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A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father
written by Augusten Burroughs
Studio : St. Martin's Press
by St. Martin's Press
Release Date : 2008-04-29
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
Released : 2008-04-29
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780312342029
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 99 reviews)
List Price : $24.95
Our Price : $12.85
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Product Description |
“As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing we’d ever done together as father and son, and I promised not to tell. But unlike most dreams, the memory of this one never left me. And sometimes…I wasn’t altogether sure about one thing: was it just a dream?” When Augusten Burroughs was small, his father was a shadowy presence in his life: a form on the stairs, a cough from the basement, a silent figure smoking a cigarette in the dark. As Augusten grew older, something sinister within his father began to unfurl. Something dark and secretive that could not be named. Betrayal after shocking betrayal ensued, and Augusten’s childhood was over. The kind of father he wanted didn’t exist for him. This father was distant, aloof, uninterested… And then the “games” began. With A Wolf at the Table, Augusten Burroughs makes a quantum leap into untapped emotional terrain: the radical pendulum swing between love and hate, the unspeakably terrifying relationship between father and son. Told with scorching honesty and penetrating insight, it is a story for anyone who has ever longed for unconditional love from a parent. Though harrowing and brutal, A Wolf at the Table will ultimately leave you buoyed with the profound joy of simply being alive. It’s a memoir of stunning psychological cruelty and the redemptive power of hope. |
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Americancivilwar.com |
Americancivilwar Significant Seven, April 2008: When I started reading A Wolf at the Table, I thought I knew what to expect. Augusten Burroughs captures intense experience with an inexplicably cool remove, imparting a stillness and purity to emotions that would likely run amok in anyone else's hands. I love this quality of his writing, and it's present in full force in this memoir of a childhood spent in thrall to a predatory and deeply unpredictable father. What I wasn't prepared for was the suspense--the dread-filled, nearly sonorous waiting for the worst to happen. An artful sort of bait-and-switch happens in the telling: Burroughs brings you to the brink of a terrible catharsis more than once, but the break in tension never comes. It is profoundly sad, remarkably tender, and fueled by a sense of love and reverence that only a child knows. --Anne Bartholomew
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Audiobook truly unique and heart wrenching |
Unlike many reviewers, this is the first book I have read by Augusten Burroughs and I understand it is a serious departure from his other books (of which I plan to read of course!). I listened to the audiobook read by the author, containing many original songs written by artists at special request by Burroughs, in direct response to reading the book. The music concept was great and Burroughs did an excellent job reading this book; you could feel every scrap of emotion as he recounted some pretty horrible experiences with his biological father.
One thing this book did for me is draw a clear separation between having a flawed or dysfunctional parent versus having a flawed parent who is completely void of attachment or emotion. I could totally relate to the beating of the head against an emotional brick wall and the salivating desire to gain parental approval at almost any cost. Many of us have experienced a parent's disapproval or disappointment, perhaps non-acceptance of a lifestyle choice, but even these things are bearable if there is some sort of underlying love there. But this man did not love his son,(indeed was incapable of loving anyone) and seemed to actually gain pleasure from seeing his son struggle with his rejection and odd, scary behavior. I can completely understand why Burroughs believes this guy is evil - if the examples in the book are accurately described, it is clear the man was heartless; "soulless".
Burroughs got a bum deal in the father department and even though his resulting struggles may have helped him become a stronger, empathetic and creative person (a "soul" survivor), I cannot help but be absolutely enraged and devastated on his behalf. That primary need for nurturing and unconditional love that can only be bestowed by a loving parent leaves a hole in the heart that must be constantly self-tended. The adult Burroughs seems to have come into his own and found some peace. But that foundation that should have been laid solid and strong, packed and finished with love and tenderness by his parents, will always have to be checked for flaws, weaknesses and pitfalls. Burroughs' father neglected his son's soul the way he neglected the deck of his childhood home. Nothing can replace the father he should have had and Burroughs justly mourns this. Ironically, that quality which his father lacked (empathy) is owned by Burroughs in abundance and is exactly what makes this legacy so painful for him, and this book so heartwrenching for the reader. The little kid in me can't help but shriek, "THAT SUCKS AND IT IS SO UNFAIR!!"
So Augusten - here is my message to you: you are okay, you are enough just as you are, you were a good boy and you were a great son and you deserved so much better. Your father missed out on the wonder that is you. :-( Children are a gift given to us for such a short time and we have so much power to screw them up. Let Burroughs book remind us all to cherish our children consciously and raise them with love, understanding, knowledge and grace. |
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All Augusten Burroughs book are brilliant |
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This one gives us some insight on the cruelty that he only hinted at in his previous books. The behavior of his father is so incredibly mean that it could only be pure evil or mental ilness. I still am not sure which. Doesnt matter now. His footprint may not have been on his sons rearends literally but it was figuratively. My only problem with this book that it is fairly short. I really love his writing and cant get enough of it. I like the funnier books better I guess, but really, how funny can a book be when it features a pet killing parent. Bravo Augusten for surviving your childhood! |
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This book gave me chills |
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I just finished reading this book last night and I am still thinking about it. I love Augusten's humorous books but this book will really reach out and grab you. It is a very brutal look at how it would be to be a child raised by a cruel emotionally abusing parent. |
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Augusten? Is that you? |
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For anyone used to Burroughs' quick self-epreciating humor and looking for a laugh, this book is not for you. I had to keep checking the cover to make sure I was reading the right author. In the end, I was thankful for my own father, but a little sorry I read this book. |
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Sick Father |
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I don't know how you get through a childhood of such disappointment and uncertainty. I'm just glad you were able to write about it and share your childhood with the public. I really enjoyed reading this book even though the story was so dour. I feel grateful of my childhood when I read this type of memoir. |
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