Running with Scissors
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Who doesn’t love a good memoir about someone else’s insane life that makes you feel better about your own?
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is different from memoirs I’ve reviewed in the past because it is simultaneously horrifying and hilarious. Memoirs like Educated and The Glass Castle are very well-written but they don’t make me laugh. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City is a funny memoir, but Burroughs’ tone more closely matches that of David Sedaris. It’s a dry, matter-of-fact humor that doesn’t shy away from making fun of the macabre.
Burroughs’ book is interesting because his life is interesting. When his psychotic, narcissistic mother and his cruel, neglective father got tired of him, they sent him to be raised by his mother’s unconventional psychiatrist, Dr. Finch. Dr. Finch was a malpractice magnet who flew under the radar for way too long. So, Burroughs endured abuse in all different forms under the guise of “freedom”. Dr. Finch believed that a child became independent at 13 and could make their own choices entirely (even if those choices were illegal and terribly unsafe).
In reflecting on his past, Burroughs embraces the eccentricity of his upbringing while acknowledging the scars it inflicted upon him. He’s able to punctuate his crazy stories with real insight as to his emotions at the time. He describes his feelings concisely but poetically. I mostly admire his ability to turn tragedy into comedy. He’s obviously the victim, but he’s not letting his story be told exclusively in that light.
My only substantive complaint is that the ending is a bit abrupt. We see a lot of the abuse and then only get a tiny glimpse into how he managed to get out of the cycle. I understand that life is not packaged so neatly, but I do wish he had continued telling us his journey. Still, I like that there’s an epilogue clarifying everyone’s present-day status. Overall, I enjoyed Burroughs’ unapologetic rendition of the shit the people in his life subjected him to, and Running with Scissors receives 4 out of 5 flames.
