Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

[Kell]

IT IS ASSUMED YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK BEFORE READING THIS THREAD, THEREFORE SPOILER TAGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED IN ORDER TO FASCILITATE EASIER AND MORE OPEN DISCUSSION

This book is available cheaply from Green Metropolis or through Amazon (please use the link at the top right of this web page)

 

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs:

Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of being Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain.Suddenly, at age twelve, Augusten Burroughs found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian house in perfect squalor. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules. There was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock-therapy machine under the stairs....Running with Scissors is at turns foul and harrowing, compelling and maniacally funny. But above all, it is a truly amazing chronicle of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.

 

SOME BASIC QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

3. Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

FURTHER QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER (from Bookbrowse):

6. Author Augusten Burroughs was raised by his mother

Edited May 31, 2009 by Kell

[Lucybird]

I still don't really know what to say about this it was so weird, like unbelievable, except that it's true which just makes it even more odd...it's so hard to put into words what I think

[Chrissy]

Part of what I found disturbing when reading the book was that I did enjoy it.

 

Augusten makes his childhood very readable, and your sense of jaw dropping horoor at what is taking place quickly becomes the reader's 'norm', so you get caught in the flow of the book and are only truly able to recognise the dysfunction away from the text.

[Nicola]

I read this book a few months ago so have had a bit of time to get my head around it. I really enjoyed it and it's one of my favourites. I've since gone on to read Dry which was also really enjoyable although not as good as Running With Scissors. I really love Augusten and his aspiration to be high-shine perfection which gradually leaves him as he progresses through the book, living in squalor!

 

There were so many parts of the book which made me laugh out loud. One was when that man spat on him mid-song. Obviously this is not funny but the way he describes the beauty of the angelic voices followed by the spitting incident etc etc was so funny. He tends to describe awful situations in such a way that they're funny. The whole 'poo pointing to god' thing was disgusting (and funny too!) I also loved they bit where they decide to pull the ceiling down which is just accepted as the norm and the initial descriptions of the state of the house ....bizarre!

 

I found the relationship he had with Neil Bookman and how the relationship was accepted by Dr Finch, his mother and the rest of the family, quite disturbing. I also found Dr Finch in general disturbing. The relationship between him and Augusten's Mother made me uncomfortable at times.

 

I'm hoping to re-read it over the summer So overall, a good book in my opinion!

 

[joe]

Firstly I really enjoyed this book although i found it very disturbing to read. I found the book simillar to a car crash, in that you really don't want to carry on reading but that you simply have to. I can honestly say that I have never read a book like it, utterly mesmerising, mainly due to the fact that the events were real but at the same time appearing totally unreal.

 

My favourite character was that of Natalie, although she had a totally disfunctional childhood and upbringing she came through it all to end up going to university and having a succesful career.

 

What I found most disturbing in the book was the relationship between Augusten and Neil and that the relationship was blessed by his mother and the doctor. I was really uncomfortable reading the scenes between them.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lucybird]

I think the relationship with Neil was what I wasz most uncomfortable about too, at first because of the age difference, and Augusten being underage. It was disturbing that his Mum and the Dr were ok with it- the Dr only warning Augusten about Neil's character, not raising any concerns about age. After a while it became more how Neil was so obsessed with Augusten which made me uncomfortable and that Augusten seemed not to even like him but still stayed with him, I worried that Augusten wouldn't be able to get out of it

[rwemad]

Ok... Hello everybody:)

 

This is officially my first time taking part in in the reading circle. I have visited and commented before but this time I bought the book specifically to join in here.

 

I voted 'excellent' for this book as I thought it was a very good read. Not enjoyable as such, but excellent none-the-less. I am somewhat ashamed to even suggest that I may have enjoyed it because of it's content.

 

First off, I will never eat Alfalfa sprouts with quite the same enthusiasm again, no matter how 'good' they are for me .

 

As it was a 'true' story, I found some of it shocking/disturbing but parts of it amusing in a sort of 'Billy-Connolly-on-tour' sort of way. I am not entirely convinced that Augusten can look back at it with any amusement or with any fondness, so I felt uncomfortable finding any of it funny. Also I was constantly distracted in thinking about Poo and his well being; he wasn't mentioned for such a long time!! Bless him.

 

Thank goodness for Natalie, without her things would have been even more dire, likewise, I am sure Natalie would have been lost without Augusten. I found it so sad when their friendship was tested.

 

My discomfort with the comic element was justified I think, I found it very sad at the end. The Epilogue saddest of all.

 

Lots to think about. The nature/nurture thing of course but also should we be inspired by this book? I mean he has come good.... and so has Natalie.

 

Of course I don't think I can be alone in thinking that it was written to shock. People do have sexual relationships at a young age and bad language, bad parenting, mental illness, fostering and disfunctional families are, to some extent, almost everywhere. I think a good example (and very funny) was the short sharp description of the fungal infection as described by Natalie. I mean think about it, as shocking as it may read, how did/does the average teenager talk? personally I could do without the 'c' word, I NEVER use that and it is the only word that I voice an objection to when heard in the predominately male place that I work.

 

Glad I read it. I won't be looking out for more of his though. I think there is a danger of over selling one's story and I am not sure why, but I can't really empathise or sympathise with him, he always sems to be Ok. Perhaps that's just me though.

Edited June 3, 2009 by rwemad
spelling.... it's the wine!!!

[Weave]

Hello Everyone

 

I read 'Running with Scissors' awhile ago. I really enjoyed reading all of your insights, it truly is one of those books that raises a lot of questions isn't it?

 

There was some aspects which I found uncomfortable, I had little to no patience with regards to Augusten's Mother, I know she had her own problems, etc and I know I am going to sound terribly judgemental but at times I just felt that she should be aware of the fact that she is a Mother first instead of leaving him with someone who was more deluded that she was.

 

I found the relationship between Augusten and Neil uncomfortable, yes people experiment, etc but no one was actively trying to keep Augusten safe, they were aware of the relationship, shared their 'pearls of wisdom' about it but none of them very helpful.

 

There was a very unhappy undertone to the story, I felt Augusten grew up very fast, in a less than flourishing environment but at the same time I felt that he learnt a lot from it. I found it really sad that Natalie and Augusten's relationship broke down.

 

A book that stays with you and I voted for excellent.

[Kell]

Just out of interest, the film of this is currently playing on Sky. It's on right now, but I'm sure it'll be repeated. It'd be interesting to find out how faithful to the book it is.

[frankie]

The movie is quite faithfull to the book but I didn't like it. I guess I was expecting so much out of it, having like the book so much.

 

When the movie ends, stay tuned for the credits. There's a little story about what happened to August after his phase with the family.

 

My thoughts on the book itself will follow later.

[Nicola]

Just out of interest, the film of this is currently playing on Sky. It's on right now, but I'm sure it'll be repeated. It'd be interesting to find out how faithful to the book it is.

 

I quite enjoyed the film too but agree with Frankie, the book's much better. The soundtrack is great too!

[lexiepiper]

I've just finished reading this tonight, and what a tragic childhood! As if it wasn't bad enough that his mum was a bit mentally troubled, but to dump Augusten on the even crazier Finch family must have been terrible for him. I agree with what Gyre said about the mother, that she should have put her child first and not finding her 'creative ability'. And the fact she didn't say anything about the relationship between Augusten and Neil, just bizarre, especially as Neil was old enough to be his father! Very creepy indeed and it was painful to read the scenes between them. My favourites were Natalie, Hope and Augusten, although I felt really sorry for Hope. The fact that the Finch family were so crazy with a psychiatrist as a father was a bit weird, especially the 'bible dipping' and 'poo reading' as ways to live life...really?! I really enjoyed reading it though, although I felt I shouldn't as it must have been pretty awful to live though.

[Chrissy]

It felt that Augusten was surrounded from the off by some form of dysfunction or another. His dad keeping his distance, his brother's condition and his as nutty as squirrel poo mother! And then he is sent to live with the Finches!

[lexiepiper]

Yeah it's pretty brutal, no wonder he ended up turning into an alcoholic! Will anyone be reading the book about that?

[frankie]

Yeah it's pretty brutal, no wonder he ended up turning into an alcoholic! Will anyone be reading the book about that?

 

I've read the book and I thought it was a fabulous read as well, I highly recommend it. I would also recommend Burroughs's A Wolf at the Table in which he writes about his relationship with his father. Now that one is not funny at all, it's a pretty dark and scary book.

[lexiepiper]

Ohh cool, I'll be sure to get my hands on both, thanks Frankie

[Lucybird]

yeah I might get the others too...I will add them to bookmooch anyway

[Kell]

I've been reading all the comments so far and my interest in this book is definitely growing - I've had to request a copy via Bookmooch! I hope it will arrive very soon because my reading mojo has started to come back and I'd like to get stuck into this one. The whole idea of being handed off by your cuckoo mother to an even nuttier family is intriguing me immensely!

[joe]

Yeah it's pretty brutal, no wonder he ended up turning into an alcoholic! Will anyone be reading the book about that?

 

I think I will have to read that book, do you know the title?

[lexiepiper]

It's called Dry, Joe And Kell, I'm sure you'd enjoy it, and you're more than welcome to borrow mine if you don't manage to mooch one

[Chrissy]

The saddest and most disturbing aspect for me in this mind shifting book is Augusten's sanctioned relationship with the much older Bookman. Augusten's need of a relationship that is intense and all consuming is utterly understandabe, both because of his age and the neglect of him to date. For the adults around him not to make sure that the relationship was healthy and safe is unforgivable.

When the other boys in the locker room were showering and talking about their weekends playing soccer, what was I supposed to say?

"Oh, I had a great time. My thirty-three-year-old boyfriend said he wished they could package my *** like ice cream so he could eat it all day"

How heart breaking is that as a statement?

I'd never mattered to anyone so much before.

To love someone who doesn't deserve it. Because they are all you have. Because any attention is better than no attention.

How many if us have rated our self worth by how someone who is no good for us regards us? It takes many years to learn that being on one's own is better than being with the wrong someone. Edited June 8, 2009 by Chrissy
realised it read badly - not much improved now!

[Kell]

It's called Dry, Joe And Kell, I'm sure you'd enjoy it, and you're more than welcome to borrow mine if you don't manage to mooch one

THanks, Lexie - I have a copy winging its way to me now, so I'll be able to join in the discussions very soon.

[lexiepiper]

Ahh that's good Kell, I hope you enjoy it

 

And Chrissy I completely understand what you mean, he must have been so lonely

[Weave]

Great insight Chrissy:friends0:

 

Loneliness was one of the main factors in the book, Augusten was lonely at home with his parents, his brother and lonely living with the Finches.

 

I think in some ways there was a element of power, control for Augusten with regards to his relationship with Neil, here was someone who needed him, wanted him, something that Augusten had never experienced, and despite the inappropriateness of the relationship, Augusten wanted love, it was just sad he found it with Neil.

 

I felt at times that Augusten was caught in a whirlpool of his parents, the Finches and despite Augusten being in the middle of it, he was also at the edge looking in because he was moved to the side so often.

 

I hope that makes sense.

[lexiepiper]

Yeah I completely agree Paula