Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing. Compassionate. Moving.
Review: I don't recall reading another book where my jaw dropped for 200 pages. Equal parts shocking, horrifying and disturbing, the truly amazing thing is how Burroughs turns his tale into a story that makes you want to come back even when you're afraid to see what's around the next corner. He paints a compassionate picture of how the human spirit can survive most anything. It's an incredible work and one of the best of the memoir genre.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS is supposed to be funny?
Review: This was one of the most perverse, depressing books I have ever read. I had an advanced reader's copy of this book and read it February 2002; I was shocked to see it actually published and in demand. I would not recommend it to anyone sensitive to childhood abuse, suicide or child molestation. To me these are serious issues and are nowhere near the realm of "hilarious."
Rating:
Summary: A good read....but didn't see the humor
Review: I know this book is reviewed as being "funny" but I must have missed the funny parts. I just didn't find myself laughing or smiling at any of it. It was a quick read, very interesting but I found that I felt sorry for this child. A lot of what happens is when he is 13. Since my own children are around that age, I just couldn't get over his treatment by his mother or father. What was so funny about his mother signing over her parental rights to a loony psychologist? I loved the book..just didn't find it's funny parts.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartbreaking Freakshow of Staggering Something or Other
Review: Given the first few chapters, I already wanted to like this fascinating and tragic memior of a boy coming of age with an Anne Sexton-like mother and a gothic shrink family bent on challenging societal norms (often at the risk of both mental health and sanitary conditions). Burrough's bratty yet deadpan descriptions of complete chaos, both the family and himself, are what make for a great read - and I found this compelling up until about 1/3 of the book, where it seemed to fall apart. The book turns into freakshow mode and we're still waiting for some gruesome denoument to come from all of this, leaving Burrough's constant conjecture of possibly wanting to be "normal", or at least acknowledge that his situation isn't "normal" (which, by 70's standards for the freakish children of many communes, remains a debatable question).
Sedaris and Eggers have covered this area with obvious success, and have prompted the trend in publishing quirky biographies, however they both also bring their own personality, character and development into their work. I didn't get that from Burroughs as much - he felt like a passsenger observing the trainwreck of his family and taking too much time to point out period details (yes, we certainly get the point it was late 70's - but there was a timelessness to this story as well).
With source material as good as this - it seems he should have developed the outline a bit more than talking about hair conditioner.
Rating:
Summary: Puts things in perspective
Review: Wow! I found myself laughing out loud on the bus rides to and from work. I bet people were curious about the book, especially with its wonderfully outrageous cover. (A coworker decided to read the book based on the cover alone, particularly the Neal Pollack quote "A hell of a book or a book about hell, or both!") I do agree with the positive reviews. My own experiences with a dysfunctional, homophobic upbringing in Littleton, Colorado (amongst other places) pales in comparison. Not that I should compare myself to Mr. Burroughs. But his humor goes a long way in depicting the horrifying and bizarre happenings from his youth. I'll bet this book finds its way into high school speech competitions in the near future. It'll have oral interp judges rolling their eyes along with all those Neil Simon plays!
Rating:
Summary: Hysterical
Review: One of the best books I've read! Unbelievably disturbing, but with a constant humorous tone.
Rating:
Summary: I guess I really am normal
Review: You know, everyone complains about how strange their families are, and I'm no exception. My family has stories, but after reading this, I guess I really am normal. ... Although the subject matter is fairly disturbing, I think the book is ultimately uplifting and humorous. Burroughs uses dark humor to make his subject matter easier to handle, but he really does show how horrible and stifling his childhood was. The characters are very developed, and the author is extremely insightful and reflective. However, if you don't like dealing with graphic sexuality, I would recommend not reading this. If, on the other hand, that doesn't really bother you, you'll read this in about 2 or 3 days.
Rating: 
Summary: Good writing, yet reaches too hard for raunch
Review: When I saw the comparisons to David Sedaris I thought I would love this book. A lot of it is witty and well worded, but at times the author seems to want the shock factor more than the story. Some disgusting details could have been left to the imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific - warped - tragic - hilarious.
Review: What if George and Martha's son hadn't been imaginary? What if, after the divorce, they signed over legal guardianship to the Addams family? After finishing this crazy quilt of a memoir, most readers will wonder how Burroughs survived.The reason this memoir works so well is that the author doesn't seem at all bitter about his past. His writing is inspired, informed and infused with a sardonic humor which makes the most outrageous and harrowing accounts of family dysfunction palatable. This is an extremely funny book about topics often considered taboo. Both poignant and disturbing in it depiction of a family torn asunder by mental illness and emotional depravation, "Running with Scissors" nevertheless offers a rare and wonderful look at the nuclear family - after the explosion.
Rating:
Summary: Running With Scissors-literally
Review: The book was recommended to me on my yahoo. I read it in two hourse flat. Unable to put it down. Being a non american, it never fails to amaze me how messed up people's lives can be here. This family however took the cake. The most dysfunctional family I have yet to see. I kept flipping to the front cover to check if I missed out any disclaimers. Kudos to author Burroughs for coming out as such a superb writer inspite of so many problems. Parents,doctor,friend. Everybody had a small and significant role to play in Augusten's life. And the series of events following the divorce kept you turning the pages at an unimaginable rate to see what surprise is in store.
A must read for everyone-fiction lovers as well as thos who look down on fiction. If you are the kind who thinks your life is a mess- read this and get inspired to make something of your life!
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