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.