Tampa Book Buzz

online book club review:running with scissors by augusten burroughs

Running With Scissors is a strange book about Augusten Burroughs’ strange life.  Burroughs recounts the story of his absent father and his mentally-ill mother, who ships him off to live with her eccentric psychiatrist. This new “family” consists of angry, depressed, confused, unusual people living in a filthy house who live by their own rules.

What makes this book quirky and interesting instead of depressing and annoying is Burroughs’ writing.  Phrases like:

My mother began to go crazy. Not crazy in a let’s paint the kitchen bright red! sort of way. But crazy in a gas oven, toothpaste sandwich, I am God sort of way.

show Burroughs’ dark sense of humor.  Like I said, it’s a strange book.

What did you think?

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is the TBB Online Book Club pick for this month.  The Tampa Book Buzz Online Book Club is housed at Target’s Bookmarked website.  Each month we pick a book to read and discuss on the Bookmarked site.  During the month, I’ll post tidbits about the author and/or the book here.  At the end of the month, I’ll tell you what I thought of the book and hopefully you’ll do the same.  Email me at tampafilmfan (at) aol.com for more info. (ONLINE BOOK CLUB HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED)