Customer Reviews:
 A COMPELLING LOOK AT POVERTY, ADDICTION, & CHILD NEGLECT September 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If ever a person had the right to say they grew up in a dysfunctional family and had a bad childhood, it's Jeannette Walls, along with her siblings. They were raised in poverty so extreme that they had to dig through the trash at school to find something to eat. They lived in an unheated, uninsulated, termite-ravaged house with no indoor plumbing. Their parents were too busy with their own cares to concern themselves with the fate of their children. They were so filthy that other children, even poor ones, refused to play with or befriend them.
What makes this memoir really work is that the author doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she presents the facts and lets them speak for themselves. And many of these facts are disturbing.
Each character lives his or her own personal tragedy. For me, the greatest tragedy was Jeannette's father, Rex Walls, who had a brilliant mind, remarkable creativity, and an enduring love for his family. His lost potential is heartbreaking. If he could have stayed sober, he had the capacity to be an incredible person and caregiver. But he was overcome by the addiction of alcoholism that prevented him from ever becoming the man and father he was meant to be. Instead, he was abusive of his wife, could not provide for the family (and in fact stole from the children), gave only broken promises, and used his daughter for his personal gain.
Rose Mary Walls was as aloof, selfish, and unmaternal as a mother could possibly be. Her focus, from beginning to end, was always on herself: her own wants, her own needs, her own suffering. She was so disturbingly self-absorbed and removed from reality that I had no choice but to assume she has an unnamed mental disorder.
The four siblings are wonderful together, and I was delighted when, one by one, they escaped their unsafe home and abnormal family environment. That they each made it out without being raped (there were close calls) and becoming a complete basket case is stunning. It is hinted that the youngest child, Maureen Walls, didn't fare as well as the others, but that three normal, intelligent, well-adjusted adults could result from such an environment is miraculous.
"The Glass Castle" is a great read -- but you need to be able to handle reading about child and animal cruelty, lack of parental supervision over young children, and parents who willingly put their children in dangerous situations.
The Glass Castle September 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was very well written. It definitely gives the reader a different perspective on the way some people view their place in society.
It is a fast read, and I highly recommend it.
Jen
 Connecting with a Grad Student September 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love the book. It's so fantastic!
I am a Graduate Film student at Columbia Chicago and I attended a book-signing of the "Glass Castle" by Walls at the University of Illinois - Chicago on Thursday the 18th. I had never read the book, but my girlfriend asked that I go. After hearing Walls speak on her story, I decided to pick up one of the free copies of her book. I read it from cover to cover the following day as I drove back home to southern Illinois from Chicago. The stories, though not at all identical to my stories of growing up, resonated with me and drew up memories from my past that I had long forgotten about. What a great read!
I remember Jeannette saying at the signing that she has checked the reviews on Amazon. So, Jeannette Walls, if you're reading this, I would love to do a grad student short film based on one of the chapters in your book. This film would not be for profit, only a class exercise. I already had an adaptation in the works for my class, but after reading your book I just had to give it a shot. I'm not sure how, but please contact me if this would be ok.
Thanks so very much.
B <><
Memoir with sensitivity September 19, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was a beautifully written memoir, full of warmth and humor while describing a lifetime of poverty and neglect. I loved it, and my mature 11 year old daughter is mesmerized by it.
Resiliance September 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This autobiography provides an example of how children, in the most disasterous situations, can not only survive but excel as adults. Three of four children of an alcoholic father who repeatedly broke his promises and a mother who was his voluntary partner/enabler were resiliant enough to provide the support they were denied by their parents and execute a successful escape plan.
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