Wednesday, March 14, 2007

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Author: Dave Eggers

First line: Through the small tall bathroom window the December yard is gray and scratchy, the trees calligraphic.

Why you should read this book: To write that, in the author's senior year of college, both his parents died, of cancer, within five weeks of one another, and that the author subsequently became the guardian of his seven-year-old brother, and moved to the Bay area, started a magazine, and strove to experience joy while witnessing tragedy, camoflaging his own desire for success, beauty, and fame with a thin veneer of hip indifference, in no way describes the content of this frenetic, manic-depressive, post-modern memoir.

Why you shouldn't read this book: If you think the title is pretentious...

2 comments:

The Katzbox said...

Yea, I bought the book for the title...I admit it...I'm outing myself...I'd like to see where these kids are now, but I'm half frightened to do the search. I'd like to imagine them teaching somewhere, in a loving relationship, living close to one another...but I'm fearful that's not the case, tho they may indeed be happy...I'm best left to my fantasies.

Dragon said...

My understanding is that Eggers has gotten pretty famous and does a lot of charity-type stuff, too. I've also met people who don't like him on a personal level. I'm sure the boy turned out OK. Sociology research suggests that it doesn't matter how crappy you are as a parent; as long as your love your kids and have good intentions, they should turn out decently.