Book 8: January 2007
I'll admit it. I was privy to the title of this month's selection a few weeks ago so I ordered it ahead of time. But I've been holding off until now to crack the cover. Please join me and my sister-in-law Carrie in reading this month's Box of Wine Book Club selection - Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.
Released earlier this year as a movie, it is just about ready to be released on DVD. So when Carrie suggested that we pick this book for the January selection, it sounded like such a good idea. I love books that become movies, but I usually like to read it first. So, if you're like me and mostly see movies once on DVD, we only have one month to go.
Also - I need to know. How is Augusten pronounced? Is it AuGUSTin (as in Augustus Gloop) or AUGusten (as in August) or AuguSTEEN (as in Celestine, although I hate to use that word in case in brings up bad associations with the book Celestine Prophecy)?
And before I forget, I had a hard time finding a good wine pairing for this month. So after we get into the book, send me your suggestions for an appropriate pairing. Please note: "appropriate" is a very subjective word, and in this case it means practically nothing. I can't think of a single case where a pairing would be inappropriate.
New this month - Reviews:
"This book is not for the faint of heart. It's horrifying, depressing and extremely graphic, with a barely-happy-ending" - Some reader we don't know
"This books is utterly amazing, it is the breakthrough in cookie-cutter books. It is amazingly original." - Another reader we've never met
"I kinda of enjoyed this book but it was very disturbing in some parts and I have to say I did just want to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen next but I would have to say it would be one book I would throw away and not think twice about it." - Potentially bi-polar reviewer reviews book w/ bi-polar character, interesting
Augusten is pronounced AuGUSTen. He was interviewed on a local radio station a few months ago. I'm curious to hear your comments on this book.
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I think the appropriate wine here would be a bottle of Boone's Farm. The whole bottle. Not even in a glass.
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Wow, I'm actually READING the book club book this month. I picked up my copy from the library last week and sat down yesterday/last night and plowed through about 2/3 of it. Here are my thoughts so far:
1. All of the reviews on the back describe it as being sooo funny. While I find the book to be well-written overall, and the story certainly unique, I can't say that I find it to be all that funny. Tragicomedy, maybe. Comedy, no.
2. As I'm reading the explicit sex (and sexually abusive) scenes, I can't help but think that Jane Mitchell is reading this book. And then I feel as uncomfortable as I felt when I went to see Gangs of New York with my parents and was sitting in-between them during a big sex scene. Sheesh! As if reading about homosexual child abuse wasn't uncomfortable ENOUGH on its own -- I have to picture Mrs. Mitchell reading it, too!
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