Picador

Dry - A Memoir

5 stars (Not So Dry After All) - Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this powerful memoir is its essential kindness and good feeling for humankind, an attitude sustained through a series of dizzying life experiences which could have soured the Dalai Lama. Burroughs' cheerily ironic point of view encompasses his terrifying childhood,his surreal career in advertising, and, most powerfully, his experiences in rehab. While on this journey with him, you experience his growth through a process of discovery, as layer upon layer of denial is peeled back and his true history and true self are revealed to him and to us. The dryness of the wit lies entirely in his refusal to feel sorry for himself; and the final phase of his recovery begins when he is at last willing to open that hardest of all human doors, love. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down, and read entranced on the bus, at the lunch counter, and through one very dull concert. It will certainly offer you several of the more entertaining hours of your life. 4 stars (Excellently written) - Mr. Burroughs has done an excellent job in communicating his experiences of alcoholism and the struggle of rehab and the 12 step programs. He has been able to share the reality of his experiences and at the same time show a great deal of humor and sophisticated irony. A very good book and one that I will read again. 4 stars (Very Good) - I started this book yesterday and read about 3/4 of it in one sitting. It's an interesting read - and the subject matter is a little less uncomfortable than "Running with Scissors". I can't help but compare this to "A Million Little Pieces", which also deals with someone going to rehab. I feel that James Frey's book was more upsetting but geniune. There were times that I had to put the book down because it was so graphic and heart rending. Anyway, "Dry" is a good read, and if you liked "Running with Scissors" or books in the vein a la David Sedaris, read it. ...
Picador :: Reading Group Guide :: Biography & Autobiography & General :: United States :: Personal Memoirs :: Novelists :: American :: New York (State) :: New York :: Literary :: :: Dry - A Memoir

The Red Tent

3 stars (Just okay for me) - I liked the idea of expanding on Dina's story. However, the content was sometimes a little to personal, at times gross, for me. I was also taken aback when I saw how much Diamante deviates from the actual text. This is not just an expansion of the story, but sometimes was outright false. A good story if not taken literally. 5 stars (Under a Wonderful Tent) - In terms of plot and charcter development, this book was wonderful. Based on charcters of the bible, the story explores the lives of the women in the bible which we never really got to know. Diamant has created a wonderful story about the women of biblical times, our fore-mothers Rebecca, Sarah, Rachel, and Leah, from Dinah's point of view. However, it is not any way offense to men. You need not be familiar with the bible to enjoy this book. If you are, you'll certainly recognize stories and characters from the old testament. Another work of fiction I might suggest that explores women and their stake in the Christian faith is John Mackowicz's The Last Martyr. With a similar theme, it portrays women in a positive light. 5 stars (A Terrrific Read) - This book is a story of Dinah, a character from the old testament that we know little about. It is the story of her life and her family in biblical times. There were things I didn't know about really, like the multiple wives and marrying close relatives. But it was in some ways very romantic, and sometimes heartbreaking. Dinah was a very strong woman. Also, I learned alot about what it was like for women when men were in charge of everything. But women were still a mystery to men, and what went on in the red tent was only for women to know. I really liked this book, it was hard for me to put it down once I started. ...
Picador :: Reading Group Guide :: Fiction & Religious :: Women in the Bible :: O T :: History of Biblical events :: Historical - General :: Genesis :: Fiction :: Dinah :: Bible :: :: The Red Tent