Rating: 
Summary: read it, enlightenment awaits
Review: a look rarely attained into the mind of a man tortured and stricken by tragedies his particular channel in life have provided. humor mixed with sarcastic wit get this man through his battle with lifes bitter ironic jest. a talented and poetic, yet brutal writer when clearly it is brutality that needs use, Eggers will captivate you and take you with him through the journey that is his story. writing of my own struggle, i empathise and am inspired by this book. i reccomend it highly to all in my position and readers who just love a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Muchos Kudos to Dave
Review: I haven't yet completed this novel, but I felt compelled to take a look at some other's reactions to it and add my own two cents before I finish it tonight. I loved the humor in this novel from the moment I began reading the "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of this Book." And to the reviewers here who felt the need to trash this book and give it a low score, perhaps you neglected to read Dave's rules of enjoyment beforehand. (Shame on you for taking that literary shortcut). Dave, if by any chance you actually READ these reviews, (for some odd reason I think you just may) I so admire your writing which is "true of heart" and I just felt that I needed to say I respect you so much for the love and care you exhibited to Toph. I was envious at times of your relationship with him; he is truly lucky to have you as his older brother. I highly recommend this novel to anyone with a good sense of humor and a HEART. For those of you who would rather tear apart a piece of literature like a vulture, shred it to pieces and ANALYZE it to death....lighten up, will you? For the rest of you...enjoy the book. I really think you will.
Rating:
Summary: A Self-Involved Masterpiece
Review: In an ad for Vintage books the plot of "AHWOSG" was written as this: ..."a young man's account of raising his 8-year-old brother after their parents died just weeks apart."I only wish that that was true. While Eggers does go into great detail about raising his brother, Toph, after his parents die there is much more to the book. Unfortunately, it's a lot of self-centered angst and humorous descriptions about the start and ultimate demise of "Might" magazine. While this is interesting and often entertaining, it is at times rambling and just plain boring. But maybe I sound too harsh...I mean, I did give the book four stars...and here's why... Eggers in an incredibly entertaining writer. He is masterful at taking an ordinary, every-day, uneventful situation and make it colorful and amusing. The book follows no particular chronology, and at times I found myself flipping back several pages to see if I missed an important detail only to read it 30 pages later. This was annoying at first but after I caught on it didn't bother me...I actually liked the slow revelations. My main complaint was I wanted to read more about him and Toph. I LOVED the stories about their adventures together. They were heartwarming and beautifully written. Dave Eggers seems like an excellent "guardian/brother". I wish my dad could have been more like him.
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Summary: Dosage: Read...reenter world awhile...continue reading.
Review: ...Look, it's a great book. Innovative, intelligent and true-of-heart -- albeit in a sweetly far-reaching and hyperparanoid way. My advice is to read as far as halfway through the "Real World" interview/audition, then PUT THE BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND FOR A WEEK. When you come back, your head will have stopped buzzing and you'll continue with great glee and renewed concern. Really.
Rating:
Summary: close to genius, anyway.
Review: Everyone compares this to the writing on theavocadopapers.com; a friend of mind thinks this is a blatant avocado ... I disagree -- while theavocadopapers has gained its fanatical following because of its sheer edginess and originality, Eggers opts for a more traditional (but still brilliantly executed) "this happened, then this happened, and that caused this to happen" sort of narrative. It's a little old-school (especially compared to the avocado and similar sites), but it's definitely a new spin on old-school, if that makes sense. Anyway, highly recommended if you're under 40 (in spirit, anyway).
Rating:
Summary: read this
Review: In looking at other reviews I noticed something peculiar. Riddled throughout the 5,000 or so reviews on this website for AHWOSG, you will find some very obscure, off-the-wall and completely contrived reviews for this book. And if you go looking for them you will probably enjoy this book, because to me, writing fictitious reviews sounds exactly like something Eggers would find enjoyment in doing.
Rating:
Summary: you want a review, you can't handle a review
Review: The analysis of the analysis of thoughts in this book is very entertaining and true to life. Eggers presents the everyday in a way we all see but spins it sideways, inverts it, and lets it neatly implode on the page, so that you feel sure you are not the only one that is incredibly weird. Perhaps this vindication of self is enough reason to read the book. Here's another. Did you notice how many reviews there are for this book? That alone is a bit of a hint as to how this book sticks in your brain, spreading its ooze over the contours of neurons until it has seeped into its own permanent spot. It is very hard to forget and you leave it feeling oddly close to Mr. Eggers, so much so that it seems unfair that you can't go talk with him over some tea and cookies. Anyhoo, at the heart of the book is Egger's unapologetic depiction of life, written in a way that could be construed as unapetizing, but instead is so honest, that beauty does not follow very far behind. Another reason to give this book a try. It is not about ornithology.
Rating:
Summary: a great read
Review: I just finished this book and thought that it was great. it could have used afew less words to discribe somethings but i thought it was great. a good read for 20-30year olds.
Rating:
Summary: Cathartic, poignant, and brilliant
Review: The title of this book is intentionally off putting, but once starting it the reader quickly deduces that this is part of the author's motive. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" is Eggert's cathartic baring of his soul in an effort to diminish the lingering trauma experienced through his parents' brutal, grueling deaths. However, while the book is admittedly self indulgent Eggert continually mocks himself, and paints his recollections in a dark, sardonic fashion to avoid wallowing in self pity. This work is the cry of anguish of a boy-man robbed of his youth both by being scarred by the pain he experienced through his mother's lingering death and due to the awesome responsibility he was left for the upbringing of his seven year old brother. While he clearly recognizes and often savors the rare and precious opportunity raising "Toph" presents he is every conscious of the many limitations resulting from his lack of an obligation free life. His ambivalent flashbacks on events growing up, often prompted by his efforts to spare his brother similar pain, will be resonant with those who, while middle class, did not grow up in Ozzie and Harriet type families. They represent a mixture of nostalgia, pain, resentment, and love. This is a complex work which through its manic and seemingly paranoid passages is brilliant and indeed heartbreaking.
Rating:
Summary: More like "A Heartbreaking Work in Progress"
Review: I read "AHWOSG" during my own mother's diagnosis of breast cancer and shortly upon loosing my father to a fatal heartattack (and after a recommendation from a close friend). In truth, I had picked up "AHWOSG" a couple times before while cruising through many a bookstore, only to set it back down because I found myself intimidated by it's title. Besides, I'd already had my fill of Douglas Coupland novels and wasn't really sure there was much more to learn about my generation. Thank you, Dave Eggers, for enlightening me and proving that I was wrong (once again!). While "AHWOSG" tends to vear towards gratuitous run-on paragraphs (some lasting more than a page), it's often very funny and easily to relate to. Well, maybe not all that easy to relate to. I mean, I haven't raised a little brother (not that I have one to raise), I haven't started a magazine from the ground up (nor have I ever worked for one that's already thriving) and I have yet to live in San Francisco. But I often have felt many of the emotions and thoughts Dave Eggers writes about in loosing both parents, not having any REAL direction for his life (aside from wanting to do something important!) and continously struggling with his fears of rejection while wanting to attract as much attention as possible. But where do we go from there? Like any good biography, "AHWOSG" leaves me for wanting more, especially considering the age of it's author....
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