TOW #12: Running with Scissors (IRB)

     A situation that is unfortunately quite common is the concept of single parents feeling forced to give away their child. Running with Scissors, a memoir by Augusten Burroughs, tells the story of how he lived in an unstable house and was given away by his mother to yet another unstable household. This is a rather controversial book as it contains mature content but is also described as being humorous. I found myself being skeptical before reading this book as I am not used to reading a book with such an informal and unique style, but I quickly adapted to it. An aspect that makes it unique is that Augusten's story could not possibly be mad up as it is full of many dramatic and jaw-dropping surprises that are quite unpredictable.

     Augusten's unique style is different as his arrangement of his paragraphs differs greatly throughout the book. Burroughs described his experiences: "Not crazy in a let's paint the kitchen bright red! sort of way. But crazy in a gas oven, toothpaste sandwich, I am God sort of way" (Burroughs 28). I kind of had a double-take while reading this as I was not only confused by what he was talking about but also about how he put his thoughts together. Changing to the italics and adding little unique phrases added an even more personal aspect to these sentences. It may seem rather impossible that he could make his memoir even more personal, but this makes him seem a little more human as if he's had many fun experiences revolved around certain kinds of crazies. It also can make the audience ponder the kind of craziness that Burroughs faced during his life besides what he explains in his memoir. It may not seem like a fantastic example of his writing, but it personally impacted me and shows the kind of trust and style that he invested into this book.

     I am not quite sure of Augusten's purpose as I have only read half of the book, but I trust Burroughs which will then overall contribute to him achieving his purpose through me.