Product Description

Augusten Burroughs's "Running with Scissors" was 'funnier and more alarming than any memoir in recent history' ("Independent on Sunday"). "Dry" proved that he could do it again. And now, with these true stories, his fans are in for a treat. "Magical Thinking" gives voice to thoughts we all have but dare not mention. What makes the collection so original is Augusten's sharp-eyed observations about things that are unique to him, but somehow universal to us all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135561 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review
"'Burroughs's latest collection of true stories are outrageous, revealing... you wouldn't want him as a godfather for your children but he is damn funny.' Observer 'Burroughs is a natural storyteller... as brilliantly witty, waspish and self-deprecating as ever.' Daily Mail 'The success of Augusten Burroughs's memoirs is down to a quality given free rein in Magical Thinking... this latest book confirms that Burroughs is a hilarious and skilled raconteur - he's so awful, it's hard not to like him.' Metro"

USA Today
‘One of the most compelling and screamingly funny voices of the new century.’

Kirkus
‘Dementedly original and unstoppable, Burroughs deserves a shelf all to himself.’

Customer Reviews

Oddly hilarious
This is the first - but certainly not the last - book I have read from this author. It is a collection of autobiographical short stories which represent small snippets of his life experiences, written about in a hilariously crazy way. The way his mind works seems to pour itself onto paper in a fashion that is very enjoyable to read. His experiences are not that amazing in themselves, it is his angle on them and his reactions to seemingly banal occurences that make one laugh. His writing style is a little Hunter S. Thompsonesque due to his opulent use of vocabulary. Because of the short story format it is easy to read for people with a short attention span or not much time on their hands. The result was that I was kept fixated and interested and read the book in one day.

Magical printing
Even leaving aside the literary merits of this collection of short stories (I think "Running with Scissors" is much the best of Burroughs' writing) the first thing which strikes you is its large format. The publishers have chosen an above average paperback size, double-spaced the lines and used big type in an attempt to justify the whopping £9.99 cover price.

You don't need magical thinking to see that a bit of profiteering is going on. I recommend that you save your pennies and beg, steal or borrow a copy if you're keen to see the latest instalment from this sometimes cynical but always entertaining US memoirist.

Fantastic
This book like most of his others is absolutely fantastic, you don't want to put it down and when you do it's only for a second when you have to swipe your oyster at the tube station. Hilarious book, and keeps you interested all the way through. It has many different stories from throughout his life so very easy to digest although I advise you read this last of his books as there are a couple of extracts that have been repeated although I was not tired reading it a second time. If you have never read his book then I recommend you make a purchase and if you have read one of his other books and enjoyed it I recommend you purchase all his books because they are all just as brilliant as each other.