Running with Scissors: A Review of Augusten Burrough's Memoir

Early on in Running With Scissors we get the impression that, at a very young age, Augusten Burroughs is obsessed with fame. He likes stars and other shiny things. He lines his shelves with tin foil and polishes his allowance. Fate works in (literally) funny ways, dealing a young Burroughs such material, for what would bring this man fame is actually his real life.

Running With Scissors is a hysterical, yet sad tale of Burroughs' youth. At many times I wanted to feel sorry for Burroughs, however the memoir was written with such wit and humor I felt that if he was making light of his situation, then I would too. And, as an aspiring writer myself I found myself jealous that he had such an interesting life to write about. At any rate, Burroughs lived to write this book and others so he is a survivor and it seemed to be writing (as he wrote in his journal everyday) that got him through.

We enter the story at the time when his aspiring poet of a mother and cold and distant father are having marital problems. I found this information interesting- the mother was artsy and was painted as a lunatic, as many artsy people are. The father was a math professor and was painted emotionless, as many scientists often are. Math/science folk and creative types in my experiences always seem to clash.

The couple tries to work things out by seeing a shrink, but the couple eventually divorces and Mrs. Burroughs continues to see the shrink-the wacky Mr. Finch. Soon, Burroughs is living between his mother's new apartment and the bizarre Finch household. In fact, the shrink became Burroughs' legal guardian. The Finch house was a dilapidated Victorian in an otherwise pristine street. The exterior of the house was symbolic of what was inside- a family that is also cracking up. In fact, Burroughs is not the first patient to shack up in the Finch house. At his arrival, there is also an OCD woman living upstairs. And previously, Finch adopted Neil Bookman-who would later turn out to be Burroughs' first sexual encounter and later, boyfriend-even though Bookman is about 20 years older. Burroughs' also becomes close friends with two of the daughters, Hope and Natalie. In fact, later in the book it is Natalie that presses Burroughs to become a writer.

The book goes on to describe some nutty and zany-and almost unbelievable- experiences between Burroughs, the Finches and his mother. Just a few episodes: Burroughs' mother becomes a lesbian (first with a preacher's wife and later with an 18-year-old former patient of Dr. Finch) and has many emotional breakdowns. Dr. Finch helps Burroughs fake a suicide attempt so he can get out of going to school for at least six months. (This of course puts him in a mental institution for a few weeks first.) Natalie and Burroughs making a skylight in the kitchen. Mrs. Finch eating dog food. And one of my favorites was when Dr. Finch has an epiphany after taking an Italian sausage ring looking poop-that the future could be told by the appearance of bowel movements.

Perhaps I relished in this story so much because I also had a screwed up childhood. Not as crazy as Burroughs' but I can relate to odd family members, divorce and people having love affairs with people much older than them. As I laughed my way through this book I did realize that this man did have a somewhat torturous life. Because he chose to write it in this almost satirical style, and not an "I-had-such-a-bad-life-and-I-want-you-to-feel-sorry-for-me" manner you just have to laugh. To some who are easily offended, the book may be a turn off. Other than that, I highly recommend this memoir.

I actually listened to this on audio book, which was read by the author. It was a complete joy to listen to-so much so that I almost drove into Ohio, rather than getting off Route 80 near Pittsburgh like I was supposed to.