Magical Thinking: True Stories - Hardcover

Burroughs, Augusten

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312315945 ISBN 13: 9780312315948

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 2004

Synopsis

From the number-one bestselling author of Running with Scissors and Dry comes Augusten Burroughs's most eagerly anticipated collection yet: true stories that give voice to the thoughts that we all have but dare not mention.

It begins with a Tang Instant-Breakfast Drink television commercial:

"Yes, you, Augusten. You were great. We want you." I can now trace my manic adult tendencies to this moment. It was the first time I felt deeply thrilled about something just a fraction of an instant after being completely crushed. I believe those three words "We want you" were enough to cause my brain to rewire itself, and from then on, I would require more than other people....- from Magical Thinking's "Commercial Break"

A contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady. The execution of a rodent carried out with military precision and utter horror. Telemarketing revenge. A different kind of "roof work." Dating an undertaker who shows up in a minivan. This is the fabric of Augusten Burroughs's life: a collection of true stories that are universal in their appeal yet unabashedly intimate, stories that shine a flashlight into both dark and hilarious places. With Magical Thinking, Augusten Burroughs goes where other memoirists fear to tread.

About this title

Review:

"One of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century belongs to Augusten Burroughs. . . . Burroughs is blessed with an offbeat perspective and a viciously uncensored wit, a delight to read."--"USA Today"
"Augusten Burroughs shows why he is the memoirist-of-the-moment with his harrowing and laugh-out-loud new essay collection, "Magical Thinking.""--"Vanity Fair "
"Ruthlessly funny . . . deliciously perverse . . . he extracts something funny from every shred of his own warped experience. "Magical Thinking" indeed."--"People"(four stars)
"Sports nuts have Dave Barry, Midwesterners have Garrison Keillor, and the rest of us--gay guys, misfits, those with horrific childhoods--have Burroughs. He hooks you into a story better than anybody."--"Entertainment "Weekly(A-)
"Every so often a 'writer's writer' pops up and deliciously ambushes readers--writers like David Sedaris, Larry Brown, and Frank McCourt. . . . Augusten Burroughs deserves membership to this inner circle. . . . "Magical Thinking" is finely-honed and addicting . . . Miraculous."--"Rocky Mountain News "(Denver)
"Deeply satisfying, full of both gleeful one-liners and shocking instances of profound wisdom . . . There are few writers as outrageously magical or as surprisingly thoughtful as Augusten Burroughs."--"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"
""
"A literary favorite--right up there with humorists David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro . . . Fascinating."--"Boston Herald "
""
"Superlatively disturbed . . . A brand-new collection of deliciously lurid true tales offer[s] an irresistible display of sanity hanging by a thread."--"Booklist"(starred review)
"Still wild, sad, funny, tender, and frightening . . . It's all about the journey. Do go along. Just be sure to pack some tissues for the laughing and the crying."--"The Seattle Times"
"

One of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century belongs to Augusten Burroughs. . . . Burroughs is blessed with an offbeat perspective and a viciously uncensored wit, a delight to read. "USA Today"

Augusten Burroughs shows why he is the memoirist-of-the-moment with his harrowing and laugh-out-loud new essay collection, "Magical Thinking." "Vanity Fair"

Ruthlessly funny . . . deliciously perverse . . . he extracts something funny from every shred of his own warped experience. "Magical Thinking" indeed. "People(four stars)"

Sports nuts have Dave Barry, Midwesterners have Garrison Keillor, and the rest of us--gay guys, misfits, those with horrific childhoods--have Burroughs. He hooks you into a story better than anybody. "Entertainment Weekly(A-)"

Every so often a 'writer's writer' pops up and deliciously ambushes readers--writers like David Sedaris, Larry Brown, and Frank McCourt. . . . Augusten Burroughs deserves membership to this inner circle. . . . "Magical Thinking" is finely-honed and addicting . . . Miraculous. "Rocky Mountain News (Denver)"

Deeply satisfying, full of both gleeful one-liners and shocking instances of profound wisdom . . . There are few writers as outrageously magical or as surprisingly thoughtful as Augusten Burroughs. "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"

A literary favorite--right up there with humorists David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro . . . Fascinating. "Boston Herald"

Superlatively disturbed . . . A brand-new collection of deliciously lurid true tales offer[s] an irresistible display of sanity hanging by a thread. "Booklist(starred review)"

Still wild, sad, funny, tender, and frightening . . . It's all about the journey. Do go along. Just be sure to pack some tissues for the laughing and the crying. "The Seattle Times""

One of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century belongs to Augusten Burroughs. . . . Burroughs is blessed with an offbeat perspective and a viciously uncensored wit, a delight to read. USA Today

Augusten Burroughs shows why he is the memoirist-of-the-moment with his harrowing and laugh-out-loud new essay collection, Magical Thinking. Vanity Fair

Ruthlessly funny . . . deliciously perverse . . . he extracts something funny from every shred of his own warped experience. Magical Thinking indeed. People(four stars)

Sports nuts have Dave Barry, Midwesterners have Garrison Keillor, and the rest of us--gay guys, misfits, those with horrific childhoods--have Burroughs. He hooks you into a story better than anybody. Entertainment Weekly(A-)

Every so often a 'writer's writer' pops up and deliciously ambushes readers--writers like David Sedaris, Larry Brown, and Frank McCourt. . . . Augusten Burroughs deserves membership to this inner circle. . . . Magical Thinking is finely-honed and addicting . . . Miraculous. Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

Deeply satisfying, full of both gleeful one-liners and shocking instances of profound wisdom . . . There are few writers as outrageously magical or as surprisingly thoughtful as Augusten Burroughs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A literary favorite--right up there with humorists David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro . . . Fascinating. Boston Herald

Superlatively disturbed . . . A brand-new collection of deliciously lurid true tales offer[s] an irresistible display of sanity hanging by a thread. Booklist(starred review)

Still wild, sad, funny, tender, and frightening . . . It's all about the journey. Do go along. Just be sure to pack some tissues for the laughing and the crying. The Seattle Times

"

"One of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century belongs to Augusten Burroughs. . . . Burroughs is blessed with an offbeat perspective and a viciously uncensored wit, a delight to read." --USA Today

"Augusten Burroughs shows why he is the memoirist-of-the-moment with his harrowing and laugh-out-loud new essay collection, Magical Thinking." --Vanity Fair

"Ruthlessly funny . . . deliciously perverse . . . he extracts something funny from every shred of his own warped experience. Magical Thinking indeed." --People(four stars)

"Sports nuts have Dave Barry, Midwesterners have Garrison Keillor, and the rest of us--gay guys, misfits, those with horrific childhoods--have Burroughs....He hooks you into a story better than anybody." --Entertainment Weekly(A-)

"Every so often a 'writer's writer' pops up and deliciously ambushes readers--writers like David Sedaris, Larry Brown, and Frank McCourt. . . . Augusten Burroughs deserves membership to this inner circle. . . . Magical Thinking is finely-honed and addicting . . . Miraculous." --Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

"Deeply satisfying, full of both gleeful one-liners and shocking instances of profound wisdom . . . There are few writers as outrageously magical or as surprisingly thoughtful as Augusten Burroughs." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A literary favorite--right up there with humorists David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro . . . Fascinating." --Boston Herald

"Superlatively disturbed . . . A brand-new collection of deliciously lurid true tales...offer[s] an irresistible display of sanity hanging by a thread." --Booklist(starred review)

"Still wild, sad, funny, tender, and frightening . . . It's all about the journey. Do go along. Just be sure to pack some tissues for the laughing and the crying." --The Seattle Times

Book Description:

A collection of autobiographical short stories, small vignettes of his life experiences, universal in their appeal yet unabashedly intimate and very funny.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0312315945
• ISBN 13: 9780312315948
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 268