The Glass Castle: Summary and book reviews of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, plus links to an excerpt from The Glass Castle and a biography of Jeannette Walls.
The Glass Castle A Memoir
by Jeannette Walls
Hardcover: Mar 2005,
304 pages.
Paperback: Jan 2006,
304 pages.
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity
were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four
children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest
desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man
who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics,
geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted
and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family,
called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in
fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last
forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded,
the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family --
Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery
money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated,
Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one
another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the
resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the
guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her
parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph
against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a
family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve
out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story.
BOOK REVIEWS
Media Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Walls's journalistic bare-bones style makes for a chilling, wrenching, incredible testimony of childhood neglect. A pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps, thoroughly American story.
Publishers Weekly
With a fantastic storytelling knack... Walls doesn't pull her punches.
Booklist - Stephanie Zvirin (starred review)
Shocking, sad, and occasionally bitter, this gracefully written account speaks candidly, yet with surprising affection, about parents and about the strength of family ties--for both good and ill.
The New York Times - Francine Prose The Glass Castle falls short of being art, but it's a very good memoir. At one
point, describing her early literary tastes, Walls mentions that ''my favorite
books all involved people dealing with hardships.'' And she has succeeded in
doing what most writers set out to do -- to write the kind of book they
themselves most want to read.
Dani Shapiro, author of Family History
Jeannette Walls has carved a story with precision and grace out of one of
the most chaotic, heartbreaking childhoods ever to be set down on the page. This
deeply affecting memoir is a triumph in every possible way, and it does what all
good books should: it affirms our faith in the human spirit.
Patricia Bosworth, author of Anything Your Little Heart Desires and Diane Arbus: A Biography The Glass Castle is the saga of the restless, indomitable Walls family,
led by a grand eccentric and his tempestuous artist wife. Jeannette Walls has
survived poverty, fires, and near starvation to triumph. She has written this
amazing tale with honesty and love.
Dominick Dunne, author of The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper
Just read the first pages of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and I defy
you not to go on. It's funny and sad and quirky and loving. I was incredibly
touched by it.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Charlotte Cunningham A great memoir While I was at work a few days ago, one of my co workers said Hey Charlotte after I read your memoir Why? it made me think of another memoir called The Glass Castle, I think you should read it. Wow, I just finished The Glass Castle. It is a great... Read More
Rated of 5
by Jennifer W Clinching The Glass Castle was more than a page tuner. It paralyzes you from putting the book down! It has you clinching onto the pages to relive every memory Jeannette has from her childhood and leaves your mind wondering the rights and wrongs of... Read More
War, natural disaster, reckless gods and the recognition of impermanence in the world are just some of the threads that AS Byatt weaves into this most timely of books. Linguistically stunning and imaginatively abundant, this is a landmark.
A beguiling, imaginative, inspiring story about the bigness of being alive as an individual, as a member of a tribe, and as a participant in history, exploring how we use storytelling to survive and shape our own truths.
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Vivid, daring, and unforgettable, The Printmaker's Daughter shines fresh light on art, loyalty, and the tender and indelible bond between a father and daughter.
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Kirkus Reviews
Dani Shapiro, author of Family History
of 5
by Charlotte Cunningham
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