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1.31k reviews for:
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius: A Memoir Based on a True Story
Dave Eggers
3.58 AVERAGE
1.31k reviews for:
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius: A Memoir Based on a True Story
Dave Eggers
3.58 AVERAGE
DNF. The misery of trying to get through this book put me in the biggest reading slump.
I read this book because it is on my hundred book bucket list poster. I would never have chosen this book on my own. And if I didn’t promise myself to read every book on the poster, I would’ve put this down before the end.
It was very interesting to have a string of consciousness inside, the mind of a very young, very immature man. It did open my eyes, and confirmed much of what I imagine goes on inside.
VERY strong warning! This book has very very strong language.
It was very interesting to have a string of consciousness inside, the mind of a very young, very immature man. It did open my eyes, and confirmed much of what I imagine goes on inside.
VERY strong warning! This book has very very strong language.
This book was a sensation when it was first published, and the author is exactly the same age as me; I found it overlong and self~indulgent, though it was interesting enough to finish.
Eight thousand reviews? Evidence enough that Eggers touched something raw. Since I plan to publish one day, I will be kind in my review; paying it forward you might say. It is genius to simultaneously tell the story and reflect on the very construction of the work, including exploiting everyone surrounding Eggers. Which any writer seeking what is real and raw, will do. Yet the writer maintains a sympathetic edge. I know this young man, as there is a bit of me in there.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
In this introspective memoir, Eggers, 22 at the beginning of the book, tells the story of the death of his parents and his becoming the guardian for his then-8-year-old brother. Although it's a fictionalized memoir, the book strikes me as honest, primarily because he doesn't portray himself in the most flattering light. The younger Dave Eggers (with the benefit of hindsight) is self-centered, racist, careless, and somewhat schizophrenic-seeming, and the older Dave Eggers is not shy about telling you so. I was able to relate to some of it, which was like shuddering at my reflection in the mirror.
The book is written strangely. On at least three separate occasions the book is self-aware, unsettlingly breaking the fourth wall. Although the book follows a linear timeline, transitions from that timeline into flashback are not always clear. As the book approaches the end, there is less and less chronological clarity, and the author becomes unhinged.
I don't know how I feel about this book, but it dragged in parts and I was glad it was over by the end. I refrained from looking up information about Dave Eggers until after I finished the book, lest I spoil something for myself. I'm glad I did, and I'll refrain from spoiling it for you now, except to say that his Wikipedia page reveals an upsetting event that took place after the book was published.
The book is written strangely. On at least three separate occasions the book is self-aware, unsettlingly breaking the fourth wall. Although the book follows a linear timeline, transitions from that timeline into flashback are not always clear. As the book approaches the end, there is less and less chronological clarity, and the author becomes unhinged.
I don't know how I feel about this book, but it dragged in parts and I was glad it was over by the end. I refrained from looking up information about Dave Eggers until after I finished the book, lest I spoil something for myself. I'm glad I did, and I'll refrain from spoiling it for you now, except to say that his Wikipedia page reveals an upsetting event that took place after the book was published.
