Rating: 
Summary: A heartbraking work of nothing in particular
Review: This started off so promisingly, with it's post modern acknowledgements. But in final analysis, whats the big deal with making a novel out of real life events (it happens all the time). This is simply Generation X with silly bows on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Eggers dot bomb--publishing industry pyramid scheme.
Review: This book is basically hyped trash.There's no plot, there's no unity of time, place, and action, the characters are cardboard, even though they're real, as opposed to Hamlet, where the characters are deep and profound, even though they're fictional. They set Eggers up as the ultimate literary "it" boy, even though he's the ultimate company man, out-hyping his publisher's hype. The publishing industry needed someone to hype, and it ended upbeing somebody who wanted it more than anyone else. Eggers lacks all traits of a classic artist, and he relies on his appetite for postmodern fame. This book's an embarrassment, and it's also a sign of the times--there's a good recent article in the Atlantic Monthly about the decline of literature, and the rise of hype. I bought the paperback version, and it's worth less than most dot com stock options.
Rating:
Summary: Being Self-Involved
Review: I am about two thirds of the way through "A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggeriing Genius". At times I have been tempted to put it down and never pick it up again. Yet something keeps bringing me back. Mr. Eggers is terribly self-involved. This is a hallmark of adolesence. It's like that adolescent part of him was frozen in time with his parents' death. To read a memoir of a person so adolescent and so self-involved makes one want to turn away and say "oh, THIS guy..." But there's no denying that he is clever, creative, and wonderfully sensitive and those are the things that keep you reading. Parts of his writing I find I have to skip: they just drone on and on in this stream of consciousness style and it gets very tiring. But then he has other moments when his writing is so unique and...well, it's like when you're reading a book and you just want to memorize what you just read because it's so brilliant. I don't know. I currently teach school and I do get very tired of adolescents being so "ME ME ME ME ME" all the time. And yet, that's the very thing that makes adolescence beautiful. Clearly, Mr. Eggers wrote this book as an adolescent. The most fascinating thing for ME would be to talk to him about it a decade from now. Two decades from now....three. Maybe he will always be this simultaneously creative and annoying, but I'd like to think his self-involvement will lessen and the more creative side of him will take over. I hope so.
Rating: 
Summary: !
Review: Upon reading through Dave Eggers' book a second time, I realized that, the reason I am so attracted to it, such a fan of it, is because it manages to cover nearly every emotional base from its beginning to end. That is, this is a book about being human. About human beings. About attempting to play the hand you've been dealt. What is perhaps heartbreaking is the fact that all peoples encounter adversity day by day. Day after day. All hearts are breakable. The protagonist's. His brother's. They are able to move beyond it all, however. Surrounded by a band of friends, eager to still LIVE, they grow close, grow strong, and grow up, together. I have been recommending the book to just about everyone I know because I think it represents the finest writing that is being produced by a new generation of American authors. Dave Eggers is leading the way. After this debut, it should only be as such.
Rating:
Summary: Luved it
Review: Such a great read. Made me laugh out loud all the time. Did get winded/weird from time to time but was fascinating (tho it basically just recounts everyday life). You can relate so well to what he says about just average, stupid things. He's GOT to do part two.
Rating:
Summary: A very good and unique book.
Review: To start off, let me say that this is one of the best books that I have ever read. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a true story about a guy whose parents die and he has to raise his little brother. When I first read a summary of the book, I thought it was going to be extremely sad and, and the title suggests, heartbreaking. But when I started reading the book, it was just the opposite. I was laughing out loud on almost every page. Usually, I don't take the time to read prefaces or introductions to books. If that makes me a bad reader, sorry. But you definitly should not skip the preface to this book. You should read every page. I also liked how original and unique the book is. It was unlike anything else I have ever read. It was refreshing to read something that doesn't read like 50% of the other books I have read. I also liked it because it very honest and easy to believe. The characters talk and act like regular people. In conclusion, I really loved this book, and would reccommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Undescribable
Review: It is so hard to put into words the meaning of this book. I am 17 years old and this book has put into words many of the feelings I have been going through while growing up. Although this book will have more meaning to someone who is young, anyone can connect with this book so long as they think they are young. I fyou read the book you wil understand more about what I am saying. There are so many people out there who are old and haggard, who have lost all faith in life and what it has to offer and after reading this book I have vowed never to become one of those people. After Eggers went through his parents death he obviously went through a period of introspection where he discovered that although he is only 22 years old he has been though so much more in life than most people his age. Throughout the book Eggers struggles with his own duality, meaning the struggle between his vibrant youth and his premature psychological state. He looks at his peers and sees people wasting their lives with pointless existence and he wishes to save them while making his own existence important. I think this book may mean more to me than other people because I was able to connect with Eggers duality being a young person myself. My parents may not be dead but I often find myself looking at my peers and myself and finding a group of people lost in this world with no direction. Eggers presents this book as a guide, as a green light for my generation to reach for and I am very grateful. Although the book is filled with literary devices such as a 20 page acknowledgements section and pen and ink drawings, the story is genuinley moving and important. I think the reviewers who have had trouble reading this book and gave it low marks are the "old", cynical people who Eggers tries to seperate himself from. Eggers examines his peers and criticizes but does not spare himself, putting himself under the microscope. The last two pages are the most powerful pages I have ever read in any book. In my English class, my teacher had us read Walden by Thoreau which has many of the same themes as AHWOSG, but was almost impossible for anyone my age to connect to, not to mention it was a complete rip off of all Eastern philosophy. Some may feel that my feelings on this book are misguided but I don't really care. I am going to try to keep moving forward in life and never look back on the ones who can't move forward because they are too negative and cynical. This is the best book I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Please make him stop talking about himself
Review: The reviews I read about this book made it sound interesting and as with a couple of my fellow one-star raters, I did get sucked into Mr. Eggers story in the beginning. However, by the middle of the book, I hated this guy so much that I could not go on. I didn't want to hear one more thing about his self-absorbed, man. Luckily, I checked the book out from the library and did not end up putting any money into Mr. Eggers pocket. Unfortunately, I have been unable to read an autobiography since, fearing everyone who writes a book about themselves is just as egotistical and boring as this man.
Rating:
Summary: good book
Review: Sad and funny at the same time. I don't think you can be disappointed with this one.
Rating:
Summary: A Heartbreaking Work of Stagging Self Indulgant Crap
Review: After hearing so much priase for this book I eagerly looked forward to reading it. Boy was I wrong. There's a fine line between fresh writing and just poor writing that appears fresh, and I fear that this book falls into the latter category. The author is evidently full of a lot of hurt and is trying to exorcise some of it through his writing. The net effect is the whole book is one long whine of how the world 'owes him' just because he has suffered loss. The introduction and the "Mistakes We Knew We were Making" are jokey and try to sound "aren't we cool?" and instead just serve to be boring. There are elements of interesting story here that are just not developed - the story of the Might magazine arc is good, and should have been fleshed out more. I really wished that there was more to this book, but it's all someone trying to be the voice of a generation while having very little to say.
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