Synopses & Reviews
Nominated for the 2009 Audiobook of the Year
As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing wed ever done together as father and son, and I promised not to tell. But unlike most dreams, the memory of this one never left me. And sometimes
I wasnt altogether sure about one thing: was it just a dream?”
When Augusten Burroughs was small, his father was a shadowy presence in his life: a form on the stairs, a cough from the basement, a silent figure smoking a cigarette in the dark. As Augusten grew older, something sinister within his father began to unfurl. Something dark and secretive that could not be named.
Betrayal after shocking betrayal ensued, and Augustens childhood was over. The kind of father he wanted didnt exist for him. This father was distant, aloof, uninterested
And then the games” began.
With A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs makes a quantum leap into untapped emotional terrain: the radical pendulum swing between love and hate, the unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son. Told with scorching honesty and penetrating insight, it is a story for anyone who has ever longed for unconditional love from a parent. Though harrowing and brutal, A Wolf at the Table will ultimately leave you buoyed with the profound joy of simply being alive. Its a memoir of stunning psychological cruelty and the redemptive power of hope.
Augusten Burroughs is the New York Times bestselling author of Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking, Dry, Running with Scissors, and Sellevision. His work has been published in more than twenty-five countries. He lives in New York City and Amherst, Massachusetts.
With A Wolf at the Table, the prequel to his bestseller Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs re-creates the unspeakably terrifying relationship between a sociopathic father and a son yearning for unconditional love. Emotionally unflinching and brave, A Wolf at the Table is a truly devastating look at the distance that can separate fathers and sons. "Burroughs is doing something new here: ripping the scabs off emotional wounds without his usual acidic humor to deaden the pain . . . Burroughs retains his capacity to move the reader: There is gorgeous writing on every page."Monica Holloway, The Washington Post
"As the pre-eminent writer of family dysfunction, Burroughs makes a convincing new case for the common heartbreak of distance between fathers and sons."St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"A moving depiction of fear and powerlessness from a child's point of view . . . This is a serious book by a grown-up writer."Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
"An infinitely darker work than the author's previous takes on family dysfunction. Before his mother sent him to live with the loony shrink he immortalized in Running With Scissors, Burroughs was a kid at the mercy of a father he believes was a sociopath . . . Burrough's famous humor is mostly absent from this account, yet Wolf is not a grim book. How did he survive? . . . Writingluckily for him and ushelped save him."People
"With his new book, Burroughs breaks our hearts. Big time . . . A Wolf at the Table skillfully reminds us that the past never goes away. It's in our blood."Rocky Mountain News
"This memoir is brilliantly written, with a wolf-at-the-door sense of danger palpable on every page."Houston Chronicle
"Whether your childhood was a fairy tale or a horror story, you'll be engrossed . . . The bestselling author bravely lays bare his deepest yearnings and most frightening memories. Even fans of his previous work will be shocked by this story, the first chapter of a remarkable life."Parade
"A powerful testament to the author's ability to create art from the leaden dross of a terrible childhood . . . A moving tribute to a childhood survived and a chilling documentation of parental power run amuck."The Charlotte Observer
"A searing, emotional portrait of a son who wants nothingmore than the love his father will not grant him, Burroughs's latest memoir is indeed powerful."Publishers Weekly, (starred review)
Review
"A serious departure . . . a moving depiction of fear and powerlessness from a child's point of view . . . compelling."--Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
"Shocking and terrifyingly thrilling, hooks the reader immediately."--The Washington Post
"An infinitely darker work than the author's previous takes on family dysfunction. Before his mother sent him to live with the loony shrink he immortalized in Running With Scissors, Burroughs was a kid at the mercy of a father he believes was a sociopath. . . . Burrough's famous humor is mostly absent from this account, yet Wolf is not a grim book. How did he survive? . . . Writing--luckily for him and us--helped save him."--People, A four-star People Pick
"With his new book, Burroughs breaks our hearts. Big time . . . A Wolf at the Table skillfully reminds us that the past never goes away. It's in our blood."--Rocky Mountain News (A)
"Whether your childhood was a fairy tale or a horror story, you'll be engrossed. . . . Even fans of previous work will be shocked by this story, the first chapter of a remarkable life."--Parade
"A searing, emotional portrait of a son who wants nothing more than the love his father will not grant him, Burroughs's latest memoir is indeed powerful."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"As the pre-eminent writer of family dysfunction, Burroughs makes a convincing new case for the common heartbreak of distance between fathers and sons."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Review
"Intense, sincere, and passionate, Burroughs offers a deeply felt, intimate portrait of the most disastrous period in his life. He holds nothing back, and in fully giving voice to his emotions, he makes each moment immediate for the listener." - AudioFile
"In audiobook form, Burroughs's memoir is an unforgettable experience that will resonate with many." - Library Journal, Starred Review
"...There are books that were born for bells and whistles, and Augusten Burrough's Wolf at the Table is one. This fifth memoir of abuse and excess is read, bleated, rumbled and, at times, tearfully shouted by the author himself. The audio book includes sound effects and occasional instrumental music, and it breaks new ground by presenting four songs written expressly for the productions. There is one each from Patti Smith, Ingrid Michaelson, Sea Wolf and Tegan Quin." - Washington Post
“I felt that because this book is different than anything I have written before, it deserved a very unique, special treatment and production.”—Augusten Burroughs on A Wolf at the Table
“I wanted an audiobook for the iPod generation - for people who love books but also love music and film. I wanted to bring the book to life as fully as possible.”—Augusten Burroughs on A Wolf at the Table in Publishers Weekly
“Bestselling author Burroughs has written a brutally frank memoir about his father - his difficult, distant, miserable father - which he reads himself, effectively. Original music by Patti Smith, Sea Wolf, Ingrid Michaelson and Tegan Quin - composed for this audiobook - graces the final CD.” - Canada.com
Past Praise for Augusten Burroughs:
"A flawless audio adaptation of his alternately riotous and heartbreaking memoir.” —Publishers Weekly on Running with Scissors
“[Burroughss] performance blends self-deprecating black humor with wise-cracking confidence. His natural (or hard-learned) wit and charm keep the listener rooting for his success.” —AudioFile on Dry
Synopsis
Nominated for the 2009 Audiobook of the Year
“As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing wed ever done together as father and son, and I promised not to tell. But unlike most dreams, the memory of this one never left me. And sometimes…I wasnt altogether sure about one thing: was it just a dream?”
When Augusten Burroughs was small, his father was a shadowy presence in his life: a form on the stairs, a cough from the basement, a silent figure smoking a cigarette in the dark. As Augusten grew older, something sinister within his father began to unfurl. Something dark and secretive that could not be named.
Betrayal after shocking betrayal ensued, and Augustens childhood was over. The kind of father he wanted didnt exist for him. This father was distant, aloof, uninterested…
And then the “games” began.
With A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs makes a quantum leap into untapped emotional terrain: the radical pendulum swing between love and hate, the unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son. Told with scorching honesty and penetrating insight, it is a story for anyone who has ever longed for unconditional love from a parent. Though harrowing and brutal, A Wolf at the Table will ultimately leave you buoyed with the profound joy of simply being alive. Its a memoir of stunning psychological cruelty and the redemptive power of hope.
Synopsis
The Instant National Bestseller from the Author of Running with Scissors
With A Wolf at the Table, the prequel to his bestseller Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs re-creates the unspeakably terrifying relationship between a sociopathic father and a son yearning for unconditional love. Emotionally unflinching and brave, A Wolf at the Table is a truly devastating look at the distance that can separate fathers and sons.
About the Author
Augusten Burroughs is the New York Times bestselling author of Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking, Dry, Running with Scissors, and Sellevision. His work has been published in more than twenty-five countries. He lives in New York City and Amherst, Massachusetts.
Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
1. What do you make of the brief but chilling scene that opens A Wolf at the Table? How does it affect your expectations for the story that follows? If youve read Burroughs other books, did the first pages of his new memoir shock or intrigue you? Why? How is this book a departure from his previous ones?
2. Why do you think Burroughs tells much of the memoir from the perspective of a little boy? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this approach?
3. Could the "Wolf" of the books title be read as a metaphor that extends beyond the father? For example, can memories become more real and terrifying than the incidents or people that inspire them?
4. Compare and contrast Burroughs portrait of his father with his portrayal of his mother in Running with Scissors.
5. In chapter two, how is Augustens destruction of the violin a manifestation of his rage at his father? Where else in the book is Augustens anger with his parents displaced onto something or someone else? Might Augustens hypochondria (page 170) or his later problem with drinking (chapter eighteen) be examples of this? Why?
6. Consider Burroughs website, www.augusten.com, where he writes about and posts videos of his dogs Bentley and Cow. Does A Wolf at the Table predict or explain his intense relationships with animals?
7. On page 31, Burroughs writes that he "felt very close to his father examining his things" because "in a way, he was his things." How can people become their "things"? What objects do you associate with those who were or are important to you in your own life?
8. How do you interpret the mothers story in chapter seven about her marriage to Augustens father? What does her story reveal about her as well as her marriage? Does her story shed any light on the fathers behavior?If youve read Running with Scissors, does his portrayal of the mother in that book complement or conflict with your understanding of the parents marriage and Burroughs childhood in this book?
9. On page 107, Burroughs writes: "I realized that my father was two men - one he presented to the outsideworld, and one, far darker, that was always there, behind the face everybody else saw." Do you think Augustens father is a sociopath? Do you think his father is capable of murder? Why?
10. Do Augustens feelings about his father truly evolve and change by the close of the book?