally remove himself to a third party stance; either way I'm impressed. 5 stars for bravery.
reviewed A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father on + 48 more book reviews
WOW - Look up the definition of "disturbing" and this book SHOULD be pictured. Or maybe the author's father. How anyone could survive a childhood like he described and still manage to function at all is beyond me.

This was a well-written, interesting book. It definitely lends insight into Buroughs'es other book, specifically "Running with Scissors". Anyone who has read and enjoyed his other works NEEDS to read this and get the back story. Be prepared to become fully engrossed and lose some sleep.


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