Augusten Burroughs Shows Raw Honesty with DRY

Alcoholism, obsession and personal failures are usually the sort of thing people like to keep under wraps. Augusten Burroughs goes the opposite direction in his confessional book DRY.

If DRY were a work of fiction, it would compare in style and tone to Amy Hempel or Chuck "Fight Club" Palahniuk's best work. The fact that DRY is a true story makes it a superior achievement even to Palahniuk's stories. True, Palahniuk's writing is based partly on real experiences, except, of course, the nationwide underground fighting clubs. Palahniuk has repeatedly said those were literary inventions. Even so, DRY's complete honesty makes the book gripping, hilarious and tear jerking all at once.

Burroughs is so candid about his sexuality, his fears and his failures that one begins to doubt this is a true story. Check the Library of Congress information in the front of the book, you'll see the word ‘biography'.

Could anyone really be so vividly troubled and hurt? The answer is obvious, but rather than wallowing in self-pity, this book seems to reach ever upward, even in the depths of utter despair. The book seems to imply, by its very existence, that a happy ending is out there somewhere.

The real strength of the book isn't in Burroughs' success in fighting the temptations of alcohol, or his wisecracks about the down-and-dirty world of corporate advertising. The real emotional impact comes when you begin to suspect that failure is not only imminent, it is already happening. The humanity of Burroughs's personal setbacks through the book reminds the reader that indeed, nobody is perfect; but especially not someone who seems to be excelling in beating and addiction. That all-too-human side of a life troubled by substance abuse is exposed in a most refreshing way. DRY's matter-of-fact tone is uncluttered by excuses and clichés.