 |
| Review by Coll 4 Stars |
I have always been fascinated by Augusten Burroughs, mainly for his ability to unabashedly share his colorful life with the world. Lust & Wonder tells the post-rehab story of the start, development, and downfall of Burroughs’ relationships after moving to New York City. You do not necessarily need to read Running with Scissors and Dry before reading this book, but I do recommend them because they give a great background of his life up until this book. Through his memoirs we witness the progression of his life: from Running with Scissors where talks of his dysfunctional childhood and growing up, to Dry, which deals with his alcoholism and rehab period. Now we now come to Lust & Wonder, where he works through the different meanings of love, lust and where they merge, as he tries to figure out himself and his romantic relations. We also get a glimpse into his struggles with giving up alcohol as a vice and the start of his writing career.
I long ago got used to Burroughs’ brutal honesty and straight-forwardness, so I was expecting plenty of that in this book. However, to my surprise, it also was incredibly heartfelt and sweet. He retains his usual forthright nature though, and speaks openly about his serious relationships with three different men while living in New York City. I went through stages with this book where I could not put it down and was completely engrossed, to not being thoroughly motivated to read it because some parts seemed to drag on. However, these moments were not common for me and for the most part I really enjoyed the majority of this book.
Burroughs not only focuses on his current relationships, but also references aspects from his past and how they still affect him. The book shows that we are not alone in our tumultuous encounters with others, and how everything we experience shapes not just us, but those we are connect with. He holds back nothing and explains the things that people can sometimes be too ashamed to admit, such as cheating, trust issues, stalking our partners, breaking up friendships, and the most difficult thing to concede to: being at fault. He is no stranger to his indiscretions and openly offers them up to us. Whether he is talking about his past alcohol abuse, his major paranoia, or his obsessions with rare and expensive gems, he shows that there will come a time where what we see as flaws will be accepted by another as just being a part of who we are.
A lot of this book was full of heartache and frustration. At times I wanted to scream at Burroughs for being so erratic, and other times I wanted to hug him and punish others for hurting him. Lust & Wonder is not as humorous as his other books, it instead takes a more emotional and contemplative road. Where some might be bothered by this, it did not really concern me. Sure I missed his eccentric sense of humor sometimes, but the book still provided me with occasional laughter, while also giving me insight into another aspect of his life and personality. A more poignant and introspective side. Lust & Wonder represents a point in his life where he has matured, overcome a great deal, and is looking to settle down into as normal of a life as he can. It is a big transition from his other books, but one that I, personally, welcomed and appreciated.
This book has its high points and its low points. I found myself exhausted at points with his tangents, but then I would realize how it is all important and in the end everything always comes together. Overall, I really loved Lust & Wonder. It evoked so many feelings in me and it felt so good to get to the point where it was making me smile and I was completely happy for Augusten. Reading a book by Burroughs is always a bizarre emotional roller coaster, but it is always completely worth the ride.
“I know now: what is is all that matters. Not the thing you know is meant to be, not what could be, not what should be, not what ought to be, not what once was. Only the is.”
Interested in Lust & Wonder, check it out on Goodreads.
No comments:
Post a Comment