Running With Scissors : A Memoir

This is the story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of grandeur) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead ringer for Santa Claus and a certifiable lunatic. Suddenly at the age of 12, Augusten found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian house in perfect squalor. The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book Of The Year Now A Major Motion Picture This Is The True Story Of A Boy Who Wanted To Grow Up With The Brady Bunch, But Ended Up Living With The Addams Family. Augusten Burroughs's Mother Gave Him Away To Be Raised By Her Psychiatrist, A Dead Ringer For Santa Claus And A Certifiable Lunatic Into The Bargain. The Doctor's Bizarre Family, A Few Patients And A Sinister Man Living In The Garden Shed Completed The Tableau. In The Perfect Squalor Of Their Dilapidated Victorian House, There Were No Rules And There Was No School. The Christmas Tree Stayed Up Until Summer And Valium Was Chomped Down Like Sweets. And When Things Got A Bit Slow, There Was Always The Ancient Electroshock Therapy Machine Under The Stairs... 'this Is The Brady Bunch On Viagra... It Is Impossible Not To Laugh At All The Jokes; To Admire The Sardonic, Fetid Tone; To Wonder, Slack-jawed And Agog, At The Sheer Looniness Of The Vista He Conjures Up' -- Rachel Cooke, Observer This is the Brady Bunch on Viagra... it is impossible not to laugh at all the jokes; to admire the sardonic, fetid tone; to wonder, slack-jawed and agog, at the sheer looniness of the vista he conjures up' Rachel Cooke, Observer This is the true story of a boy who wanted to grow up with the Brady Bunch, but ended up living with the Addams Family. Augusten Burroughs's mother gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead ringer for Santa Claus and a certifiable lunatic into the bargain. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients and a sinister man living in the garden shed completed the tableau. The perfect squalor of their dilapidated Victorian house, there were no rules and there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer and Valium was chomped down like sweets. And when things got a bit slow, there was always the ancient electroshock therapy machine under the stairs... 'This true story is a match for the strangest... Running with Scissors reads like an... This is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead-ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain. Suddenly, at age twelve, the author found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian in perfect squalor. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules, there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock therapy machine under the stairs. It is at turns foul and harrowing, compelling and maniacally funny, but above all, it chronicles an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances "Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances". --Barnes & Noble "Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain. Suddenly, at age twelve, Augusten Burroughs found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian in perfect squalor. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules; there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock-therapy machine under the stairs..."--BOOK JACKET. True story of a boy who had to survive a bizarre household where there were no rules when his mother gave him away to be raised by a psychiatrist Augusten Burroughs's jaw-dropping memoir, now as an e-book: 'Adrian Mole scripted by Hieronymous Bosch' Fiona Hook, The Times