The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls and is a very unique book. I have never read a book quite like this before. The way the author told her life story was full of action, intrigue and fly-by -the-seat of your pants adventure.
When the final page was read I just sat there. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The emotions that are felt when you read this book are limitless. One sentence your happy enough while the next, your scared or sad. The thought of living this life makes my head spin. The Walls’ children lived through so much on their own and you cannot help but think”Thank God they had each other throughout it all.”
The most difficult emotions to deal with that arises as a reader are towards the Walls parents. The Walls parents are basically good, loving and proud people. However, they both have a; for lack of a better word, dark side to them. Both parents are tortured by their own demons and therefore lose all sensibility as parents. They can even be hateful outwards not only themselves but to their children. Of course any kind of professional help is not an option due to a lack of money and oddly, pride. You cannot help but feel both disgust and compassion for these two parents.
On the flip side, as a family they are fiercely loyal to each other, especially in the early years. Everything they did together was always an adventure. And for the very little tat the children’s parent provided them with, they were given the invaluable possession of their parents’ involvement and quality time. Oddly, for the great number of us with money, it cannot always be said that we can provide quality time to our children.
It is apparent that Jeannette Walls and her three siblings loved their parents and that their parents loved them. As most of these stories go, most kids in these stressful and tumultuous situations do not continue to have a relationship with their parents once they are out of the house. So the way that this family’s story plays out is both unique, admirable and unexpected.
If nothing else it shows that despite all of the heartache that a family dishes onto themselves, with love, loyalty and determination, you can get through anything, and still be intact.
Overall, this is an unbelievable story. It is still hard to believe that it actually happened. I would recommend this book because of its uniqueness and unbelievable story. As tough as it is to hear kids enduring such dire circumstances it will, I hope, make you if you are a parent appreciate yourselves more as parents. It will put into perspective all that you actually do for your kids. We do a hell of a lot more as parents than we think we do, don’t we? This book at least opens our eyes to that and helps us to appreciate that fact.
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Comments
Great book! I found myself scratching my head in disbelief at some of the situations this family found themselves in. From one moment to the next I was laughing, disturbed, angry, concerned, but always wanting to read more. There are certain characters you find yourself pulling for, and in the end you applaud their strength and will. What surprised me was the children’s loyalty to that of their parents after all they had endured. You have to admire their good hearts.
I loved this book! once i started it i couldn’t put it down. nicole’s book review and comment on this book is on the mark. i was amazed that their family bond stayed strong throughout their life’s experiences. you wonder how they managed to make it through some situations with each other. i’ve given this book as a gift to my family and to my friends.