Jeannette Walls

Original publication and copyright date: 2005.

A Memoir

The Glass Castle

Now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers. The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family. The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered. The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

Cassidy Nolan

We raised our glasses. I could almost hear Dad chuckling at Mom’s comment in the way he always did when he was truly enjoying something. It had grown dark outside. A wind picked up, rattling the windows, and the candle flames suddenly shifted, dancing along the border between turbulence and order.

That was the thing to remember about all monsters, Dad said: They love to frighten people, but the minute you stare them down, they turn tail and run.

“I’m talking about something that could help you change your life, make it better.”

“You want to help me change my life?” Mom asked. “I’m fine. You’re the one who needs help. Your values are all confused.”

I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.

This is a startling memoir of a successful journalist's journey from the deserted and dusty mining towns of the American Southwest, to an antique filled apartment on Park Avenue. Jeanette Walls narrates her nomadic and adventurous childhood with her dreaming, 'brilliant' but alcoholic parents. At the age of seventeen she escapes on a Greyhound bus to New York with her older sister; her younger siblings follow later. After pursuing the education and civilisation her parents sought to escape, Jeanette eventually succeeds in her quest for the 'mundane, middle class existence' she had always craved. In her apartment, overlooked by 'a portrait of someone else's ancestor' she recounts poignant remembered images of star watching with her father, juxtaposed with recollections of irregular meals, accidents and police-car chases and reveals her complex feelings of shame, guilt, pity and pride toward her parents.

sariya

"I didn't have the answers to those questions but what I did know was that I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire."

darby

“Things usually work out in the end.”

“That just means you haven’t come to the end yet.”

“Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy,” Mom told me. “You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more.”

Everyone has a choice to become the person they want to be. Your past makes no difference. Beautiful story of strength.

Sasha

it’s hard to read about people who are full of hope, love, intellect, and ambition but have just as many qualities to contribute to their downfall and hardships. i wish the walls family had their happy ending; hitting the gold jackpot, living under the sun in phoenix with the palm trees and orange trees, and building that glass castle. but im happy for the ones who did make it out. reading about someone’s life always brings me more  awareness and softens my heart, and I’m grateful for that

angie

The Glass Castle is a heart-rending memoir with as much gravitas as the ancient classics. Jeannette captures the essence of childhood memory perfectly; unsentimental, forgiving and metered by raw, unconditional love. 

daphne

Megan Parrott

I enjoyed Walls' witty writing style and can empathize with her upbringing, but it made me feel a little uneasy at times. I guess books like this – aka "the author takes a crappy childhood and turns into a work of art" genre – make me feel a little icky. I'm glad she was able to express herself – it just feels weird to celebrate someone's misery.

Elisavet Rozaki 

Never taking my childhood for granted again.

Jade 🌷

Had to read for class so.. idk lol it was a fine memoir

Still can’t get over the plot twists after plot twists that can occur in the author’s life. It’s all the more shocking because they’re facts as she knows it. The Glass Castle started with Jeanette Walls’s childhood that is very much like a fantasy to me. Stargazing, engaging conversation with parents about science, exploring the woods, nomadic life, everything romantic and dreamy about childhood for me was there. Then she broke out of her rosy childish eyes and saw that her family’s verily a hot mess. The sparkle of life she learned from her father stemmed from obsession. Her mother’s gaiety is toxic and irresponsible. The children had to fend for themselves, rummaging for rotten food and whatnot. Honestly, I can’t believe what I read half of the time. Yet it is so so human as much as it is shocking. Jeanette Walls was smart, tenacious, and just like any of us, desperate to live. I root for her so hard it’s very touching to see her fighting her way out of the hell-hole. This book is also about family. It’s relatable in the most vulnerable way. I honestly didn’t expect what I got when I opened the book. The Glass Castle was an experience.

glass castle

esperanza 

The Glass Castle" captivates with its grim tale of neglect and hardship, but falters on flat characters. Jeannette narrates her horrifying childhood with an unnerving emotional detachment, never digging into her own flaws or offering insight. This one-dimensional storytelling, though undeniably compelling, manipulates readers through shock value rather than genuine character development. Three stars for the gripping story, zero for the shallow heroine.

Liana

An amazing story teller, gave me a new perspective on people's pasts 

Theresa Bailey

An unbelievable story, an even more unbelievable memoir.

Kaitlyn Wendler

claire law

Jeannette Walls's storytelling made this read compelling; I didn't want to put the book down. The family shocked me in more ways than I could have expected, with both the parent's unique beliefs and the kids' amazing resiliency.

At first, I didn't know how to feel about the parents. Then, I progressively became more and more frustrated with them. It wasn't until the very end that I learned to accept them for their ways.

But the most fascinating thing about the story for me was the kids. They were so strong, taking initiative when their parents couldn't—or wouldn't.

Yeung Man Lung

Bridget Garland

Veronica 

wow. what a life. I recommend everyone read this

Anum Memon

This book tells us if you wait and work hard, you will get what you want in life. I thought this book was enlightening. I loved the writing style and just Jeannette Walls' remarkable story.

An emotional read that left me bawling. The depictions of the mom and dad hit home hard. Their different parenting styles had differing effects on each of their kids. This is an unforgettable memoir that tugs at the heartstrings. It is a story of hope, forgiveness, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Maya Ryvlin

so good but also so heartbreaking. made me feel so many emotions. we are all a product of the way we grow up, whether we decide to be nothing like our parents or exactly like them, no matter what we learn from our childhood we are shaped by it. 

natalie

read for school. the pace was really slow for me but it was good nonetheless.

Trish

More coherent review to come tomorrow but my immediate thoughts after finishing this book:

wow, that was one exciting ride. there truly wasn't a dull moment in that whole account. the writing was mature, elegant, and transparent. I liked that, despite this being a memoir, there were very few sentences that began with "I think" or "I felt" type sentiments. all Jeannette did was describe her childhood and the hurdles that made her who she is today. it gives the reader a chance to feel uncomfortable, appalled, sentimental, or disgusted without Walls's perspective/bias clouding their vision. 

so, that being said, is this the most interesting memoir I've read? Yes, probably. Did I particularly like it? No, not always. While I will always acknowledge talented writing and artistic storytelling, Jeannette Walls's memoir crossed a line of reality that made me incredibly uncomfortable. I saw parallels between this book and the fictional novel by Betty smith, a tree grows in Brooklyn, early on. But Walls's life may be a little too harrowing and vivid for my liking. Like many, I read to escape my life and bury myself in the drama and problems of another person. This was a little too much though. I'm so so so thrilled for Jeanette's happily ever after but I can see why she would evade questions about her family or childhood at a black tie event or formal dinner - it's just awkward and uncomfortable. Not because I'm judging her for having such a background, but because it is literally IMPOSSIBLE not to judge her parents. I mean, WTF. It amazes me that people like that exist. Selfish, ignorant, careless PARENTS who are blessed with not one or two but even FOUR children and can't be bothered to really love them the way they want and need to be loved. It just blows my mind. And this is just me ranting away at midnight as I just finished this book but I'm just frustrated and confused and also strangely happy for them (esp Brian!!) all at the same time. maybe I just need to sleep on it. so goodnight for now.

also I just want to add that this is a book that is so easy to read and fast paced - but at the same time, the subject matter is heavy and I found myself wanting and needing to take breaks bc i was feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. it only took me 2 days to read this memoir that's under 300 pages but I swear I felt like I had been reading it for at least a week.

Fran Lewis

Like Room, a child doesn't know what is wrong with a situation if they don't have knowledge of anything else.

Alex Ker

The Glass Castle is a tale of hardship, self-sufficiency, and resilience that is deeply moving. At points, the prose became repetitive since Walls' matter-of-fact style simply lays out the plot without much commentary, opinion, or explanation common to memoirs. However, Walls is able to draw just enough engaging insights and create strong emotions before my attention tapered off. And perhaps the narration of such disturbing and harrowing memories requires a degree of rigidity and objectiveness to be fully potent. The complex dynamics within the family, especially between parents and children, both stirred frustrations and empathy throughout my reading. I sometimes questioned the non-fiction nature of the book--some details seemed too wild to be true. But ultimately, this is a non-sympathy-seeking and honest telling about the Great American dream, adapting to change, and the intricacies of human relationships.

Mercy K

read for school

not my usual type of book but i surprisingly enjoyed reading it

The Glass Castle A Memoir

Reviews

Highlights