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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle

A Memoir

by Jeannette Walls
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Mar 1, 2005
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2006
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Reviews

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There are currently 179 reader reviews for The Glass Castle
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Jena

I loved it
I just read this book and it was very very good. I just couldn't believe that after a childhood like this Jeannette could become so successful.
Emily

GREAT BOOK
This book is very detailed and remarkable.
sharonite

makes you think
This book is special. It is showing a world that many are not familiar with, a first hand account of what it is really like to live and grow as "white trash". One of the things that emerge is that there is no black and white - as the mother says, no one is completely evil and that much of what happens is one's own decision and will.
The parents, who are horrible most of the time, have some qualities that are admirable. The star giving story, when the father sits down with each child and lets them chose their own star- is parenting at its best. The scene of everyone reading together with the dictionary in the middle, is a great family moment. And it is clear, that even after all the horribly, irresponsible, selfish things that the parents do, the kids still love them.
The truth is that the kids took care of each other, and the one child that fell through the cracks is Maureen, the one that lived out of the house, in friends houses, probably in better environment but without the family support.
It made me think about poverty and types of poverty, and what society can or cannot do. I would highly recommend it to young people/teenagers. I think it brings home the notion of adventure/responsibility and outcome.
lorena ruvalcaba

the glass castle
The Glass Castle is an eye opener. It helps you realize that we have so many things in life that we don't appreciate. If you look around you there are so many objects that we do not realize that are actually there. Or maybe we do realize they are there but do not appreciate them. In this book Jeanette tells her life story & what she had through live through. Most of us had it easy as children but her life story is completely different. I am proud to say this book opened my eyes and helps me appreciate life and everything that surrounds me. I would like to thank Jeanette for writing this book, and I hope that The Glass Gastle opened your eyes as much as it did for me. I give this book 5 stars
jeane

Couldn't put down
I thought this book was an excellent read. I have worked with abused ,neglected children,who still love their parents & will defend them. I am disappointed by the readers who don't believe parts of this story. Have you ever been to a "holler" in W Va or Ky? She painted an accurate picture & ,sadly I found it to be very believable. Good for her!
taylor

AMAZING
I had to read this memoir for my English class , and I loved it. I couldn't believe how, even though the Walls' parents didn't take care of their children, it made them the more independent and the more aware of this world. Jeanette Walls is a survivor.
Amazing book .
Elisia P.

This is one of the best books i have read!
This book is full of despair, sadness, and troubles. It made me sorrowful to think that people could survive in the harsh conditions the way Jeanette and her siblings did. It is beautifully written and tells her darkest memories with nothing held back. From this point on I will always think of Jeanette Walls as a inspiration for telling her story.

This is a really great book!!!!!
:)
Susi J

The Glass Castle
Walls story was tremendously moving, her innocent love for her parents was joyful and tragic. Her awakening to the truth that she had to let her parents be who they are and the courage to let herself be who she needed to be. Excellent. I could not put it down

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