Synopses & Reviews
From the number-one bestselling author of
Running with Scissors and
Dry comes Augusten Burroughs's most eagerly anticipated collection yet: true stories that give voice to the thoughts that we all have but dare not mention.
It begins with a Tang Instant-Breakfast Drink television commercial:
"Yes, you, Augusten. You were great. We want you." I can now trace my manic adult tendencies to this moment. It was the first time I felt deeply thrilled about something just a fraction of an instant after being completely crushed. I believe those three words "We want you" were enough to cause my brain to rewire itself, and from then on, I would require more than other people....- from Magical Thinking's "Commercial Break"
A contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady. The execution of a rodent carried out with military precision and utter horror. Telemarketing revenge. A different kind of "roof work." Dating an undertaker who shows up in a minivan. This is the fabric of Augusten Burroughs's life: a collection of true stories that are universal in their appeal yet unabashedly intimate, stories that shine a flashlight into both dark and hilarious places. With Magical Thinking, Augusten Burroughs goes where other memoirists fear to tread.
Review
“There is a dusting of David Sedaris in Burroughss style, a laughing-through-your-tears candor thats as appealing as the situations are appalling.”—
BookPage Praise for Dry:
“His 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
“Theres an emotional truth that comes through here, along with a vivid prose style and a nice talent for reading in the voices of various participants in the tale. All together, it makes for a memoir well worth listening to.”—The Providence Journal
“As effective as the printed books are, the audiobook editions—which Burroughs himself presents—offer an even more sublime personal mixture of humor and revelation.” —Audiobookstoday.com
Praise for Running with Scissors:
“Burroughss account of his deranged adolescence is clear-eyed and often wildly funny. To hear it not only in his own words, but in his own voice in this fine production
is ideal.” —AudioFile
“The writing is exceptional, fast-paced and captivating. Ditto the narration.”—Kliatt
Augustens narration of his previous books received universal acclaim. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called Running with Scissors a “flawless audio adaptation of his alternately riotous and heartbreaking memoir,” describing Burroughss voice “as mutable and unique as his unconventional childhood.”
Synopsis
From the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Running with Scissors and Dry comes a collection of true stories that confirms Augusten Burroughs’s position as one of our top satirists and memoiristsAugusten Burroughs’s break-out bestseller Running with Scissors reinvented and redefined the memoir. Dry proved that he could do it again. And now, with this collection, he sets a new standard for the personal essay. Whether he’s describing a contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady, the simultaneous thrill and self-disgust that comes from killing a rodent in your home, or the instinctive desire for fifteen minutes of fame in a Tang commercial, these stories give voice to thoughts we all have but dare not mention. What makes the collection so original is Augusten’s sharp-eyed observations about things that are unique to him, but somehow universal to us all. Magical Thinking is contagiously funny, heartwarming, shocking, twisted, and absolutely magical.
About the Author
AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS is the New York Times bestselling author of
Dry,
Running with Scissors, and Sellevision. He lives in New York City and Amherst, Massachusetts.