A review by jentang
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

4.0

this splendid memoir reminded me a bit of tara westover's educated if it were crossed with j.d. vance's hillbilly elegy. however, no memoir can justifiably be described as a mashup of others. while it of course should not be forgotten that jeannette's recollections of poverty, neglect, and abuse are still tragic realities for many children today, jeannette's calm recantations of her parents and her family dynamics ensured the walls would become a memorable family for readers worldwide. the self-assuredness and infuriatingly flawed logic of both of jeannette's parents made me grit my teeth numerous times, and i completed the book in mostly a state of disbelief as jeannette casually mentioned insanely jaw dropping or heartache inducing ordeals that she and her siblings went through thanks to her parents' actions, or lack thereof. at the heart of it all, it was fascinating to see how there was still deep love and loyalty within jeannette's family that never really wavered or flickered out, even in the worst situations.

jeannette's last moments with her father before she left for new york greatly touched me, as there was something so genuine there when their relationship was stripped of all other factors (though it doesn't take much to regain disgust and contempt for him)

i will say that time seemed to pass languidly in jeannette's world. i absolutely would not say that the book dragged on or lost my interest, but the perfectly chronological progression of life did have me a bit confused somehow; my grasp on the years was always a bit off. additionally, my understanding of the walls family felt a bit surface-level. significant things happened, and they were shared, and that was that. there was nothing behind the scenes, no moment for a reader to immerse themselves in so that they could try to begin to understand how it felt to be the author in that instance. i knew all the members of the family and their nuances, but only barely, and despite the continual presence of each, it somehow felt to me like none of them were there much at all after a certain point in the book, jeannette included.

the intelligence of both of jeannette's parents in their respective areas of interest, brian's eagerness to leave for the city and his adaptation to it, maureen's transition out of religion to stabbing - these are all just examples of things that i would've loved to gain a bit more insight on, which i feel could've been possible

once

the family had disbanded to start their own lives in the city

, it felt like any focus there was had been lost, and from there, it was just a rush to the ending, which did not really speak to me. still, jeannette and her siblings are insanely impressive for having left their upbringing and its logical implications behind in the dust, and her story was inspiring to read.