Dads gone wild

I am mesmerized by Augusten Burroughs. This guy has had quite a life and knows how to tell his story in a hilariously acerbic fashion. You may know him from his first memoir Running with Scissors. But he’s also written several other books chronicling his battle with alcoholism and other aspects of his life (Dry, Magical Thinking, Possible Side Effects).

In his latest memoir Wolf at the Table, Burroughs gets a little darker (ok, a whole lot darker) in describing his father; a distant, unaffectionate, alcoholic, perhaps even psychotic man. This was a man who played cruel head games with his son including (possibly) killing and tortuing some of his pets. Burroughs was a sensitive, loving, artistic child and only wanted his father’s love. He writes in anguished detail about how far his father went to withhold that love, even on his deathbed.

If you’ve enjoyed Burrough's other books, I would recommend this one to get more of his story, but be prepared: you won’t be laughing much.

To find this book in the Library go to our catalog at www.ci.newberg.or.us/library

Reviewed by Lori M.