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What are readers saying about The Glass Castle A Memoir?
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-28 07:26:15.
(Language: English)
 
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. 
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Donna posted a review at 2009-09-02 06:23:49.
(Language: English)
This is an amazing story of a real family in which children are the heroes. I picked it up with some trepepidation since it is a memoir of a daughter growing up in a family consisting of an alcholholic father who is a genious; a codependent, irresponsible mother; and living in dire poverty, in large part because of the mother's selfishness/narcism. Jeannette Walls writes so beatifully that I had to keep telling myself "this is not fiction." But the courage, ingenuity and triumph of the children is the heart of the story and what keeps you turning the pages. I read this one, in what is for me, in record time.I had to keep thinking of the West Virgina / Appalachia photos of William Gedney to help me remember the true poverty in which these children live. http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/gedney/ When you finish - you'll want to write a letter to Jeannette Walls. In fact, I think I will!
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Wendy posted a review at 2011-04-15 10:20:30.
(Language: English)
This book is the memoir of the author's childhood. Her parents seldom had enough money to feed their 4 children which is bad enough but they left them to fend for themselves from an early age. The author suffered third degree burns at the age of 3 because she was cooking hotdogs for herself and her skirt caught on fire. The houses the family lived in were rundown at best and squalid at worst. Yet, the family had a certain resilience and the children survived. I can't understand how the parents could be so laissez-faire about their children but it certainly made them strong. I'll be thinking of this book the next time some murderer blames his upbringing for how he turned out.
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Kim posted a review at 2010-09-04 09:17:19.
(Language: English)
I overall enjoyed this memoir. It drew my in quickly and being an easy read I was able to finish it in one sitting. I loved her descriptions of the environments she inhabited, and the telling of her very early childhood.Although I felt like I grew to understand her situation in the book, I don't feel like I really grew to understand her family. I did feel as though while she progressed through the book more and more was skipped over and the stories felt much more unemotional and detached. As she grew older and stronger her emotional connections to everything in the book feel colder and more vacant. I would imagine if living through all the things she has there would be a myriad of different emotions yet very little of that comes across. If the book had ended as strong as it started I would be able to recommend this book more readily to friends. Unfortunately the end feels rushed and unfinished lacking any kind of resolution or summation.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-13 06:42:41.
(Language: English)
I haven’t read a book this quickly in a very long time. 2.5 hours, cover to cover. Of course those 2.5 hours had to be the ones between midnight and 2:30 a.m. I picked up the book from the library yesterday. I thought to read a bit before bed, since I only had the book for a week (it’s part of the Express Reads collection – copies of highly in demand books that cannot be reserved. They’re available first come, first served, and you can borrow them for a week. When you’re # 140 or so on the request list, this can be a godsend). And of course that “little bit†lead to me finishing the book. The Glass Castle is Jeanette Walls’ memoirs of her childhood. Like one generally expects, her experiences and memories are far from common or ideal. Still, she manages to make you long for something as you read her book. Perhaps it’s the us-against-the-world flavour that colours her interactions with most of her siblings. It’s tough to say. I was the perfect audience for this book from the first page, where it sucked me in with Jeanette’s story about riding in a cab down a New York City street one night and seeing her homeless mother rummaging through a dumpster. She ducks; hoping not to be seen, and then is forced to reflect on her mixed feelings of shame and guilt that having a homeless mother invokes. At one point she recounts a story of a professor asking her opinion on homelessness, and she replies, “sometimes, people get the life they choose.†Her teacher and classmates look at her like she’s grown horns. I could relate to her feelings all too well. I was gone from the first page. Overall the book was a poignant read, not overly saccharine or dramatic. And although there were times I wanted to roll my eyes at the whole “Look what I overcame!†tone, the Glass Castle ultimately felt like a looking glass, and left me feeling just a little bit homesick.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-20 12:03:20.
(Language: English)
This is a mind boggling memoir of dysfunctional parents and the children who survived their neglect/abuse. The author writes in a cool, detached voice as she recounts the story of a childhood that is almost unbelievable Supposedly highly intelligent and educated parents, driven by alcoholism (the father) and mentally imblanced (the mother) create a chaotic, destitute family in which the children are left to withstand the worst kind of neglect. The author seems to be able to quote whole conversations from 20 plus years ago which is unbelievable to me Can she possibly remember things that took place so long ago in such detail? As I read this book, a voice in the back of my head kept saying "James Frey, James Frey..." Maybe I am just jaded now to so called fact based autobiographies, but I simply cannot believe much of the story. The transient lifestyle may well have existed in America then as now, but the lucid memories from such an early age amaze me. There seems to be some fictionalizing along with the "memories." I wouldl not be surprised if Jeannette Walls is "outed" as a fictional writer. I was disturbed by the fact that there was no "emotional" reaction to the neglect/abuse. It was almost as if she was defending the dysfunction of her parents. Where does that leave a reader who was abused as a child, what are they to think about their own emotions and reactions? Nevertheless, I recommend this book because it can make you look at your own life and the memories that go with the fabric of it.
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gazal posted a review at 2009-06-07 03:58:14.
(Language: English)
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 !!!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-09-23 01:56:40.
(Language: English)
This is one of my favorite books. First of all, Jeanette Walls is a surprisingly captivating author. From the beginning I was burning with interest in this bizarre family - well, bizarre to me. Their lifestyle and habits are just so foreign to what I know and I think that's what made this such a compelling read for me. The Glass Castle is based on a true story and that's probably what was most shocking to me. People seriously live like this? Really? I mean, I don't know what I'd do if I was homeless. Just completely homeless. I don't know. Her mother seems to be able to justify every action and event. She's literally full of excuses. Jeannette's story is really sad. It makes me really sad. She turned out so well for having such crappy parents. I mean, her mom and dad really dropped the ball on the whole parenting thing. They really crapped out. But you kind of see the outside view, as an older mature individual, of the faults their parents made. The narration is from Jeannette when she's a small child, from around the age of 5 until the present. You get to see/read how much she matures and by the end of the novel, she no longer buys the lies she once did and no longer views her father to be the hero he once was. Another thing I really liked about The Glass Castle was that it didn't have chapters. It was in 5 parts but there weren't "chapters" necessarily. I don't honestly know how to explain the structure, just pick it up, open it, and you can see for yourself. Whatever the name is for this particular literary structure is, I love it. It made the read go by a lot faster. I highly recommend. Oh, side note, there's quite a bit of language and it's not just "mild" swearing it's pretty intense sometimes. I think the swearing is necessary for character development since this is a first person narrative. Anyways, I highly recommend this novel. It is one of the most captivating books I've read in a while. The fact that it's true makes it even more peculiar.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-22 10:05:18.
(Language: English)
I wish I could say that reading about Walls family made me feel like my family was almost normal, but that didn't quite happen. It did make me feel like if Jeannette and I lived in the same city we could at least meet for coffee between our sessions with our psychotherapist. Her honesty is great, but more than that, she transmits the story of her unusual upbringing with such humor that you find yourself laughing out loud, and at the same time wishing you could file child services reports that were retroactive. I would like to require all schoolteachers to read this book, maybe it would instill in them a bit more of very much needed super-sleuthing. I am stunned at the degree of obtuseness many teachers choose to exhibit at the innocent children right in front of them, who clearly need help. Yes, our public schools are overwhelmed. So, better yet, our *elected officials* should all be required to read this! Yes, this is a MUCH better idea. They are the ones who need to understand why more funds are needed for 1) the unemployed 2) the uninsured 3) the schools. Are there adults who take advantage of the system? Yes. Walls makes that point succinctly. Do their children then suffer? You bet. Had someone better figure that out and help the kids by at least insuring THEM?? What a great idea, MR. BUSH!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-05 10:23:08.
(Language: English)
This is a well-crafted page-turning FAKE memoir—a fantasy of left-wing stereotypes gone horribly wrong. Walls presumably grew up with an artist mother and drunk genius father, living in trailer parks, shacks, and decrepit housing eating cat food and popcorn. Anti-bourgeois, anti-authoritarian bleeding hearts without ideology or common sense, the Walls parents keep on improbably blowing each lucky break. Though she inherits a large house Mom won’t fumigate for termites, but will stomp on cockroaches? Dad dreams of building the perfect metaphor: a glass castle. This is a case study of hubris marrying madness;appetite winning out over childcare. This memoir has to be faked because no portrait of West Virginian life has more stereotypes: fat women with moonshine + incest + shacks with garbage pits + hollers = fake. Dad knows about black holes in the 1960s? Are we supposed to believe that in the 1970s such a family would live like this? That the homeless want to be homeless? I’m skeptical.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-29 07:22:37.
(Language: English)
If ever a person had the right to say they grew up in a dysfunctional family and had a bad childhood, it’s Jeannette Walls, along with her siblings. They were raised in poverty so extreme that they had to dig through the trash at school to find something to eat. They lived in an unheated, uninsulated, termite-ravaged house with no indoor plumbing. Their parents were too busy with their own cares to concern themselves with the fate of their children. They were so filthy that other children, even poor ones, refused to play with or befriend them. What makes this memoir really work is that the author doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she presents the facts and lets them speak for themselves. And many of these facts are disturbing. Each character lives his or her own personal tragedy. For me, the greatest tragedy was Jeannette’s father, Rex Walls, who had a brilliant mind, remarkable creativity, and an enduring love for his family. His lost potential is heartbreaking. If he could have stayed sober, he had the capacity to be an incredible person and caregiver. But he was overcome by the addiction of alcoholism that prevented him from ever becoming the man and father he was meant to be. Instead, he was abusive of his wife, could not provide for the family (and in fact stole from the children), gave only broken promises, and used his daughter for his personal gain. Rose Mary Walls was as aloof, selfish, and unmaternal as a mother could possibly be. Her focus, from beginning to end, was always on herself: her own wants, her own needs, her own suffering. She was so disturbingly self-absorbed and removed from reality that I had no choice but to assume she has an unnamed mental disorder. The four siblings are wonderful together, and I was delighted when, one by one, they escaped their unsafe home and abnormal family environment. That they each made it out without being raped (there were close calls) and becoming a complete basket case is stunning. It is hinted that the youngest child, Maureen Walls, didn’t fare as well as the others, but that three normal, intelligent, well-adjusted adults could result from such an environment is miraculous. “The Glass Castle” is a great read — but you need to be able to handle reading about child and animal cruelty, lack of parental supervision over young children, and parents who willingly put their children in dangerous situations.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-02 10:16:04.
(Language: English)
Recollections from her childhood growing up with her gypsy parents....the poverty and the struggle of survival, always on the move, the stories were entertaining. However, the book read as one story on top of another with very little insight into how her experiences shaped her and made her feel. Some people are of the opinion that she embellished a bit and did not relate the events accurately. I don't propose to know the answer to that but I can understand how you would get that feeling because there was very little connection to the writer even though she was relaying stories of her life. There is a sense of detachment in her writing.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-08 03:03:36.
(Language: English)
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!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-30 10:32:54.
(Language: English)
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.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-21 04:11:36.
(Language: English)
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.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-12 01:58:51.
(Language: English)
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.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-09-03 07:07:20.
(Language: English)
Wonderfully well-written...proving once again that truth is far, far more complex and bizarre than fiction could ever dream to be. Walls' recollection of her nomadic childhood with her psychologically-challenged parents and 3 siblings was so humbling that I found myself rushing through the pages so that I could stop feeling so distraught over the poor lives these children are forced to endure. The tale is somewhat unbearable at times, as Walls tells of living in an abandoned depot, sleeping in a cardboard box - parents never bought beds for the children, going days without food - eating cat food or decaying food when the hunger was unbearable, and a sexually-deviant grandmother. God must have been watching over these children in Welch, WVA, as only a miracle could have saved them from what they endured. May Walls continue to witness to the world and be an inspiration to all children struggling to survive at the hands of careless or incapable parents.
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Theresa posted a review at 2012-05-16 12:18:57.
(Language: English)
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.
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Joan posted a review at 2008-03-23 06:12:34.
(Language: English)
From the JacketJeannette 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. What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-15 05:27:56.
(Language: English)
When you think of a memoir, you think of an aged celebrity, recounting their past and the childhood that made them who they were. It’s a think volume of stories about lessons learned, living with glamour, and the oh-so-difficult challenges of being famous. The Glass Castle, on the other hand, has nothing to do with that. After all, not everyone lives in a caring but dysfunctional family, in poverty but with the knowledge and intellect one could only dream of. Her father has a wide knowledge of mathematics and science, and teaches his children about the workings of the world. However, he is also an alcoholic who refuses to keep any job for long, and often creates financial troubles for the family. Meanwhile, her mother is an artist (who frequently refuses to work despite having a teaching degree) and would like nothing more than to live as a free spirit. As a result, Jeannette and her siblings learn to live independently as the nomadic Walls family is constantly on the move in search for a place to call home. Jeannette Walls’ story is remarkably intuitive and provocative. She writes about the events in her life in a matter-of-fact voice, as though every three-year-old should know how to cook a hot dog, or that kids usually slept in cardboard boxes at night. At the same time, her parents’ unrelenting love, yet arguable carefree parenting style have such depth that it’s hard to pinpoint how successful their strategies would be in different circumstances. What was most striking to me was her mother’s set of values, eschewing material wealth in favour of what she determined as an exciting life. She bought things on a whim, refused charity (especially welfare), would rather spend her days painting than worrying about her children, and was more concerned with the sentimental value of her land in Texas instead of its approximate $1-million worth. Her constant spirit is like no other. The extraordinary story of the Walls family has become one of my favourite books of all time – just as Mrs. Rose Mary Walls dreamed of, their lives were always exciting and filled with adventure.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-28 05:38:04.
(Language: English)
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.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-13 12:38:06.
(Language: English)
Ok. I rated this 3 stars because of the way it was written.. I guess reading this book after a superb book was a mistake but anyway... It was too slow-paced for me though... However, the story angered and shocked me. I can't believe that there are people - let alone parents- who - frankly- should not be parents at all... the Walls children scavenge in garbage pails at school because they have nothing to eat. They caught their Mom eating chocolate when they, the children, were eating garbage! They were living in a house that could tumble from the hill at a slight earthquake when they could live in a grand house in Phoenix. Or when their Mom could sell the house for - get this- $1M and get them food and a decent house- all because their mom doesn't want to let go of the house for sentimental reasons. I mean - house or your children.. um... i think that was not even a choice at all. but that's me.. I could just go on and on about what angered me about it but one thing I learned is to be thankful for what I have right now- especially for my parents who sacrificed for us. I appreciate them more..
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-06 09:38:43.
(Language: English)
Jeannette Walls tells of her childhood life as one of the children of a dirt poor, adventurous, neglectful, non-conformist couple. Her father was an alcoholic who stole money from the family and was not at home all the time. But, he is a very charming character in the novel. Her mother was an artist who tried to find good in every situation and person. Glass Castle was a very fascinating read and I liked that the author did not seem whiny about her life. It's amazing how the children turned out the way they are as adults. I stayed up late reading this a few nights just because I could not put it down.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-02-01 04:47:45.
(Language: English)
Very intriguing, but somehwat disappointing. I am amazed at how much the author is able to recollect from her childhood--especially with such vividness. Although I cannot imagine any 3 year old I've ever known cooking hotdogs on the stovetop, there probably are children such as the author who have been forced to fend for themselves in this and other ways. Some of the stories of her childhood seemed to make little sense and I kept telling myself that this was her perception of how things were. I had hoped that at the conclusion of the book there would be some huge revelation of the mental illness that her parents suffered from--like some type of diagnosis or treatment. Also disappointed that after reading pages of childhood memories, the final few chapters were a huge fast forward to bring the reader to present day with very little explanation of certain facts. For example, when the author discovered that her mother supposedly owned land in Texas, I thought it was strange that so little was given as a follow-up to what happened to it, etc. Overall, fairly intriguing, but a slight let down in the end.
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Christine posted a review at 2009-06-05 04:38:33.
(Language: English)
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.
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