The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Publication Date: 2005

Page Length: 304 (Hardcover Version)

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was an... interesting read. I have to say it was one of my quickest reads as well. I read it on vacation in about two days. So, it was required summer reading, I'm still reviewing it. :P

Before any actual text begins, a picture appears of Rex and Rose Mary Walls. A seemingly happy, care-free, newlywed couple smiles at you from the page, yet that's definitely not the impression we get from them later on. That said, this picture is kind of eerie, especially at what their lives actually turn out to be like. Safe to say, nothing like that picture may foreshadow.

The "memoir" starts out with an adult Jeannette getting inside a taxi cab on her way to a party. She glances out the window to see a homeless woman picking through trash in a dumpster. After more careful observation, Jeannette realizes that she knows this woman: it's her mother. Jeannette slouches down in the taxi cab seat, praying that her mom doesn't see her and shout out her name; embarrass her. She's torn between wanting to disappear to wanting to help, feeling selfish that she's living in in luxury while her own mother is living in the slums.

The memoir quickly flashes back to Jeannette at a very young age, and her first memory of being burnt on a stove while cooking hot-dogs. Something about this "memory" irritated me, but I'll get to that later on in the review. Jeannette's mother, Rose, is practically forced by her neighbor to go to a hospital. Hesitantly, she does. This first memory sets the zany and grotesque vibe of the rest of the book. Jeannette and her siblings are often getting into serious peril as their parents shrug it off, claiming that it's not as bad as they think. Trust me, it's as bad as you think. And it only gets worse.

Jeannette's father, Rex, is soon introduced, swearing at the nurses. Great first impression, huh? That said, you get a sense of a strong connection between him and Jeannette. Jeannette's older sister, Lori, and younger brother, Brian are there with Rex and Rose. Brian is a typical toddler, while Lori seems mature for her young age. You'll get to know more sides to their personality as the book progresses. A particularly humorous, yet disgusting incident occurs between Brian, Lori, and Erma, their grandmother, near the middle of the book. Watch out for that. I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh, or close the book immedietly. I kind of did both.

The only thing that really irritates me about Jeannette Walls' memoir is her extremely odd, vivid recollection of her years as early as age two. We are given "exact" dialogue from the stove-burning incident, despite her very, very young age. It's obviously understandable and less abnormal at an older age, but for someone that young, it's a little too far-fetched.

Other than that minor flack, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good story, non-fiction or not. Just keep in mind that this is not a heart-warming tale of a blissful childhood, but rather a dark view on a very dysfunctional family.

- Daniel Clemens