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4.4/5
20 reviews
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls Reviews
#681 in Books

Description

Publisher's Description:
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children''s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.


    Reviews and Ratings

    100% OF CHICKS DIG IT

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    4.3/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 28, 2012

    I borrowed this book from my mom a few years back and read the entire thing fairly quickly. This was a great read. I really enjoyed the way Jeannette Walls went about describing her life. It definitely tugged at my heartstrings, and was a very moving memoir.

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    4.7/5
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    June 28, 2012

    I picked up this book I few years ago on a whim. I always find myself coming back to reread it. Jeannette Walls' story is one of pure courage. It left me feeling very grateful for my own life and magical childhood expereinces I was able to have. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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    4.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    January 23, 2012

    Great book, very emotional. This is not a typical genre for me, but I still enjoyed it. Easy to read and visualize.

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    4.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    October 07, 2011

    This is one of the best books that I've ever read.

    I absolutely loved it.

    I have no complaints about it at all, other than the fact that I wanted it to continue on forever.

    The writer doesn't hold anything back and evokes so much emotion in the reader.

    Beautifully written, and would definately recommend it to anyone who enjoys non-fiction!

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    5.0/5
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    August 13, 2010

    I love love loved this book. I started reading it before bed one night and stayed up untill 5 am reading the thing. I just couldn't put it down. I was dissapointed when it ended, I just didn't want it to stop it was do good. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

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    4.8/5
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    June 11, 2010

    I saw Jeannette Walls on the Craig Ferguson show and was impressed with her warmth, sass, and humor.

    She was promoting her next book after the "The Glass Castle" but she made a few references to it during her interview. I ran out to buy it immediately but only read it a few weeks ago.

    This memoir is pretty shocking, it tells of neglect and poverty, but it also highlights the many good moments of Jeannette's childhood. The brilliance and creativity of her parents are revealed even as she tells of their inability to cope in the world.

    Her characters are real people, and they are portrayed as such. They are neither heros nor villains, but rather imperfect people who get lost inspite of good intentions. Jeannette's voice in this memoir, that of a child and young adult, also makes this story seem real and tangible. Jeannette isn't telling a sob story, she's just telling it like she saw it.

    I loved this book, and I read it within a day.
    You won't be dissappointed.

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    3.8/5
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    June 01, 2010

    I had been meaning to read this book for quite some time by the time that I finally got around to it. It isn't an overly well known book, but with the raw honestly that it contains it definitely should work it's way up on many people's lists.
    The content in this book makes you stop and think about how impactful a childhood really is. The insight that Walls brings to her own life story is phenomenal to say the least. This book isn't a feel good novel, but shows the realities of the messiness of life.
    I have to admit that I do love a good memoir, there's something about leaning about people's own lives, all the seemingly insignificant details that you later realize are a crucial part to your own story. This would definitely be one of my top recommended memoires.

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    3.3/5
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    February 01, 2010

    Im not usually into the whole memoir ordeal. It wasnt until the end of the book did I start to enjoy the read. Not so much of a favoured for me but, it would be a good read if your into memoirs. The storyline is so disfunctional that you would think its fiction. Compelling in ways but I felt it was mostly dry and overly emotional. While I do believed that Jeanette Walls is truly strong for being calm in a strong breeze, I find it hard to believe that she remembers every little detail about her life, so much, It sometimes seemed even exaggerated.

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    3.7/5
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    December 28, 2009

    Enjoyed her style. I understand she has a new one out . Can hardly wait to read it.

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    5.0/5
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    Anonymous
    January 31, 2007

    You may know Jeannette Walls from her MSNBC gossip column. She recently decided to write about her life and where she came from. Like Burroughs, she had some extremely hard times, including having an alcoholic father and living a life of poverty since she can remember. This woman is so strong after everything that she has seen and experienced in her life, it's just unbelievable.

    I never really read many memoirs before until Running With Scissors. When my mother recommended this I just had to read it. I kept having to remind myself that this was, in fact, a memoir, because it is so sad and unexpected. Walls paints a picture that I couldn't even imagine in my dreams. This isn't a way to talk bad about her parents or where she came from; she wrote it because she says she felt like a "fake", living a life of success, when she knows where she came from. I really can't explain this book, you just have to read it.

    I want to use examples to show you how sad/unbelievable things are, but I really don't want to ruin anything for you.

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