Reviews

A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs

11corvus11's review against another edition

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I had to put this one down at just over halfway through. Not because it was badly written. On the contrary. The animal abuse in it is so vivid that I can't take it. Its more vivid and extreme than what happens to people though those parts aren't easy either. It's probably good if you can stomach it. I'm too sensitive and just found myself asking over and over, "do I need to be putting myself through this?" I really wanted to finish it. I just can't.

(I'm usually not a big DNFer. Bad streak.)

tessacmickeyd's review against another edition

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5.0

I was very tense and glad it didn't escalate the way I thought it would. I would hate to have to go through this.

4sas's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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swicksy's review against another edition

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2.0

I generally have liked Augusten Burrough's work which outlines his crazy youth, his off-kilter mother, his enigmatic and mean-spirited father, his time spent living with a doctor and his family, his work as an advertising man in New York and his struggle with alcoholism.

This book focuses on him trying to figure out who his father really is, and is that eternal search by a man who neglected by his father just wanted to be loved. This material isn't as strong as his other work, and the portrait of the father isn't as clear here as his other subjects have been. At times the father is just cold, then there are some indications that he may be hostile but very few direct instances of evidence, more inferences and suspicions than anything. Only a bit where the father calls Augusten up drunk tell him he has stolen a car and going to come and kill him, and when the police arrive at the Father's place find him sober and sane and scold Augusten for playing a prank does the Father ever come off possibly evil.

His weakest effort.

pantswithpockets's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

If you’re not listening to the audiobook, you’re severely missing out. Read by the author and featuring songs made specifically for the book, this deeply shocking and sad novel resonates deeper when you can hear the pain in Augustin’s voice as he recalls his darkest and likely most painful memories. Not for the faint of heart, and hard to read at many points, A Wolf At The Table is beautifully written and shows more serious side of Burroughs’ writing style that doesn’t lean on his classic humor, and shines a light on the excruciating and terrifying abuse he faced in his childhood.

TW: Abuse, graphic description of SA in chapter 18, alcohol abuse, mental manipulation, possibly implied CSA, general terror, fear, and homicide mentions.

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megtall's review against another edition

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5.0

Emotional, intense, incredibly well-written. I'm a Burroughs fangirl.

shooshee_bird's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

lifeand100books's review against another edition

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5.0

A Wolf at the Table, written by Augusten Burroughs is his fifth memoir. His previous memoirs include Running with Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking, and Possible Side Effects. Each book tells of different periods of his life with A Wolf at the Table focusing on his early childhood living with his depressed mother and homicidal father.

A Wolf at the Table is a memoir solely dedicated to informing the reader of what Augusten’s father was like through the eyes of a 7-8 year old Augusten. Augusten’s father was a university professor by day and brutal drunk by night. His mother’s therapist often said that he was homicidal and the stories in the book shed light on the possibility that he really was.

You can read the rest of my review here: http://lifeand100books.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/76-a-review-of-a-wolf-at-the-table-by-augusten-burroughs/

nationofkim's review against another edition

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4.0

always enjoy his writing, but damn it's depressing.

alisontal's review against another edition

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Ghastly