Possible Side Effects

by Augusten Burroughs

Book Overview

From the million-copy bestselling author of Running with Scissors comes Augusten Burroughs's most provocative collection yet. This book is approved for consumption by those seeking pleasure, escape,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031242681X
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Picador
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Love

I love all of his books! So funny

Another laugh-fest from Augusten

I was a little worried when I started reading "Possible Side Effects," because the first couple of chapters are kind of slow going. However, I am a big fan of everything Augusten Burroughs has ever written, and this book is no exception. It didn't take long for the pace to pick up and for me to start laughing my ass off. This book isn't a full-length memoir like "Running with Scissors" or "Dry." It's a collection of humorous stories, very similar to "Magical Thinking." Burroughs shares stories from his disturbing childhood all the way through to his present-day, slightly more normal (but still incredibly quirky) life. The stories aren't arranged in any particular order, and there are some really, really good ones in here. My hands-down favorite chapter is "Moving Violations," which describes the author's experiences driving around with his friend Druggy Debby during his teenage years, startling bad drivers by flashing them with enlarged photos of hard-core porn. (I laughed so hard reading that part, my husband actually stepped away from his computer game to see what the hell what was so funny. That is HUGE.) If you want to read a book written by America's funniest and cleverest writer, "Possible Side Effects" is for you.

Funny. Sad. Read It.

It takes a lot for a book to make me laugh out loud -- not only did this one make me snort, it also squeezed my gut & made me want to cry. I'm a big Burroughs fan; I enjoyed this more than Magical Thinking. Can't wait for another one.

Hysteria made hysterical

"Possible Side Effects" is a side-splittingly funny, brilliantly self-aware autobiography that reads like a novel. Burroughs' book puts you squarely into his head. And if you're the type of person destined to be a Burroughs' fan, you'll probably be relieved to get out of your own head for a while. Does David Sedaris make you laugh so hard you cry? Then you'll also love Burroughs -- a wonderful and insightful writer who does all of the heavy lifting for us lucky stiffs in his adoring audience. Buy this book. Read it. Wait a while. Read the best parts again. Then give it to someone who's been good lately. Better yet, give it to someone who's been bad.

ONE OF MY HEROES

more weirdness from my favorite writer. vignettes ranging from being terrorized by the tooth fairy to a dog named cow. delighted to see an appearance from his bizarre family again. maybe because his family's neurosis resembled mine. slightly twisted, slightly campy, always funny. some might find his humor a little too dark, not me. he's also discovered he's no longer unrecognizable to the public. my favorite chapter is the one on his brother who for years went undiagnosed with asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism. their interaction with each other is often hilarious, and I loved his brother's nickname's for his family, augusten was "varmint", mom was "slave" and dad "stupid". the back flap has augusten's website address. where he previews his next three books. many giggles throughout, and every bit as funny as anything david sedaris has written. seemingly effortless writing, and razor sharp wit. some may say that it's not up to his usual high standards, but I disagree.

Another great one by Burroughs

I'm a big fan of this guy, bought this as soon as I could get my hands on it, and cruised right though it. I loved it, and if you like Burroughs' frantic, neurotic writing, like I do, you will not be disappointed. Just like I did while reading his other books, I found myself vascilating between squrming and laughing. And for me, this is the true indicator of good writing -- it grabs me emotionally and makes me feel something. In this latest collection you'll find essays about Burrough's days spent in the world of advertising, and of course trips back to his (almost unbelievably) tragic childhood. He's stopped drinking and doping by now, but seems to have replaced these vices with other addictions -- nicotine gum, junk food, and, as always, wild, out-of-control introspection. You'll also find more stories about his brother with Asperger's Syndrom and his depressed mother, all written with a level of sincerity and wry wit that should make David Sedaris jealous. Is it all true? I've never thought all of his stories were true, and I haven't really cared, but this is the first of his books to actually come out and admit it, in an introductory note. The writing is so good it doesn't really matter. As one other famous memoirist said: Pretend it's fiction.