Scan barcode
A review by swicksy
A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
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.
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.