Running With Scissors

I just finished the book Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. First I should let you know that there is nothing technical and no business lesson in the book. It is simply a memoir of the author's thoroughly screwed up adolescence.

The book is a quick read. I finished it in less than a week, reading only on the train during my commute (when I was not sleeping). There is no cohesive plot, and virtually no character development or plot tension. Instead each chapter reads like a short story. You could easily skip around the book, like a Quentin Tarantino movie, without confusion.

Each little tale is interesting, humorous, and disturbing all at once. And the strong gay theme makes the book a bit uncomfortable. I probably wouldn't have read much more than a chapter, but curiosity over what could happen next kept me going.

I don't care much for Burroughs' writing. He seems to waste words drifting off on tangents. And the characters are so underdeveloped that the reader forms no attachments. Reading the epilog was no more interesting than reading a newspaper article. With all the craziness, you'd think the author would express some passion, but instead he drones on almost completely detached.

I found the book entertaining enough to finish. But I would not recommend it. Save your summer reading for authors who pour passion into their work.