I just finished The Glass Castle last week and our book group will be discussing it tomorrow night.

I was not disappointed with anything in this book. Often I enjoy a story until it gets to the end where the author feels they have to quickly and neatly tidy everything up. This book had a believable ending.

Jodi-

My book club also read this book last year. Jodi, I will be interested to hear how your discussion progresses. My club thought much of the book was "enhanced" a la A Million Little Pieces.

PAM

I am just finishing this memoir and liked it much better than I'd imagined I would. The family will certainly stay in my mind. And what a vivid portrait of the town of Welch, West Virginia. ( I lived in W.VA for 3 years and the experience was unforgettable).

I wish others who have read this would post commentaries....

We did discuss this at one point-don't know why it gell off the edge of the earth.

The Glass Castle was one of my favorite reads this year. I agree, although the hardships and living conditions were at times horrendous, I never felt that the book was depressing. In fact, it was quite humorous at times.
As for whether it was enhanced or not.....I find it hard to believe many memoirs are not enhanced in some way or another. For example, how can a person remember dialogue spoken 30 years prior? It doesn't much matter to me as long as it is a good read :)

I agree that most memoirs would have to be "enhanced", as you say. Possibly, one of the functions of a good book editor? The Glass Castle, IMHO, had a positive message, at the end. The 4 kids made it out of that dysfunctional family with their wits and decency still intact. I found it inspiring in the way they were loyal to each other, as siblings, and unified in their goals and values.

I liked this so much better than "Angela's Ashes", which is similar, but perhaps that is because I am American, not Irish. BTW, I am surprised I have not heard rumors of a movie being made of Walls' work. I think it would make an interesting film....

I enjoyed this memoir, and read it on the heels of another, The Liar's Club by Mary Karr, about her dysfunctional family. It was interesting to compare and contrast the two tales. I do marvel at the human spirit, and how people (children) can survive and persevere in such long-term difficult situations.

It doesn't bother me that some of the dialogue or exchanges may be reconstructed or embroidered. I assume the essence of the story is true, and read it for the spirit of the story.

I just finished this book. Perhaps some of it was "enhanced," but it was all (sadly) believable.

It puzzled me that there was so little resentment expressed by the children, even as adults.

I thought the book was well written and provided a very smooth reading experience with no need ever to go back and re-read something.

Woodnymph, I also enjoyed it more than Angela's Ashes. That one, as I recall it now, at several years' distance, was truly grim, but there was a redeeming humor in "Glass Castle" that was missing in "Ashes."

The fact that the parents were living according to their own ideals also made what their children had to bear seem (to me, at least) not quite so awful. I couldn't help smiling when I found that, even at the end of the book, they were still insisting on living their lives that way, and their daughter had come to terms with it. Sad, but it somehow left me feeling uplifted.

I hope I haven't misremembered anything about it and made a stupid comment; it's been a few years since I had it from the library.

Yes, it would make a very interesting movie! But perhaps not enough violent action and sex to sell well? (I am being cynical!)