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Summary: DON'T WASTE MONEY ON THIS BOOK
Review: If you have an IQ above room temperature or any idea in your head that people are somehow responsible for the state of their lives, don't read this book. In fact, if you like fine writing, or even adequate writing, don't bother with this book. The volume is a heaping helping of tears and middle-class angst that details the author's incredibly brief tenure as disposable sex object to a highly overrated writer, and the ramifications of this event in her later life. Maynard's existence climaxed during her affair with Salinger; everything else, like this book, is merely coasting after-the-fact.
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Summary: A beautifully told tale, written wtih grace and beauty.
Review: Five stars? How about ten. Twenty. Thirty...I rarely keep a book once I finish it. I either give it away or tuck it away - in a closet, in a box, high up on some shelf. I might glimpse at a book's spine while passing by, and fondly remember the time we spent together - but that's usually about it. "At Home in the World" is the exception. It hasn't left my night table, the place where I keep my most essential and prized possessions. It has taught me much. Joyce's clarity, her conciseness in getting her point across is truly a gift. She writes with astounding objectivity and honesty about her life - NOT AN EASY THING TO DO! Her very unique, conversational, intimate tone, instantly makes one feel as if she is a very good friend - confiding in you about her life. But, be forewarned - she is not looking for advice or affirmation - she is already strong and clear-headed in thought. Her style of writing is very beautiful, fluid, direct. She is an extremely talented wordsmith. One scene still nags at me - as fresh in memory as the when I first read the book - almost a year ago. It was when J.D. Salinger (the reclusive, renowned writer of "Catcher in the Rye," with whom Joyce had a nine month relationship) dismisses Joyce, rather abruptly, from his life - all while vacationing in Florida with her and his two young children. "This girl needs to go to the airport, he says, easing me into the backseat as one would a very frail, elderly person." A frail, elderly nineteen year old? The image is haunting. Daytona Beach. A place known for its sunshine and blue skies. A place where a young heart was smashed to smithereens. Not always, but most of the time, I want to get something in return for my investment of time spent reading. I need to take away with me, once I've read the very last word, something that enlightens me, teaches me, updates, if you will, my PHILOSOPHY ON LIFE. Here it is: Life is tough, difficult, fraught with pain, loss, rejection, unfairness - cruelty. Life is also, briefly, very briefly - peppered with moments of joy, euphoric happiness. Joyce's story reaffirms all this - mirrors, in a universal way, all our lives. She is one of us. She triumphs of course, as a winner always must do. She does not give up. She remains unjaded, unbitter, positive, compassionate - her spirit very much intact. "At Home in the World" is a beautifully told tale, written with amazing grace and beauty.
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Summary: Sorry, but this is for the Oprah, Rosie O'Donnell crowd.
Review: Are you sure this is the woman who wrote "To Die For"? Not in the same ballpark this book. I can't believe anyone has the time or inclination to sit down and plod through this woman's life. Yes, it is unusually depressing but for heaven's sake, does that a book make?? And, I don't understand the strange title. Because she has finally said nah-nah to her old boyfriend, she is now comfortable with herself and her place in the world? Sheesh. Settle this stuff within yourself, don't drag old boyfriends into the therapy. I found the writing as difficult as the title. Where is the spirit that turned out "To Die For"? But, I guess this is the stuff that sells : Victimhood, self-help salve, and whining about the 'rents. I don't buy it though, none of it.
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Summary: discussion of the reaction to my book, and reader's guide
Review: From the comments posted here and in the press, it's clear my memoir inspires controversy and discussion, with passionate feelings on both sides. Although many (including many who have never read the book) characterize it as "that book about Salinger", a careful reader will discover that At Home in the World deals with a far broader subject: growing up in a troubled family, the relationship of a young girl and her mother, the obligation felt by so many young women to win approval and seek acceptance from powerful men, and the devastation created when one such young woman fails to achieve those things. Far more than Salinger, the subject of my book, truly, is shame, and secret-keeping. Whatever you think about At Home in the World , the book raises questions about a writer's obligation to protect people whose lives have intersected with hers. More than that, it raises the question of what, ultimately, is a writer's job and mission: To tell the truth, or to tell as much of the truth as won't upset anybody, or tarnish any icons? Clearly, many here and elsewhere have differed on those issues. The new paperback edition of At Home inthe World also features an afterword written by me, talking about what has happened since the book's original publication in fall of '98. Also new to the paperback edition is a reprint of the 1972 New York Times article, "An Eighteen Year Old Looks Back on Life", which prompted J. D. Salinger to seek me out in the first place. It is not without a certain embarrassment that I reproduce writing from 27 years ago, that differs drastically from what I would produce now. But since a significant part of the story I tell in my memoir was touched off by the publication of that piece, I thought readers would want to see it. And for any young person --high school or college age--I think it will be fascinating to hear what someone of their parents' generation was saying about her growing up experiences back when she was their age.
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Summary: This book changed my life
Review: At Home In the World is a very honest account of a life. Ms. Maynard looks at herself, her beliefs, goals, values, and how her family and others influenced her to become the person she is. Reading this book truly gave me a sense of myself-a feeling of being at peace with who I am. Ms. Maynard is honest in her accounting of a less than perfect family. I received the message that the shame of a dysfunctional family doesn't have to be carried around for a lifetime. Others will glean their own personal insights. No longer am I grappling with "I-should-be-this" "I-wish-I-were-that" I truly feel more "At Home in The World" As far as the Salinger thing, it's hardly worth mentioning. The book is more about breaking free of our self-made binds and the expectations of others and living a life for ourselves.
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Summary: Intelligent, brave and enriching. Wonderful.
Review: At Home in the World is an absolutely amazing coming-of-age odyssey. For just piercing observation and the capturing of life's nuances alone, this is one of the best autobiographies I have read. But it soars beyond memoir and delivers far more than insights into the personal life of J.D. Salinger. This is foremost a heartbreaking cautionary tale about the dangers of repressing shame, risks of interpersonal manipulation, and the emotional devastation that can stem from power imbalances within intimate relationships, particularly those involving young adults. It also speaks volumes about the vulnerabilities and contradictions faced by girls in our culture. (Anyone who liked Reviving Ophelia must read this book.) One of the most powerful aspects of the book, paradoxically, is its understated writing style. Joyce Maynard has an enviable gift of being able to relate emotionally amped personal experiences in a tempered, eloquently subdued tone. Her narration almost seems to run in the background. What this does is permit the lessons and compelling revelations from her life to quietly rise to the surface and subtly but potently merge with the reader's. At Home In the World is one of the most emotionally involving books out there; it awakens much within the alert reader. Maybe it's the dignity within AHITW that partly explains why it has engendered so much controversy. (Actually an entire other book could be written analyzing the explosive responses to this memoir and to Joyce Maynard herself, and what it reveals about some of our baser cultural values.) In this day of shrill, tabloid-style kiss-and-tells, I'm guessing more than a few critics were angry and disappointed that Ms. Maynard didn't produce a juicier, rancorous memoir chock-a-block with shocking insights and salacious four-poster details about America's most reclusive writer. Instead, I found her treatment of Salinger to be respectful -- where it was deserved -- and even-handed. This is an admirably fair and dignified recollection of an intolerant and controlling talent who appears to have had few qualms about exercising his power to beckon, transform and mentally imprison teenage girls. And then devastatingly dismiss them. In short, a man who seems to have some irregularities in his Rorschachs. Joyce Maynard is a daring writer and At Home in the World is an astonishing accomplishment. Ms. Maynard makes a relentless search for truth that both inspires and challenges us to search for our own truth. Her writing of this book was an act of heroism: for teenage girls and their parents, for women, for men, for us all. At Home in the World is wise, insightful and constructed with heartrending skill. Enriching and disturbing, it will stay with the reader for a long, long time.
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Summary: Great read. Serious but also has humor. Thought-provoking.
Review: I had heard a lot about this story and this writer, Ms. Joyce Maynard. I wanted to see for myself and I'm glad I decided to read this book, "At Home In The World." It was tough to stop reading because each time I felt it was serious and made me think, I couldn't put the story down due to something humorous or freshly observant that would follow. Whether it be relationships I am in (personal, business), concerns about work and time for family or what it takes to learn from the past and yet not be bitter about the present and future, Ms. Maynard tackles all of it. I loved the book and I am a guy who is pretty diverse in my interests when it comes to literature. On a similar note, I would add that I think "At Home In The World" is great for male or female readers because the themes are mostly about a human who tries to deal with family and work and expectations and some sorrow and a lot of funny experiences. I didn't feel it was a female story (though she is most defintely a woman). It is a tale about a woman who is a breadwinner, single-parent, entrepreneur, writer, sibling, teacher and friend to many. I am probably going to give it as a gift to my mother in her late 50's, my colleague who is a female business executive in her 30's and to my friends (married couple) who are mid 40's while working as co-breadwinners who succeed, sometimes struggle, laugh through their kids, enjoy but worry about their own parents and examine their collective pasts and presents. Plus, I don't think any of the above need any more self-help books or soccer balls. "At Home" is a story about someone who never gives up and makes everyone, including herself, better, more courageous and able to laugh at the odd ironies of past and present.
Rating:
Summary: facile writing; bad book
Review: Ms Maynard has written a self-serving book -- she attributes her problems to (1) her parents,(2) J. D. Salinger, and (3) her husband. She should have taken some responsibilty and found a good therapist. Her gratuitous name-dropping (e.g., Garry Trudeau)was annoying. And her claim that she was the "voice of our generation" - I am a year older than she - seems strange; I had not heard of her before this book, nor had any of my friends from university days.
Rating: 
Summary: The writing is hurried.
Review: This book reads like the author dashed it off in an evening. It just doesn't seem cohesive or well put together. I found several parts interesting, for instance the first chapters are a very good description of a dysfunctional family. The latter two-thirds of the book just seemed jumbled together with no center.
Rating:
Summary: Why in the world should I care?
Review: A poorly written poor-me story. This woman needs to quit reliving her poorly lived past and get cracking on getting herself a real life. A life where she takes full responsibility for everything SHE does and the consequences ensuing. Now that might be worth reading. She better hurry. She also needs to learn to write in a way that doesn't sound flat and zombie like. She should have finished school
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