Rating: 
Summary: I could not finish it
Review: The author summed it up in the beginning.I paraphrase -- The first 123 pages are mildly interesting and the rest is unnecessary. Dave is a good writer, although all over the place, but honestly, I felt the book was a waste of money.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartbroken? No. Staggered? Yes.
Review: I was excited when I sat down to read this book, and the elongated preface didn't disappoint. I found it amusing and witty, and it made me look forward to a similar story. Yet, when I reached the actual novel, I found the subject matter to be so serious that I became angry and disappointed with Eggers for such a glib prologue. The writing is good, and often engaging, but there seems to be a hint of mistruth and game-playing behind it all. That just doesn't fly in a memior. Plus, the passges containing monologue-ish stream of consciousness can be unbearably long.
Rating: 
Summary: Anything But Ironic
Review: Dave Eggers is the voice of Generation X. He probably would not agree with this...would probably detest the very idea of it. And that's exactly why he's the perfect person for the job. Everyone who falls into this generation detests the title. It's become more of a corporate slogan than any kind of defining term. It's original definition was well intended but it has since abandoned the idea of obscuirty. Over the years it has solidified, taken shape into something it should never have become. Now it's Pepsi and Burger King...it's rollerblades and MTV. It's spelling "extreme without the first "e". But it is most definitely not our generation. While we embrace these elements we strive not to be defined by them. We surf the net and use laptops. We know more about the Brady's then we do our own family history. We loved Winona Ryder in "Heathers" but detest everything she's done since. (This last one might not be true of the entire generation but I thought it was worth mentioning) We enjoy these things but they are not us. So, then who are we exactly? How does one go about defining Generation X? Reading "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" is a step in the right direction.
This is Eggers' story. A biography? Well, kind of. Fiction based on actual events? Sort of...but not really. Collected essays on his day to day life that also serve as social commentary? Yes, but that seems a bit much, doesn't it? The truth is the book is all of these things and none of these things. It is humorous (the reviews claiming it is a "laugh-out-loud" read are true...unless you never laugh out loud at books which would be sad), tragic, poignant and completely and intentionaly self conscious. Eggers writes in, what feels like, a free-form, conversational style that can be both entertaining and confusing. Not to say that the narrative wanders aimlessly. Far from it. Eggers knows how to keep the reader engaged. He tells a well-thought out story and his characters/friends are suprisingly well rounded portrayals. These are personalities you will be curious about long after the book ends. Like MTV's "The Real World", a show that gets a lot of mention in a hilarous "interview" chapter, the book offers a glimpse into someone elses world. We are inside of Eggers' head throughout the whole thing. Emotions and thoughts, concerns and opinions crowd every sentence of the book. It's eloquent and muddled. It's mean-spirited and regretful. It's dramatic and mundane. It's exploitive and genuine. It's everything "The Real World" wishes it could be but rarely achieves. And while this is, without a doubt, a very personal work it speaks to and for a generation. Eggers' concerns and fears as well as his joys and celebrations are all of ours. In his own rambling way he has beautifully defined Generation X, a generation of people who seek out definiton while detesting the very idea of being defined. Even with all of the books shortcomings it is still satisfying and informing. In fact, the very inclusion of indulgent passages and wandering stories only strengthens his point and makes the authors words all the more endearing. Confused? Don't be. But do be curious to read the book. It will be time well spent.
Rating: 
Summary: Dave Eggers: You are reading this, maybe. My thoughts...
Review: Dave Eggers-
This book had some pure, wonderful, and insightful moments. my favorite bit was "remember! the tall glasses are for soft drinks!" i laughed out loud during that part, harder than i have ever laughed at a book before. well maybe not, but i laughed pretty hard (notice how i can't say a certain word that you overuse in the book, to accede "pretty?").No, wait. The best moment in the book is when you say the name:
Crispin Glover.
I absolutely laughed the hardest ever when I read that.
You should have said George McFly after it though.
Typo or did you say "Marty McFly" on purpose, because its a funny name?
If its a typo, because Crispin Glover plays George McFly, you should make the change and reprint the book. I read the second half with incredible speed. Maybe it was just to finish it, to see what kind of elaborate ending you would put together. I was expecting fireworks. The first chapter is undoubtedly the best. As close to perfection as most get. Most people could take that and read it as an excellent short story. The chapter with the loss of the wallet is great too. The chapter with the mtv interview- I liked that too. I could appreciate the lake forest locations, i worked on western avenue last summer, i saw waveland, i rode down green bay road. I expect you, more than most anyone, to come on here, to leave a "comment from the artist," to see what everybody thinks about you.
I'd do it. What you've produced though, is an impressive work. I do admit that you should have edited it down to half of its size. I know that there are a lot of tiny subtleties and symbols and brilliant imagery, but this could have been an incredibly strong, tight work. Your methods are creative and hilarious. My favorite is the sexual orientation scale, which a lot of people will miss. I liked it. I felt like giving it 3 stars but amazon.com rating are always a little higher than they should be, so I'll keep things the way they are.
Rating: 
Summary: a disappointing work of ambitious intent
Review: Eggers takes a lot of chances with the autobiographical format, but this book is ultimatly unsatisfying. There are moments of brilliance, but most of these are tucked away in the addendums and notes in the preface. Eggers uses language cleverly and the imagined conversations are someof the most reavealing sections of the text. I may have enjoyed the book more if the last few pages didn't insult the reader's intelligence.
Rating:
Summary: One of my TOP TEN reads of 2001
Review: I LOVED all over this book from cover to cover. Don't know if you'll like it, but it's style makes me smile just thinkin' about it.
Rating:
Summary: Pointless and Irritating
Review: I'm about a hundred pages into this, and it's very bad. Eggers enjoys providing every gruesome and messy detail of his mother's death, and seems to believe that he can write a good book simply by writing more and more and more. This book really needs an editor, or something. It's easy to read, but the light bulb never really goes on. Not worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: A pathetic work of staggering egomania
Review: I am 25 and I read a lot. I have read many many novels in my short life. However I can say with absolute certainty that this is the most horrible upsetting book I have ever read in my entire life. I cannot believe how arrogant and self-important this book is. I hate this book so much because it pretends to be sincere then explodes into the most obnoxious and annoying self-championing babble that I have ever read. Perhaps I am not writing this review eloquently because I cannot clear my mind enough to write non-emotionally. ...PLEASE DO NOT READ [THIS BOOK]!!!
Rating:
Summary: Is this an attempt at recreating Holden Caulfield in the 90s
Review: The book started off tediously bogged down in self indulgent explanations of how to approach it. Interest rose a little once the story got underway but then fell in a hole during the interview with MTV. I'm tossing up if it's going to improve and whether to continue with it, but it has none of the wit or humour exhibited by JD Salinger to maintain my interest and has unfortunately lost my vote. Its a staggeringly boring piece of work and reading other reviews I'm not the only one of this opinion. From time to time Eggers is insightful, one wonders if this is his alternative to therapy if its a true story.
Rating:
Summary: A Dissapointing work of Staggering Idiocity
Review: I have read this book till about a bit more than half of it expecting something and got nothing. The writer dissapointingly attempts a Bukowski style and tries to add to that some thought and philosophy, but goes no more than what we can call some diary entries. He may be a talented writer and sometimes funny to some extent, but don't expect anything that will enhance your logic, thought process or way of life from this book. Bottom line: this book is a cheap Bukowski style, somehow tragic diary of Dave Eggers. If you read just to kill time and don't expect much from books then you may actually enjoy this one.
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