The Glass Castle A Memoir

Perceptual, yet Provoking This book was very interesting. I'm not sure if this would be the first recommendation to a friend if asked what they should read. However, I did feel that I couldn't put it down. The family is outrageous and eccentric at the least, and this true story is almost too good to be real. The family seems to live in poverty and is always on the run, yet life could be...more

Perceptual, yet Provoking This book was very interesting. I'm not sure if this would be the first recommendation to a friend if asked what they should read. However, I did feel that I couldn't put it down. The family is outrageous and eccentric at the least, and this true story is almost too good to be real. The family seems to live in poverty and is always on the run, yet life could be better if the children were left with parents who knew how to apply a work ethic. It definitely made me feel extreme emotions, most of which were outrage, disbelief, and disgust. The ending was neatly tied together, with a few exceptions. There is room to wonder about the mother and siblings in this absolutely shocking read. I would love to ask the author if this memoir is all fact or if some memories were altered in any way. Overall, I feel I learned alot about the realities (hopefully) of poverty in this country. I also think that this read made me think beyond my comfort zone, but I may choose a lighter text for my next major reading adventure.   hide

liar.I'm sorry, but what a bunch of suckers!Has no one out there ever been poor or hungry? Hungry children become wildly inventive in the art of finding food and money - these kids never do.No matter how well a family hides it's horrors - someone usually notices - even if they are of no real help. Authorities get called by neighbors, other children's parents, teachers, etc. etc. ...more

liar.I'm sorry, but what a bunch of suckers!Has no one out there ever been poor or hungry? Hungry children become wildly inventive in the art of finding food and money - these kids never do.No matter how well a family hides it's horrors - someone usually notices - even if they are of no real help. Authorities get called by neighbors, other children's parents, teachers, etc. etc. There is never anyone that comes forward or any explanation as to how the family handled those situations in this book - which was another sign for me that this is untrue.I'm not saying Walls didn't have a crap life - but she is most def. telling whoppers to make her story sound good.Ever been to the zoo? There are people watching that you don't touch the animals? and what would you do if you saw someone lead thier kid to a cage? tell someone right? this book is a bunch of bull.   hide

This book makes me feel very sorry for Jeannette Walls. She had to endure so many hard times in her early life, all because of parents who wanted to live freely. More often than not, they chose what was right for themselves rather than what was right for their children. Unfortunately, Jeannette got the brunt of those decisions. She, along with her three siblings, were forced to move over and over...more

This book makes me feel very sorry for Jeannette Walls. She had to endure so many hard times in her early life, all because of parents who wanted to live freely. More often than not, they chose what was right for themselves rather than what was right for their children. Unfortunately, Jeannette got the brunt of those decisions. She, along with her three siblings, were forced to move over and over again, to keep restarting their lives, and do it all with virtually nothing to their names. The story of how their parents threw them in the back of a UHaul van and drove across the country was very troublesome to me. However, her writing is a good example of the all true phrase - whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Ms. Walls has done an excellent job recounting these events with incredible detail. I recommend this book, but also advise readers to be prepared for sadness while they read.   hide

I absolutely loved this book! The Walls' children really did have a completely ghastly upbringing, but you don't feel sorry for them for even a minute. There were times I was gasping and incredibly furious with both her mother and her father, but Jeannette writes the story of her childhood in a way that helps the reader to understand it was her past that has made her the person she is today....more

I absolutely loved this book! The Walls' children really did have a completely ghastly upbringing, but you don't feel sorry for them for even a minute. There were times I was gasping and incredibly furious with both her mother and her father, but Jeannette writes the story of her childhood in a way that helps the reader to understand it was her past that has made her the person she is today. Growing up on the road running from her father's imaginary demons (the unions, the mob, the FBI, you name it) created some incredibly brilliant and resilient children who learned life lessons the hard way, but they all become successful in their own right. Some things can not be bought by money and one of those things is a degree from the school of hard knocks. This is an incredible memoir that will live with me forever, a must read!   hide

The Glass Castle is an amazing memoir of the life of the author , Jennette,whose family is absolutely dysfunctional ( well that's what most of us would think!!! ), opposite of what you would ever believe is good parenting, nomadic , lacking in what the so called families would want to believe that life should be about. At one point of time you almost feel sorry for the author and want...more

The Glass Castle is an amazing memoir of the life of the author , Jennette,whose family is absolutely dysfunctional ( well that's what most of us would think!!! ), opposite of what you would ever believe is good parenting, nomadic , lacking in what the so called families would want to believe that life should be about. At one point of time you almost feel sorry for the author and want to feel bad about her childhood....but by the time you finish the book you realize that Jeannette had absolutely no self pity , her childhood has been full of learnings of such a wide variety and the family bond is much stronger than that of the "so called normal families". Let me give you a little peak into her life...her father is an alcoholic but most brilliant and imaginative who teaches them physics, geology and lessons of life that you will not learn in a school. Her mother is a free spirited woman who does not like the idea of domesticity but still teaches her children to take care of themselves and love their lives. Jeanette and her siblings went for days without food, living in rags, without a bath , untreated wounds and without heating in the house when it was freezing outside...but then they just learn how to deal with situations and you realize that why do we create such a fuss about all this. But they have all grown up to be extremely successful individuals loving and respecting each other just the way they are Read this book and it will change your view about what normal is !!!   hide

Jeannette Walls is a pillar of strength and resilience and intelligence. Her story is riveting, not at all whiny and well worth reading; I loved her memoir and cheered her on the entire way through. Her parents needed to be institutionalized, in my opinion: her father for alcoholism and her mother for her manic / depressive episodes. I am not sure how this poor child could have escaped any...more

Jeannette Walls is a pillar of strength and resilience and intelligence. Her story is riveting, not at all whiny and well worth reading; I loved her memoir and cheered her on the entire way through. Her parents needed to be institutionalized, in my opinion: her father for alcoholism and her mother for her manic / depressive episodes. I am not sure how this poor child could have escaped any department of youth and family services, however, and I am left wondering how broken the system really is. You will be left wanting to feed your children comfort foods, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and wishing for a Disney film as a antedote; but this inspiring author whose strength is mind boggling will leave you with hope.   hide

I didn't expect to like this book. But it tells an amazing story. Jeannette Walls, writer and regular contributor to MSNBC.com relates her memoir of growing up with wholly dysfunctional parents. With an alcoholic, dishonest, destructive father, and neglectful, selfish, mentally ill mother, the Walls children learned to take care of themselves, feed, clothe, protect and sacrifice for each...more

I didn't expect to like this book. But it tells an amazing story. Jeannette Walls, writer and regular contributor to MSNBC.com relates her memoir of growing up with wholly dysfunctional parents. With an alcoholic, dishonest, destructive father, and neglectful, selfish, mentally ill mother, the Walls children learned to take care of themselves, feed, clothe, protect and sacrifice for each other. Despite overwhelming odds, they found their way to New York to become independent, accomplished adults. Well written and quite compelling.   hide

Loved this book. Gave 2 copies away as gifts. Talk about dysfunctional family! Yet what the parents lacked in traditional parenting skills, they somehow made up for in other ways. Dragging their children around the countryside to give them 'real life' education; waking them up to take the kids outside to look at the star constellations... I liked the father and his relationship with the...more

Loved this book. Gave 2 copies away as gifts. Talk about dysfunctional family! Yet what the parents lacked in traditional parenting skills, they somehow made up for in other ways. Dragging their children around the countryside to give them 'real life' education; waking them up to take the kids outside to look at the star constellations... I liked the father and his relationship with the children, although he was an alcoholic. The mother I had less use for. She was very weak, selfishly wrapped up in 'her art' and badly neglected her children. The poverty was staggering, but the children were so resilient and smart. This is a fabulous book. I look forward to reading Jeanette Wall's next book.   hide

This is a true story (hence the word "memoir" in the title)about the author Jeanette Walls' childhood with a very unconventional mother, alcoholic but borderline-brilliant father and 2 siblings. Constant moves, destitute living conditions,and her father's big plans to build them a mansion one day (the glass castle) pepper her childhood years. As the reader,...more

This is a true story (hence the word "memoir" in the title)about the author Jeanette Walls' childhood with a very unconventional mother, alcoholic but borderline-brilliant father and 2 siblings. Constant moves, destitute living conditions,and her father's big plans to build them a mansion one day (the glass castle) pepper her childhood years. As the reader, you are taken with her as she escapes it all in search of a better life, which she eventually finds, as do her siblings. Her parents never quite get there. It is one of the hardest books to put down that I have ever read. Jeannette Walls must be very talented and very brave as a writer to bare her soul the way she does in this book. I will definitely be looking for more of her books. This will forever be a favorite of mine.   hide