Rating: 
Summary: Fools
Review: Listen, I'll admit for the record that I have OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), so it should come as no suprise that I found the the staggering content of Egger's book quite entertaining, and in another sense also very reassuring.
But what most of these 2-star reviewers have to realize is this: reality is not as easily packaged as you believe it is. Obviously this book stays true to its title, and most would agree that Eggers is a smart guy, but oh wait, "yeah, its staggering, I didn't like that aspect of the book." Of course you didn't like it, because that's what reality is like. You can read your Dickens and think that the incredible structure and grammar that went into Hard Times is completely necessary to convey any sort of truth about life, but the fact is that the human mind is incredibly complex, and although you might not want to admit it, Eggers is closer to a real representation of how people think than any Dickens would ever be. Why does everyone think they're so immune to this? Everyone uses humor to solve to desolve problems in life, why is this book doing anything so new? I just appreciate the sheer gall that Eggers has to put this stuff in your face, there it is, I'm not modifying it for you, the reader, and if I do, its because I cant deal with the reality of life at that point in time.
Do yourself a favor, 2-star raters, and go and rent Memento, it will all make sense.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the cynics.
Review: To date, I have purchased six copies of this book, and have to go out and buy a seventh. I keep giving this book to my friends to read, because I have never had a reading experience quite like this. It saddens me to read the reviews of all the cynics, you'll notice too that almost all of them refer to gen-X. Perhaps this book isn't suited with those angry at upcoming society, but rather is for those of us whom are younger, more curious, and more accepting. David Eggers takes us on his fabulous journey in which we never want to stop. His humor is unparalleled, and his story enthralling. If you can't stomach the changes in upcoming generations, don't buy this book. For the rest of you, I guarantee a true gem.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable!
Review: This book is a partly fictionalized memoir of a man in his twenties trying to raise his 11 year old brother in San Francisco, after their parents die within five weeks of each other. Eggers seems to be part of a still evolving larger trend which also includes David Foster Wallace (could that man get mentioned more often these days--he is so influential it seems) and David Sedaris. It would also include movies such as Ghost World and My First Mister. One reviewer alludes to this in the liner notes in this book, that it represents a shift out of the Age of Irony into the Next Age, whatever it is.This book is flippant and sarcastic, hilarious in the same way the Simpsons or Seinfeld were funny, but at heart Eggers makes clear in some unforgettable passages that he is not really joking around, he is angry at life and feels deeply unfulfilled by coyness and hipster urban life. This is where the book really shines, in the part about his return to his hometown suburb in the Chicago area, and how he seems to quest for something, always with an eye for how he is now perceived, and how everyone else has gotten on with their lives, and he seems to be the only one still trying to...to what? He can never see what. All this, and the endings of those movies I mentioned, and the ending of Infinite Jest, and of Sedaris's essays, they all end the same way, basically: it's OK to want to be happy and to finally settle down. There seems to be a great reluctance on the Gen-Xer's part to give up hipster status (I am 29 myself, so I feel that way to), but these works of art signal a shift, I believe, that wanting to be an adult, finally, after years of prolonged pseudo-adolescent posturing, is what feels good and what is the salve for our boredom with slacker culture. So then, this is a memoir of a young man growing up and coming to terms with life, of spreading his stance to take on life's full charge, and gazing around to see what is there. Mr. Eggers, you've written the hidden biography for many of us, I LOVED this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but what's missing - wait, I know!
Review: It is certainly convenient when an author addresses any possible criticism one could make of his work. Or even of himself. AHWOSG is certainly worth reading, if only because Dave Eggers has managed to produce a novel novel (pun somewhat intended - besides, the book is actually a sort of auto-memoir of sorts)that is bluntly and brutally self-aware. The many extras that Eggers adds, starting right from the copyright page and including his Rules for Enjoyment and the preface are fresh and clever and certainly hooked more than this reader. So I read the book. Upon finishing I was left with an odd, disjointed feeling that had nothing to do with any of the emotionally charged (and yes, tragic) events covered inside. After reflection, this is what I'm left with. I never got any feeling of the author's actual feelings about what had actually occurred to him; and a LOT happened to him. I never felt any hurt and sorrow come from the pages, though there was definite and recognizable anger as well as some grappling. But the book didn't seem to be about that. It seemed to be more about Eggers flaunting his version of literary prowess. He came off looking smug and condescending in my estimation. It doesn't take a genius to be self-referential. Even his PhotoShop-enhanced picture shows a man who appears to think he's too clever to be fooled by this jaded world and its ignorant throngs. Yeah, I know, I'm reading a lot in here. But his smugness and mocking condescension tended to detract from the sincerity of the book. If you aren't sure what I mean find yourself a copy of McSweeny's and you'll see what I'm talking about. If this comes across as needlessly mean-spirited it is only because a little more "heartbreak" and less "staggering genius" would have made for a more emotionally relevant book.
Rating: 
Summary: Most Hyped Book of the Year
Review: Literature is dead, and while Eggers might not have killed it, he his happily dancing on its grave. The book makes no attempt at anything, and it falls short. First are the acrid, gross descriptions of his mother during cancer, with snot running out of her nose. Then there are the chapters where Eggers is heading out in Berkley, looking for someone to touch his private parts. Then there's the five million page MTV interview. And in all of this, there is no recognizable plot, nor memmorable characters. Well I woudln't waste my money on it--I got as a gift from someone who had been duped by the conscienceless publishing/hype industry.
Rating: 
Summary: High hopes dashed on the rocks
Review: This is a frustrating book, to say the least. The forward and the first chapter are stunning pieces of writing, and through the course of the book, Eggers plays with different devices that add some sparkle. But, when all is said and done, the echoes of the echoes of the echoes become tiresome, and you find yourself wandering around in a verbal cul de sac, wondering if you'll ever be allowed to leave. While much of this book srikes a nerve on a personal level, Eggers seems to be trying too hard to become the voice of a generation.
Rating:
Summary: fairly boring
Review: Let's dissect the title of this one, shall we?
'Heartbreaking'. No it's not, Eggers loses both his parents at a young age, which is horrible, but then again, has happened to a lot of other people. The first part of the story, where these events are related, are certainly sad, but not heartbreaking.
'Genius'. No way. Eggers' writing is average, later in the book on the edge of boring.
'Staggering'. This word to me means something which will make me fall of my seat with surprise, awe or horror, but this one just made me fall asleep.
'Work'. I'm sure Eggers put a lot of work in it, but working hard on something doesn't make it good.
'Based on a true story'. Now, that's probably a fact, so this part of the title at least is accurate. I bought the hardback version of this book, after I'd read the introduction, which I thought was very funny. (It is) But somwhere in the introduction Eggers himself warns his readers that the story becomes 'kind of uneven' after page hundred-something. And sometimes it's a good idea to take an author at his word when he makes a claim about his book. After the introduction and the first quarter, the story deteriorates into toral boringness. Before I discovered this I found out that the paperback-version has an additional 50-or so pages and so I bought this too. So Eggers got money of me twice for a book which, in short, is not really worth reading. Someone had a hard youth. So what. Lot's of people do. Very few write books about it. And the few who do, in most cases, make a better job of it than Eggers.
Rating:
Summary: the only thing that would have made it better......
Review: would be if it had never ended. I read this book slowly. It took me months. I was scared to finish it. I didn't want to finish it. When I finally did, I started it over. This book was amazing. Not because of it's content but because of the writing style. This book just goes to prove it's not what you say but how you say it. And this book says it in a way that will keep you in stiches. A warning to the faint of heart. The first chapter or so is a bit hard to get through. But it's worth the effort. A definate must read.
Rating:
Summary: Eagerly Anticipating Eggers' Next Staggering Work of Genius
Review: The reading of this book was pure mind candy - the turning of each page delivering one sumptuous morsel after another. Please Dave ... we need more of your wit, your frantic intelligent pace, your honesty and yes more of your delightful (at times) demented humour and most of all the creative boldness you have unleashed on the literary world. You have said so much I am, weeks after finishing your work, still revelling in all its profundity. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Rating: 
Summary: Started with a bang and petered out
Review: I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. I found it gripping and interesting and read the first hundred pages in an hour. And after that? Well, I felt like this writer was just too fond of himself and so certain that once he explained himself, we would love him. That sounds harsh, but I found that I read the second half of the book simply because I had already committed so much. I am not recommending this.
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