I'll be honest - I was in a long love/hate relationship with The Glass Castle.
The Love:
Jeannette Walls is a pretty decent writer
Some parts were interesting
I LOVE that she didn't let her parents get in the way of her goals
I LOVE that she got out of Welch, West Virginia, and never looked back
The Hate:
I wanted to punch Jeannette's parents in the face, always
Especially her mom
Lots of parts were boring
It took me FOREVER to finish
I hated their lifestyle (ie. never fulfilling their obligations/"skedaddling")
In the end, it was a unique book. I've never heard of anyone living the way she did (and being normal afterward)...
Favorite Quotes:
Professor Fuchs: "Is homelessness the result of drug abuse and misguided entitlement programs, as the conservatives claim, or is at, as the liberals argue, because of cuts in social service programs and the failure to create economic opportunity for the poor."
Jeannette: "Sometimes, I think, it's neither."
"I had escaped from Welch once, and now, breathing in those same old smells of turpentine, dog hair, and dirty clothes, of stale beer and cigarette smoke and unrefrigerated food slowly going bad, I had the urge to bolt."
Currently Reading:
Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, by Gerd Gigerenzer
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It was a grind to read - the daily diary sort of stuff. I suppose it was necessary, but we got the picture. I did like the trip in the U-Haul - actually not far from some of the stuff the Niven Clan did.
ReplyDeleteI loved the parents. They were consistent and I believe that's one of the most important things in raising chillun'. Most importantly they appeared to have the IQ horesepower to give the kids the ability to reason for themselves.
I thought about raising you and Drew in this manner, but couldn't get your mother to agree. However, I may take Drew in that direction in the next couple of months.
The parents were terrible. They were completely irresponsible and the mom was such a whiner. There is a simple solution if you don't want kids - abortion. That solves the problem.
ReplyDeleteBut, they did want kids. And, the manner in which they raised them was a manner they thought appropriate. Again, I think consistency won out in this case; however, basic intelligence is pretty important.
ReplyDeleteThe parents never seemed to make themselves out to be anything other than what they were. They knew it, the kids knew it and the community knew it.
I disagree. The father was always bullshiting his children. And he never kept his promises. And the mother was so self-centered...
ReplyDeleteYes to that; however, they were consistent - there was no doubt that the dad was a liar and the mother a nut.
ReplyDeleteYour cousins Nikki and Jamie were abandoned by their parents at about 10 and 13. I asked Nikki why they turned out so normal and weren't rebellious. She said quite simply that it forced them to bond because it was them or nobody - no reason to rebel 'cause nobody was looking. That's the same thing about the Ass Castle - it brings out character.
Of course this begs the question as to whether life would have been better with solid parents. I'd assume the answer is yes. Kris bragged about Nikki advancing through school and graduating at 16, etc. The issue is - so what happened? I, for my own sanity, feel that parental support is important.
O.K., so you're right - the parents were tools and should be left in the dumpster.
Yes. I'm glad you've come to see my point.
ReplyDelete