The Works of Augusten Burroughs

[Deleted]

I love love LOVE this guy. I have read all of his books and as many articles and columns as I can find. I personally think his autobiographical works (Running with Scissors, Dry and Magickal Thinking)are far superior to his fiction (Sellevision) - but his fiction's pretty darn good, too.

RWS is being made into a movie and I am literally bracing myself. I hope for the best because of my undying love and adoration for A.B. Please, please, please don't let them butcher and bastardize one of the best books ever written!

[Deleted]

A still from Running With Scissors is on the web:

Gwyneth Paltrow (from left), Evan Rachel Wood and Jill Clayburgh prepare for a dark scene on the Los Angeles set of their comedic drama Running with Scissors, based on the bestselling memoir by Augusten Burroughs.

Link to the photo

[loquaciousone]

I love him too. I read him before Sedaris and while I understand the comparisons I find Sedaris to be sometimes bittersweet (some of his stories just make me sad for him) while Burroughs will have none of that. He's too bitchy to evoke sympathy.

I'm on the fence about a RWS film. It's so rare that a good book is turned into a decent movie. However, I'm all about Dry, so if RWS isn't good I won't be crushed.

[tinyshoes]

I loved RWS, and I just started Dry. I just love that he's so bitchy and self-absorbed. Reminds me of me (although he's better at being bitchy).

[rattlerbrat]

RWS was the worst I ever tried to read. I made it up to page 200 and said, "Fuck it - you gotta be kidding me." Who knew that mental illness, pedophilia and interracial lesbian love affairs could be so fucking DULL?

[cattywampus]

rattlerbrat said:

RWS was the worst I ever tried to read. I made it up to page 200 and said, "Fuck it - you gotta be kidding me." Who knew that mental illness, pedophilia and interracial lesbian love affairs could be so fucking DULL?

I have to agree. You got farther than I did. I think I made it up to p. 100 before throwing it away with great force.

[biondetta]

I've only read Sellevision (which I reread last week, and have read a few times before that, too). It wasn't until last week's rereading that I picked up that he was the same guy who wrote RWS.

I had read a few reviews of RWS and came away unsure whether I really wanted to read it. I really enjoy Sellevision each time I read it (a quick, entertaininbg read), but I'm more open to fictional bastard behavior than true-life bastard behavior.

[woopdedoo]

I was amazed by RWS! It rang so true it freaked me out; I grew up in Northampton, MA in the late 80s and also have a crazy, narcissistic mother and was living on my own at age 15. Hmmm. Maybe I should write a book, too.

I had an encounter or two with the Dr. in the book...it was a small town and he was certifiably nuts. I find it hard NOT to believe everything Augusten wrote. I do find it hard to believe the family is suing for libel and distress (or whatever)...it just brings more attention to them.

I won't be seeing the movie, because the book was too perfect for me. I know the streets, buildings, and people he talked about and seeing anything inauthentic would irritate me.

I saw in an interview where he said he hadn't even begun to mine his childhood for stories so I look forward to seeing more by him.

[mrpancake]

I really, really wanted to like this book after hearing all this great things about it. I read the whole thing, so I could I say I did, and I did not like it at all. It was just so...poorly written and uninteresting. It's like it tried so hard to be witty or clever, and it just sounded stupid to me. That being said, I still want to see the movie, because it seems like it would make a more interesting movie than a book.

[Hamatron]

Yeah, I too was underwhelmed with Running with Scissors. I felt that there was potential for a really interesting story, but... the whole thing just felt too shallow and empty. I just felt that the writing style was choppy and I wanted him to actually have a moment of introspection... it just felt like the first draft of a story rather than the finished book.

That said, I read Dry and enjoyed it. I think he has potential to improve as a writer and be fine-- or even good. He sort of reminds me of a good friend from college, so I am rooting for him.

Does anyone know who's playing Augusten in the movie? I'm sort of curious as to how that will turn out...