This is one of the funniest books, yet sad books I have ever read.

It's amazing to me that people willfully live like this.

The Glass Castle is a poignant memoir describing the author's childhood living in extreme poverty. Although her parents have the means to provide for her family, they rarely do so. Therefore, the children have to grow up quickly and find ways to avoid starvation on their own.

Although the story itself could be heart-wrenching or terribly depressing, Walls' sense of self-worth and self-sufficiency keeps the storyline buoyant, even humorous at times. The family, although highly dysfunctional, is also quirky, which adds a redeeming quality to Walls' parents' fiascoes.

Walls' writing is light when dealing with heavy topics. I found that it was difficult to pull myself away from the book, and I was rooting for the Walls children throughout. I give this book 5 stars for style, content, and a powerful sense of optimistic willpower throughout challenging circumstances. ( )

2007 ( )

Living abroad, I had never heard of "The Glass Castle", and only bought it on a whim when it was touted to me by a Borders cashier. But I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It helped to know the ending...you know Walls will make it out. While I know that it was her early childhood, when the fantasy was alive and the skedaddle was a game, that makes the most entertaining and gentle episodes, I would have like to read more about the Barnard and young New York years...how did this family find their place in a world with which I am a little more familiar? But really, this is her parents' story as much as her own. Walls did an outstanding job of presenting her parents in all their failings yet in a balanced light, and so you can feel their brilliance and charisma, even as they let you down again and again. ( )

Provocative. Unbelievable. Amazing. This is story about a girl who grew up in a household characterized solely by neglect. This true story explains how she became the mature, well-rounded woman who goes on to write her memoir. It goes without saying- this novel is a must read. The first page draws the reader in with ease and the conclusion provides closure. As for the "meat" of the story, there's never a dull moment. "The Glass Castle" is deep and thought provoking, read it! ( )

very interesting and well-written!! I like Walls's style, it reads very quickly. ( )

Wow. An amazing book by an amazing writer. I couldn't put this down. ( )

Zvirin, S. (2005). The glass castle. Booklist, 101(11), 923. Retrieved October 29, 2009, from Article Citation database.

This book is amazing. The most amazing thing about it is that it is a memoir, which means it's all more or less true. This is the story of the girlhood of someone who grew up in an environment of extreme neglect. The second of four children, her parents consisted of a violent drunk father and a mother who felt the world owed her everything and she owed it--and her children--nothing. The story opens when the author, at the age of three, using the stove unsupervised, catches her dress on fire and is severely burned. The parents can't or won't hold down jobs and the family is often starving, the children resorting to eating food out of the school cafeteria trash cans after the other children have left. The parents always seem to have the attitude that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, not even coming to the rescue when their children are sexually assaulted. I could go on and on about the awful things these children experienced and in general this is definitely not a happy story, but what is most striking about this story is how the author never talks about anything negatively. The attitude of the narrative always seems to be that this is just another adventure. Through it all, there is love in this family. Despite everything that happens, the ties that bind this family seem to remain just as strong or stronger than those of other more stable, more normal families. ( )

Great book - could not put it down. The writer lived through a whole lot of stuff that no one should have to live through growing up in America. The author and her siblings somehow "overcame" things that happened to them – where are the teachers, social workers, medical personnel, or church workers that should have helped these people - they are no where to be found in this book. Her voice tries to stay matter of fact but there is a lot of pain behind it. Not everything is OK and it is not good that some of the things that happened to the author are disguised as uncomfortable jokes when really it is just child abuse. Her new book made the cover of the NYT book review, which prompted me to read this book. The system failed in helping this family, the neighbors could hardly help themselves. People should read this book and reach out to make a difference in the quality of life of a child. ( )

very goo read. ( )

Oh. My. God.

Walls has a non-fiction novel coming out this month, so I decided to re-read the book that started all the ruckus before I got Half-Broke Horses.

A little backstory: I was romantically involved with a man for some time while I lived in Austin, whom I met on a bus. I got on the bus, sat a few seats behind the cute, sandy-haired, rumpled guy with the prominent ears I spotted from the pay-stile, and sighed the happy sigh of one whose world contains all the things he needs: A job, a home, and all the men he can mentally undress and ravish.

I was mid-mental ravishment when Blondie upset the applecart by bursting into tears. As quietly as he could, of course, but tears. A stop later, still crying. Stop after that, still crying. I got up, moved into the seat next to him across the aisle, and said, "What the hell're you reading? I wanna be sure I never set an eyeball on it." That got a laugh, and he held up The Glass Castle and said it was sort of the story of his life.

We talked for four hours that day. I gave him my email and number, and things progressed pretty smoothly until August of last year, but that's another story.

He'd just read Walls's tale of her father taking her pubescent self to a pool-hall and getting her within an inch of getting raped, just so he'd have beer money. It struck a chord, and the story of his own stepfather's abuses of Mr. Man came spewing out of him. I've read the book before just now, specifically so I could discuss it with Mr. Man, but I did so with an already numbed horror bone and a severed humor tendon.

Only now that I am several years beyond that initial encounter with the book can I see how very funny the tragic events in it are, and were to the author. I can see that it's gallows humor of a sort...but also that it's all perfect proof that life's a Zen joke.

If you can chuckle at Dolly Parton's apercu, "You have no idea how much it costs to look this cheap," then Walls is the next step up the Sisyphean slope of learning how to laugh like the Dalai Lama. It's a hard life that etches grooves in the looking-glass, but it's a path worth taking if you can get to the place where "textured" is valued more than smooth. Read the book, you'll know what I mean. ( )

An amazing story of resilience. Will make your grateful for whatever childhood you may have endured, and will leave you wanting to know more about the Walls family. ( )

This book is flawless. After finishing it, the first thing I wanted to do was call my parents to thank them for doing it right. Ms. Walls writes with complete frankness and such a matter of fact tone that I had to keep reminding myself that this is a memoir. That this extraordinary woman, and her siblings, survived a childhood with an alcoholic father and bi-polar mother. She not only survived but soared. ( )

The reason I like to read memoirs is that it shows me that my life growing up wasn't so bad after all. One of my favorite moments is when Jannette's dad asked her what she wanted for her bday. Jannette asked her dad to stop drinking. He gave it a shot by being tied down to his bed for a few days. He stayed sober for awhile but eventually went back to drinking. Awesome life story. I highly recommend it. ( )

What great book. The love and loyalty this family had was amazing especially being incredibly dysfunctional. I loved the way she remembered in detail and wrapped it up at the end. ( )

Amazing, another great Borders Recommended read! ( )

We have this book for next week book club review, though we read it over the summer, and I knew there had to be more people that thought the author is in denial. One of my friends is 'idealizing' the book, thinking because Walls is a journalist that looks pretty and lives in New York she is successful and her childhood was like a boot camp that they benefited from.
I find her and her siblings to be really damaged by parents who were neglectful and abusive.
I saw Walls in an interview and she keeps smiling and saying she just wrote, and is not passing judgment, that she leaves that to the reader. But in truth, she is forgiving (which I respect), but not in the name of her siblings. I don't like her happy thanksgiving dinner..........I think she is still profoundly affected, and she has decided to 'come out of the closet' with only her head to take a peek.
Her narration is though entertaining. I don't know if cliche, probably yes, but for all of us with bitter sweet childhoods and an alcoholic parent, we identify with the author to some extent.
I dislike her trivialization of the sexual abuse they received. ( )

It's a well written story, and the memoir of an often appalling childhood. I recommend it. And I desperately want to know if her mother really owned real estate worth a million dollars while her children were hungry. ( )

Toward the end of the book, someone turns to the author and says, "You West Virginia girls are one tough breed." I have to agree wholeheartedly. The subtitle of this book could easily be Endangering the Welfare of a Minor for Dummies.

Jeannette Walls' memoir is about growing up in abject poverty in an extremely dysfunctional family. Probably the most notable thing about it is the total lack of whining. Through a childhood with the town drunk for a father, one of the most selfish and foolhardy mothers on the planet, constant emotional abuse (and sometimes physical), she avoids self pity and simply tells her story with a clear determination that she wasn't going to fall into any of the traps life laid out for her. Though she never sugar-coats the events, the story is filled with the occasional flash of humor and a constant spirit of finding the adventure in whatever circumstances were dealt to her without ever seeming pollyannaish.

I'm a bit late to the table on this book, my natural aversion to over-hyped bestsellers kept it on the shelf through the period of mania, but I'm very glad I read it. Recommended. ( )

All the reviews I had read were good on this book so I finally got around to reading it and wished many times I had read it when it first came out. An excellent book with characters you won't forget very easily. How this daughter could feel that much compassion for her parents after the way she was raised amazes me but I guess this is what is called forgiveness in life. Looking forward to her new book "Half Broke Horses". ( )

A wonderful memoir that reminds me of A Boy Called It. Well told, engaging and memorable. ( )

Jeannette's father was an alcoholic, and her mom was far too selfish to properly care for her children. Jeannette grew up being randomly uprooted, underfed, and periodically emotionally and physically abused. Yet she rose above it all to become a journalist. What is really amazing about this memoir is Jeannette's ability to understand why her parents behaved the way they did and the compassion and love she still feels for them. I'm not sure if caring for them is the wisest choice on her part, but it certainly is admirable.

For my extended review, check out my blog at: http://wp.me/pp7vL-2s ( )

Walls has written a really interesting memoir. It is a fairly quick read, with short chapters, but it flow nicely and I found it hard to put down.

Some of the interesting aspects are that Jeannette seems to think her life mostly normal until about high school. Which I'm sure is true for any childhood with anything going on, they don't know much different and so aren't surprised by their own circumstances.

Walls also show how even in an unconventional childhood there is love between her family and beautiful moments with her parents and siblings as well as the more shocking moments.

Well done Jeannette Walls. ( )

Fanstastic story of child's resilience in the face of abuse and neglect. Hopeful and loving. ( )