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The Glass Castle

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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir that delves into Walls' tumultuous childhood growing up in poverty with two unstable and neglectful parents. Walls details astounding anecdotes of her unconventional upbringing, showcasing a family that lived an offbeat, nonconformist lifestyle. The book portrays the struggles of the author and her siblings as they navigate through a challenging and unusual childhood, fending for themselves and raising each other while their parents prioritize their own desires over responsibilities.

Walls' writing style is described as compelling, emotional, and honest, drawing readers into her story with vivid descriptions and a witty voice. The book offers a window into a world that many readers may never experience, shedding light on themes of resilience, forgiveness, and love in the face of adversity. The narrative unfolds through a series of shocking and heart-wrenching events, leaving readers both saddened and inspired by the author's journey from a difficult past to an uncertain future.

Writing/Prose:

Walls' writing style is engaging, blending humor with stark reality, and conveys her experiences with a candid and authentic voice that resonates emotionally.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Jeannette Walls' challenging childhood, marked by her family's constant movement due to financial troubles, neglectful parents, and the children's eventual quest for independence and stability.

Setting:

The Glass Castle is set across various locations in the American Southwest and West Virginia, highlighting the family's transient lifestyle and contrasting environments.

Pacing:

The pacing is brisk and engaging, allowing readers to swiftly experience the highs and lows of the Walls family's journey.
I WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster. It was just after dark. A blustery March wind whipped the ...

Notes:

Jeannette Walls grew up in extreme poverty with alcoholic parents.
Her father was a brilliant man but struggled with alcoholism.
The family was often homeless, moving frequently to escape creditors.
Jeannette was burned at age 3 while cooking hot dogs for herself.
Despite their hardships, the Walls children developed resilience and resourcefulness.
The book explores themes of love and loyalty within a dysfunctional family.
Jeannette's mother was described as self-absorbed and reckless.
The memoir does not dwell on self-pity but portrays her childhood directly.
Jeannette and her siblings ultimately became successful adults despite their upbringing.
The Glass Castle refers to her father's dream of building a perfect home for the family.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include neglect, alcoholism, abuse, and poverty.

From The Publisher:

MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST

The extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world's most gifted storytellers.

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing-a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

The memoir was also made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.

Ratings (240)

Incredible (50)
Loved It (108)
Liked It (53)
It Was OK (23)
Did Not Like (5)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (417):

Read It (246)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (136)
Did Not Finish (2)
Not Interested (32)

10 comment(s)

It Was OK
1 week

"If you want to be treated like a mother," I said, "you should act like one."

3.5 rounded down. Very wild story being raised by a mom and dad with conflicting/interesting ideals about freedom, money, and adventure while often IMO confusing their priorities. Also the jarring writing style in the beginning of seemingly disjointed paragraphs made the book hard to get into a flow while reading.

 
Incredible
3 months

This book is a memoir of Jeannette walls of her childhood and how she grew into what she is today.

Jeannette struggles with her parents who are unstable and unrealistic for the word parents. But they loved their kids one and the same. Jeannette had sensible siblings and some good teachers who recognised her and planted dreams in her, which made her to see her family is not normal (if u call the other households common). She tried to break this old rules (that is 'no rules') in her house and put in some discipline and failed.

But somehow her dreams made her to think that she and her siblings are supposed to leave their home to get a good life and a normal life. She helps her elder sister to go out to the city and get a new life and dreams and one by one all children follows that path to find their dreams. Yet the parents will be homeless and they enjoy their homelessness all the same.

A really amazing story of love and life

 
Incredible
3 months

I have never been a big fan of memoirs, but this one was an excellent example of the genre. Jeannette had an interesting childhood, with parents who obviously had quite a lot of intelligence, but were incapable to living a lifestyle conducive to raising four children in any sort of stable manner. Despite this, Jeannette and her siblings somehow persevered and made their own path. Also, despite the challenges, there are examples of real love between the family members and it ended up being a bit of an inspiring tale. Plus, it shows how hard it is to set clear boundaries between ourselves and ill family members, despite knowing that it is the best route to take.

 
Loved It
3 months

Characters

 
Loved It
4 months

This is a must read for everyone, no one should skip out on this masterpiece. Walls tells a harrowingly detailed account of her journey and experiences in poverty, each one of her characters and anecdotes more intense and complex than the next.

 
Loved It
4 months

I love a gripping memoir.

 
Loved It
5 months

I loved the way it was told. It was very descriptive and a beautiful telling of her life. This book made me want to read more memoirs, and it made me appreciate the genre a lot more.

 
Liked It
11 months

Read this my sophomore year of high school and it stuck with me

 
Loved It
1 year

Nice and easy read, funny and sad I found my first copy at a theft store and feel in love with it. Then I would buy a copy for family to read at Christmas

 
Loved It
1 year

The glass castle is a memoir of a woman who grew up with a mother who suffered from mental illness. It is a story of resilience and discovery much like I believe my book to be.

 

About the Author:

Jeannette Walls graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than six years. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Walls lives in rural Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor.

 
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