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| A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father | 
 enlarge | Author: Augusten Burroughs
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $11.75
You Save: $13.20 (53%)
New (57) Used (24) Collectible (11) from $11.67
Avg. Customer Rating:  116 reviews
Sales Rank: 2019
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.1
ISBN: 0312342020
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780312342029
ASIN: 0312342020
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A promise kept May 5, 2008
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
Back when Burroughs released "Possible Side Effects" I complained that most of the pieces felt like leftovers, and that his comedic touch had become forced. I singled out "The Forecast for Sommer" and "The Georgia Thumper" as notable exceptions. These two stories were serious in tone and delivered with a hitherto untapped reservoir of empathy. I expressed a hope that these pieces were a promise of better things to come; with "A Wolf at the Table" Burroughs delivers on that promise.
Simply stated, this is not the self deprecating Burroughs we have come to know and love. Gone is his trademark use of outrageous humor to depict everything as absurd and mask the mind-numbing effects of gross emotional, spiritual and physical neglect. "A Wolf at the Table" is the work of a seasoned, mature writer exploring and expanding his range. The resluts are often breathtaking. Presented here are all the events that precipitated those depicted in "Running with Scissors," reported with razor sharp wit and unflinching clarity.
This small volume is not easy to take; one cringes and winces throughout. However, the end result is a wholly rewarding and illuminating reading experience.
 Disappointed. May 22, 2008
14 out of 20 found this review helpful
I didn't realize Burroughs had a new book coming out this summer. So when I walked past a table at the bookstore and saw it, I snatched it up immediately.
That was the first and last time I was at all excited about picking up this book.
"Dry" is one of my favorite books. I liked "Magical Thinking," too. And while I went in knowing "A Wolf at the Table" wasn't going to be humorous, I was still disappointed. It just read as the same thing over and over and over - and not in a "wow, i can't believe this stuff just keeps happening to him" way. In a "maybe if I keep reading something more will happen" way. I could never keep track of how old Augusten was in the book. But it didn't really matter, because every year read pretty much the same. His usual quality of writing wasn't there.
I finished it, but I wasn't happy about it. And wouldn't recommend it. I'm not judging his childhood, just the book he wrote about it.
If it was to expel some demons, I do hope it helped. For that, I won't begrudge him. I'm just kind of sorry I signed up to be present for the exorcism.
Suspenseful and Very Real April 29, 2008
10 out of 16 found this review helpful
As a huge fan of Augusten Burrough books, I looked forward to reading A Wolf at the Table. This book is quite different than his others, it is a serious and passionate memoir and his life with his father.
The first paragraph was enough to draw me into the book and Burrough's life. From the beginning, the tension is almost unbearable as facts about his father are slowly revealed.
The awfulness that was his father and the thoughts of the young Burroughs makes this book memorable and powerful.
I found this passage particularly poignant. When Burrough's was five years old, he went to Mexico with his mother. He meets a man and writes: "But he adored me and I knew it. This was a new, euphoric sensation. My first taste of a drug. I wanted more."
By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.
A Wolf At The Table: A Memoir Of My Father May 8, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
A Wolf At The Table by Agusten Burroughs *****
Without even thinking about it this is by far Agusten Burroughs' most inspired work yet. While the humour of his previous works like Magical Thinking, and Possible Side Effects is absent here, it is all the more compelling. His writing style is aimed at power, and really truly conveying the trauma and the pain the goes along with have a parent who is there and yet still absent from your life, on a physical, emotional, and personal level.
A Wolf At The Table is Burroughs personal struggle with his father, the abuse, the neglect, and the just sheer terror his father inflicted upon him has haunted him for years as it does for all children who are a product of this.
This is very different than his other works, as most of his other work is about his mother, and the effect she had on him. This is told with as usual unrestricted honesty. It is touching, saddening, hopeful, and uplifting all the same, and for anyone who has ever hoped for unconditional love from a parent this will be more than just another good read. Highly recommended.
Please, Don't Insult Me June 11, 2008
9 out of 18 found this review helpful
I'd give it less than one star if I could. This book read like fiction. The author's memories were far too sophisticated and subtle to be observed and remembered by a young child. All this bizarre behavior brought on by a father who pushed his clamoring, clinging son away when he arrived home from work.
I don't want to go into this in detail. I am already sorry that I read the thing. I just want to provide a warning: I do not believe this story is true, despite the author's memory.
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