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eBook editions

You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas

by Augusten Burroughs

You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas Cover

ISBN13: 9780312341916
ISBN10: 0312341911
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

You've eaten too much candy at Christmas...but have you ever eaten the face off a six-foot stuffed Santa? You've seen gingerbread houses...but have you ever made your own gingerbread tenement? You've woken up with a hangover...but have you ever woken up next to Kris Kringle, himself? Augusten Burroughs has, and in this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection he recounts Christmases past and present — as only he could. With gimlet-eyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very, very best.

Review:

"Burroughs's holiday-themed memoir lacks the consistent emotional intensity of his earlier work, despite a few gems. Arranged roughly chronologically, the vignettes begin with concrete Christmas memories (preparing a detailed, multipart list of desired presents in 'Claus and Effect') and move toward musings on the spirit of the holiday (facing a flooded house with an atheist partner in 'Silent Night'). While the childhood stories have Burroughs's trademark dry wit — he once gnawed the face off a life-size Saint Nick made of wax — they aren't particularly memorable. It's when he turns his attention to the less tangible essence of the holiday that the writing comes alive, especially in the final two pieces, 'The Best and Only Everything' and 'Silent Night.' In the former, Burroughs (Running with Scissors) remembers a long-ago Christmas spent with a former lover dying of AIDS and in the latter, which takes place a decade later, he describes dealing not only with a burst water pipe but also feeling ready to celebrate the season with a tree for the first time since the death of his old boyfriend." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"The popular Burroughs (A Wolf at the Table) returns with a collection of seven short stories tied together by the Christmas season that ring with his signature dark comedic style." Library Journal

Review:

"Another winner from a master of comic timing and poignant reflection." Kirkus Reviews

Synopsis:

In this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection, Burroughs recounts Christmases past and present as only he can. With gimlet-eyed wit and illuminated prose, the author shows how the holidays bring out the worst — and sometimes the very best — in people.

Synopsis:

With gimleteyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, the very, very best.

Synopsis:

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER about Christmases past and present from the #1 bestselling author of Running with Scissors, Dry, and A Wolf at the Table

At eight years old, Augusten Burroughs profoundly misunderstood the meaning of Christmas. Now proving himself once more "a master of making tragedy funny" (The Miami Herald), he shows how the holidays can bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very best. From the author described in USA Today as "one of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century" comes a book about surviving the holiday we love to hate, and hate to love.

About the Author

When Augusten Burroughs released 2002's Running with Scissors — his memoir about growing up in the mother of all dysfunctional families — readers didn't know whether to drop their jaws in horror or hold their stomachs from laughing. Whatever reactions he gets from readers, Burroughs's gift for dishing on all things stranger than fiction has made him a bestselling author.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

Denise Morland, December 21, 2009 (view all comments by Denise Morland)
This is my favorite Augusten Burroughs book yet! I was a little skeptical at first. The book starts with some of his darkest stories from his childhood and early days as an alcoholic. They are fascinating in the way a train wreck is, you just can't bring yourself to look away. Slowly, as you work your way through the book, the stories begin to change as Augusten's idea of Christmas evolves. There is the Christmas a group of homeless people take him in, look after him, and teach him to accept help from others. The book ends with two truly heartwarming stories about taking care of an HIV positive boyfriend and dealing with a flood. Make no mistake, the hilarious, sarcastic humor is still there, but added is a real love for himself and the people around him. There was more depth of feeling and true emotion in some of these stories than I've ever seen in Augusten's other books. You Better Not Cry is the perfect holiday collection - you will definitely laugh, you might even shed a tear or two, and you'll end feeling strangely better about Christmas and what it means.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780312341916
Author:
Burroughs, Augusten
Publisher:
St. Martin's Press
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
Novelists, American -- 20th century.
Subject:
Burroughs, Augusten
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
American wit and humor
Subject:
Biography - General
Copyright:
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Publication Date:
20091031
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
5 CDs; 6 hrs
Pages:
224
Dimensions:
7.12 x 4.63 x 0.655 in

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Related Aisles

You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$10.95 In Stock
Product details 224 pages St. Martin's Press - English 9780312341916 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Burroughs's holiday-themed memoir lacks the consistent emotional intensity of his earlier work, despite a few gems. Arranged roughly chronologically, the vignettes begin with concrete Christmas memories (preparing a detailed, multipart list of desired presents in 'Claus and Effect') and move toward musings on the spirit of the holiday (facing a flooded house with an atheist partner in 'Silent Night'). While the childhood stories have Burroughs's trademark dry wit — he once gnawed the face off a life-size Saint Nick made of wax — they aren't particularly memorable. It's when he turns his attention to the less tangible essence of the holiday that the writing comes alive, especially in the final two pieces, 'The Best and Only Everything' and 'Silent Night.' In the former, Burroughs (Running with Scissors) remembers a long-ago Christmas spent with a former lover dying of AIDS and in the latter, which takes place a decade later, he describes dealing not only with a burst water pipe but also feeling ready to celebrate the season with a tree for the first time since the death of his old boyfriend." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "The popular Burroughs (A Wolf at the Table) returns with a collection of seven short stories tied together by the Christmas season that ring with his signature dark comedic style."
"Review" by , "Another winner from a master of comic timing and poignant reflection."
"Synopsis" by , In this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection, Burroughs recounts Christmases past and present as only he can. With gimlet-eyed wit and illuminated prose, the author shows how the holidays bring out the worst — and sometimes the very best — in people.
"Synopsis" by ,
With gimleteyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, the very, very best.
"Synopsis" by ,
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER about Christmases past and present from the #1 bestselling author of Running with Scissors, Dry, and A Wolf at the Table

At eight years old, Augusten Burroughs profoundly misunderstood the meaning of Christmas. Now proving himself once more "a master of making tragedy funny" (The Miami Herald), he shows how the holidays can bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very best. From the author described in USA Today as "one of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century" comes a book about surviving the holiday we love to hate, and hate to love.

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