Book Review: The Glass Castle

A painful, chilling tale of childhood as told by MSNBC contributor Jeanette Walls is a story about kids braving the world almost alone. The parents in this memoir are almost out of a story book or movie. Mom, the artist, the free-spirit, wanted her children to tough-it and learn lessons the hard way even letting her family starve all while focusing on her non-profitable artist career. Dad, the brilliant, scientist, alcoholic nomad of a dude was in and out of the house, drunk, abusive, and manipulative to a fault. Memoirs told by children of troubled households are equally troubling to read because you find yourself constantly wanting to shake the shit out of the kids and say, "run!", "leave!", "move away!" but then you ask yourself whether it's an easy thing to do - moving away from one's parents.

Often throughout my reading experience, I was annoyed and frustrated by both the story and the characters in The Glass Castle and I often mistook the feeling as disgust for the book itself. Upon reflection, the book is depressing and amazing, an unbelievable account of growing up with a screwed up family in the most horrifying and at the same time loving of situations. From molestation to starvation, running from bill collectors to fighting neighborhood bullies, The Glass Castle is a harrowing tale of suffering and success, love and disappointment and I personally love to hate it.