Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Like it Anywhere
Review: This is a very original and interesting book. It could have been a simple memoir of a young man coping with the deaths of his parents and caring for his younger brother; but Eggers does more, by describing the process of writing the memoir and ridiculing it even as he's doing it. You have to read it to appreciate how clever this gets, especially when Eggers shows that he realizes it's clever, and ridicules that as well. By turning the traditional standard memoir into a thing of odd and hilarious beauty, Eggers has shown he is the leading creative voice of his generation -- he really should be writing fiction. The equivalent of AHWOSG in novel form might be Asher Brauner's Love Songs of the Tone-Deaf, less experimental but equally funny and equally "now". Tremendous stuff!.
Rating: 
Summary: Most overrated of the year
Review: How did this book recieve the praise that it did, and continues to get? Everyone I speak to these days is in the process of reading HWOSG, or has just finished it. And now a possible movie made from it! Wow. Within the first 50 or so pages I was thrown into his world of witty comments on tragedy and the responsibility that was thrown upon him. I waited for the book to move on past this quarter of the novel, but sadly it didn't and became gruesome to finish. Waiting and waiting for something to happen beyond the simple events in his life, which some were very interesting, but it failed me in the end and I wished I could have had the strength to move on to something else. Eggers moves backwards more than taking a step towards the finish line here. There are scenes which I will always remember, but nothing worth praising the book onto others. You can flip through the pages, pick one blindly, and not miss a beat. I recommend Eggers', "McSweeney's", periodical to everyone, but you can pass on the hype of HWOSG. I also recommend seeing him live if there is a reading near you. Very funny guy, great relation to the audience.
Rating:
Summary: MY memoir is on the way!
Review: Egad. After (nearly) finishing this book, I'm realizing that not only does Eggers have nothing on me writing-wise, but my life is just as pedestrian as his. So why not subject the masses to my boring life in 400 pages, too? Hey, my parents divorced when I was in first grade. I had a helluva time with math in school. Uh,...Oh yeah! I used to strike out a lot in little leauge. That should be enough heartache to make you all feel bad for me. From then on I can just write in a painfully overly-clever type way, saying really nothing of interest to anyone for the rest of the book. This seems to be one of those things in pop culture where one or two people with some level of clout praise it, making it impossible for anyone to disagree in fear of looking stupid (see Santana's "Supernatural" for further evidence of this phenomenon). If there's one thing I hate to do, it's read a book and not finish it. I've been reading AHWOSG for almost three months now, and for about a month have been trying to read the last 75 pages. The other night I finally just gave up. It's not worth the hour of my life. The reason that I gave it 2 stars is because there are definately glimpses of a funny, talented writer in there somewhere. I did in fact laugh out loud twice while reading. However, it wasn't nearly enough. His "off-beat", stream-of-consciousness writing style is hardly a substitute for actual content.
Rating: 
Summary: Anyone remember Holden Caulfield?
Review: This book is good, this book is entertaining and sad and funny and easy to read. It is a good book. The narrative and the character's general outlook reminded me of "The Catcher In the Rye" You'll see. I have only two problems with this book, however: 1. The author's gratuitous profanity and blasphemy. I could handle the profanity, and sometimes even see it as useful, but it could've have been toned down. 2. for goodness' sakes, everyone knows that Crispin Glover was GEORGE McFly, not Marty (Michael J. Fox) Come on. As much work as was put into this book, you'd think that would be corrected. Oh well. Good book anyway. this review will not be helpful to anyone, anywhere
Rating:
Summary: thumbs up
Review: I loved this book. It is extremely 'masculine', American, generational, and...for want of a better word, 'post-modern'. If these things offend you, then you could possibly hate it. But despite being feminine, Australian and generally objectionable to trendiness i was still blown away by it. I thought the ending was one of the best endings i've ever read. There were so many highlights...Eggers is disgustingly talented.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother to read this book unless ...
Review: ... You want to read a stream of consciousness diatribe from an egomaniac. Don't bother unless you feel curious about the life of an uninteresting privileged white guy from the suburbs. Don't bother unless you are compelled to hear every thought that ever entered a person's head - no matter how ridiculous. Don't bother unless you have money to burn on pages of endless ramblings from someone who has never truly struggled in life. Don't bother unless you like and believe the hype of the publishing machine.
Rating:
Summary: Kick in my [butt]
Review: This book is not only funny but motivational for anyone in my (and Dave's) age range. He speaks to us in our late 20s and speaks FOR us. In the early ninties, he shares with us some of the things that we all were going through. A time of our early twenties when most of us seemed directionless or not sure what to do with this huge life. He's a do-er, rather than a slacker, as everyone seems to think this generation is. His message to "WAKE UP" has moved me into the direction I have been waiting to go in for years; I have been sleeping for so long: wasting much of my time on nothing tangible, nothing much of any worth. NOW is the time. Now it is time to start doing and stop sitting around for "something". Make something. Do something. And read this book!
Rating:
Summary: A child's honesty and an adult's wisdom and fears
Review: This is an amazing look into the life of a very creative young man. Dave Eggers book is a combination of open honesty usually found in young children (before the world gets its hands on them) and the wisdom and fears of those who have suffered and survived loss and extreme challenges. At an age when most young men feel themselves invulnerable and invincible, this young man has seen reality and knows death can be but a moment away for anyone. The book begins with the deaths of his parents several months apart, from different causes. He and his older sister and brother make some strong decisions and Dave becomes the "parent" of the youngest brother, Toph. They move to California from the midwest to continue their lives. As a young man in his early twenties, raising his brother is an interesting experience, and alone these tales would make an interesting novel. The unique aspects of the novel are all the personal insights and observations that flow unfiltered from the mind of Dave Eggers, and there are a lot. They remind you of the way a child asks a person, "Why are you fat? Why are you in a wheelchair?...etc" A child does not mean to be nasty but simply observes a fact and asks about it, they want to understand the whys, whats and hows of it. This gathering of information and the pairing of it with an adult life experience, the pondering and examining of all of his life's little details is what makes this book such an interesting novel. He doesn't pretend to hold the key of knowledge, in fact, he doesn't seem to pretend at all. He holds back nothing, no matter what light it may have cast hiim in at the time. He basically presents you with the story of how he dealt with his life, examined all the possibilities and fears of different experiences and as for obstacles..he went around them, over them or through them.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking!Genius!
Review: I'm shocked that this book would receive any negative reviews! I think it's one of the best books I've ever read and I consider myself a VERY picky reader. It does start out a little slow maybe, but it doesn't take long before you get really involved in the "characters" (it is a true story, isn't it?!). I felt a certain familiarity with David- he could have been any one of my friends, or even myself. I found his style of writing to be a bit off-beat(that's a good thing)and very refreshing. Perhaps his sense of humor is a little too honest and raw for some folks, but if you are even a little bit of a quirky, free-thinker you will identify with him even if you haven't had similar experiences. You'll laugh, you'll cry. Brilliant!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent...I want to meet Dave Eggers (and his brother)
Review: First of all, the title grabbed me. I thought, "how conceited can he be? Is he being sarcastic?" And then I thought, "of course he's being sarcastic, and I'm going to love this book if this is his sense of humor." Ironically, it doesn't begin with the humor I had expected. But this story grows on you! I feel as if I've known both Dave and his brother, Toph, all my life. What a remarkable talent...to write so clearly to the reader...to provide such a connection. I didn't want to the book to end. I can only hope that Dave writes another.
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