Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2000
Description
One of the most mesmerizing memoirs of the literary season: a wrenching, hilarious, and stylistically groundbreaking story of a college senior who, in the space of five weeks, loses both of his parents to cancer and inherits his eight-year-old brother. "Well, this was when Bill was sighing a lot. He had decided that after our parents died he just didn't want any more fighting between what was left of us. He was twenty-four, Beth was twenty-three, I was twenty-one, Toph was eight, and all of us were so tired already, from that winter. So when something would come up, any little thing, some bill to pay or decision to make, he would just sigh, his eyes tired, his mouth in a sorry kind of smile. But Beth and I ... Jesus, we were fighting with everyone, anyone, each other, with strangers at bars, anywhere -- we were angry people wanting to exact revenge. We came to California and we wanted everything, would take what was ours, anything within reach. And I decided that little Toph and I, he with his backward hat and long hair, living together in our little house in Berkeley, would be world-destroyers. We inherited each other and, we felt, a responsibility to reinvent everything, to scoff and re-create and drive fast while singing loudly and pounding the windows. It was a hopeless sort of exhilaration, a kind of arrogance born of fatalism, I guess, of the feeling that if you could lose a couple of parents in a month, then basically anything could happen, at any time -- all bullets bear your name, all cars are there to crush you, any balcony could give way; more disaster seemed only logical. And then, as in Dorothy's dream, all these people I grew up with were there, too, some of them orphans also, most but not all of us believing that what we had been given was extraordinary, that it was time to tear or break down, ruin, remake, take and devour. This was San Francisco, you know, and everyone had some dumb idea -- I mean, wicca? -- and no one there would tell you yours was doomed. Thus the public nudity, and this ridiculous magazine, and the Real World tryout, all this need, most of it disguised by sneering, but all driven by a hyper-awareness of this window, I guess, a few years when your muscles are taut, coiled up and vibrating. But what to do with the energy? I mean, when we drive, Toph and I, and we drive past people, standing on top of all these hills, part of me wants to stop the car and turn up the radio and have us all dance in formation, and part of me wants to run them all over."--Excerpt from chapter 5.… (more)
Media reviews
''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius'' is a book of finite jest, which is why it succeeds so brilliantly. Eggers's most powerful prose is often his most straightforward, relying on old-fashioned truth telling for its punch.
Dave Eggers's new book, ''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,'' is part autobiography, part postmodern collage, a novelistic ''memoir-y kind of thing'' that tells the sad, awful, tragic story of how the author's mother and father died within weeks of each other and how he became a surrogate
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parent to his 8-year-old brother, and tells it with such style and hyperventilated, self-conscious energy, such coy, Lettermanesque shtick and such genuine, heartfelt emotion, that the story is at once funny, tender, annoying and, yes, heartbreaking -- an epic, in the end, not of woe, though there's plenty of that too, but an epic about family and how families fracture and fragment and somehow, through all the tumult and upset, manage to endure. Show Less
Publishers Weekly
Though the book is marred by its ending--an unsuccessful parody of teenage rage against the cruel world--it will still delight admirers of structural experimentation and Gen-Xers alike.
Library Journal
Eggers delivers a worthwhile story told in perfect pitch to the material.
Booklist
Eggers' seemingly flippant, but piercingly observant style, allows hilarity to lead the way in a very personal and revealing recounting of the loss of his parents.
Kirkus Reviews
It isn't... It is evidently hard to have been Eggers, though few readers will be satisfied with this nugget of hard-won wisdom in return for their investment of time and good will.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This memoir tells of the author's family. His parents died in 1991 and 1992 and the author took his 8-year-old brother with him to San Francisco, where they lived near the author's sister. The author was involved with Might magazine and spent a lot of tome doing stupid things, as well as caring for
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his brother, The work is seriously disfigured by totally excessive use of obscene and blasphemous language which adds nothing to the account, but makes the reading of the book repeatedly disgusting. I was very glad to get to the last page. Why did I read it? Amazon's recent list of "100 books one should read in a lifetime" includes the book and my reading this book brings to 56 the number of books on that list I have read. Show Less
LibraryThing member ljpower
The writing style took some time in which to get comfortable but once I began to understand the thoughts behind Eggers' words, I enjoyed the book more and more. His necessary progression toward adult responsibilities is in contrast to his desires to simply be like his peers and this provides one of
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the many conflicts in this novel. Life is sometimes unfair but Eggers shows that the natural progression must be forward-looking. Dwelling on what could have been and denying yourself from grieving over tragedy can become a paralyzing process. He had to learn many of life's lessons quickly because he took on the responsibility for others. Other readers could look to this book as an example of the thought process in the time of adversity. Every decision or act that is done is a progression in life and remember that you are not alone in meeting the struggles of life. Show Less
LibraryThing member lunza
Do not attempt to read the first chapter of this book while eating.
LibraryThing member BookJoy17
Dave loses both of his parents to cancer, and he is left to take care of his younger brother Toph. He works for a magazine. A good book if you look past the bad language, a few of his obsessions, and Randomness.
LibraryThing member angelm45
Eggers is a talented writer, which is the only reason I give him any stars at all. His style is fresh and sometimes funny. His self-absorbtion quickly grew tiresome though, and it is difficult to get through a book whose narrator you really dislike! My sympathy for Eggers, which was plentiful when
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I started reading, steadily evaporated as I made my way through the book. In the end, I just found him annoying and a little too impressed with himself. Show Less
LibraryThing member DRFP
No, it's not really heartbreaking, and it's not a work of genius either. It's still a very good book however.
Probably the best passages of AHWOSG occur at the start when Eggers describes the condition of his mother prior to her death. Those first 45 pages are truly excellent.
The rest of the
With the position he's come to occupy in the literary world it is perhaps easy to look back on this work and read it as the "woe is me" tale of a smug know-it-all. However, I think Egger's heart shines through here, back when he was writing this at the turn of the millennium before any real success.
AHBOSG isn't an earth shattering book, but it's a good tale told very well and, I believe, an important product of its time.
Probably the best passages of AHWOSG occur at the start when Eggers describes the condition of his mother prior to her death. Those first 45 pages are truly excellent.
The rest of the
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work.... Well, it varies. I'm not one for stream of conscious and sometimes Eggers over does it; on other occasions though he's very pithy and amusing. I suppose the ultimate testament to Egger's skill is the fact that he writes in such a self-knowing, self-mocking manner and successfully treads the line without becoming irritating or sounding arrogant.With the position he's come to occupy in the literary world it is perhaps easy to look back on this work and read it as the "woe is me" tale of a smug know-it-all. However, I think Egger's heart shines through here, back when he was writing this at the turn of the millennium before any real success.
AHBOSG isn't an earth shattering book, but it's a good tale told very well and, I believe, an important product of its time.
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LibraryThing member jensenmk82
An impressive, but also self-indulgent work. Reading Eggers is rarely dull!
LibraryThing member alexrichman
An achingly hip, smugly knowing and oddly cheery version of a misery memoir. Eggers freely admits that the book is rambling, uneven and filled to overflowing with post-modern fanciness, and he's right. Still, if you're pulled in by the title, as I was, then you'll enjoy the author's style; if not,
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there's no point cracking the spine. Show Less
LibraryThing member petterw
After having read Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgard´s aitobiographical series "Min kamp", it was interesting (to say the least) to read Eggers´ autobiography. His approach is a bit more cautious than Knausgard´s; he admits to have changed names, and the book is closer to a book of fiction than
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the Min Kamp series. Also, Eggers bases his story on one particular part of his life: the loss of both his parents and his raising of his younger brother. It is nevertheless a tour-de-force of a book. Although the author at times seems to be too smug for his own good, he comments on it and in a way involves the reader into the reasoning behind telling the story in the way and manner he does. Some of the segments of the book are really inventively written, like the casting interview with MTV, others are incredibly strong and touching, like the sequence about his receiving his mother´s ashes. I wish I had left all the prefaces to the very end, these made more sensing reading after I had finished the main part of the book. I recommend this book to anyone who will be looking for an easy read that will challenge you all the way, and who enjoys authors that pour themselves into their storytelling. Show Less
LibraryThing member ElOsoBlanco
I felt like this book served as a lesson on the use of literary devices in non-fiction. I enjoyed the recurring paranoid moments inside Egger's head, and the frequent frisbee sessions.
LibraryThing member Gerard670
Reading Eggers' debut thirteen years after its publication, after only recently being informed about the 'New Sincerity'-movement allegedly co-started by him, I wasn't very much prejudiced. I bought the book when it was translated into Dutch, in the hardcover version. Only now I see the cover is
Now I have read the piece of James Wood about 'hysterical realism'.
What do I make of this novel:
1. Some chapters are way too long. Tiresome are some gimmicks: (a) Eggers' supposed worrying about Toph's surely going to die while he is away (sentimental too, Eggers trying to win our sympathy) (b) other boring because repeated and extensively written down daydreaming of Eggers
2. Eggers is convincing in his evocation of the feeling that death is no fun at all. In particular: there is no convincing consolation. No story puts it all in place, reconciles you with human beings passing away and then they're gone.
3. It's far too long and the adventures in real time (MIght-magazine) are not that interesting, which is saying the same thing twice.
I don't understand why David Foster Wallace called this "a ruthless book" (I have only read the translation of his quote on the cover). The novel is too sloppy to be called 'urgent'.
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taken from a painting by Komar and Melamid - I allready had a reproduction of one of their social-realist Stalin-pranks at the wall.of my study, same color scheme. Maybe that and the bravoura title did the trick in the bookshop at the time. Or perhaps I did read a review and have forgotten.Now I have read the piece of James Wood about 'hysterical realism'.
What do I make of this novel:
1. Some chapters are way too long. Tiresome are some gimmicks: (a) Eggers' supposed worrying about Toph's surely going to die while he is away (sentimental too, Eggers trying to win our sympathy) (b) other boring because repeated and extensively written down daydreaming of Eggers
2. Eggers is convincing in his evocation of the feeling that death is no fun at all. In particular: there is no convincing consolation. No story puts it all in place, reconciles you with human beings passing away and then they're gone.
3. It's far too long and the adventures in real time (MIght-magazine) are not that interesting, which is saying the same thing twice.
I don't understand why David Foster Wallace called this "a ruthless book" (I have only read the translation of his quote on the cover). The novel is too sloppy to be called 'urgent'.
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LibraryThing member MM_Jones
I've read & enjoyed some recent nonfiction books by this author and turned to some of his earlier writings. This book has been labeled as brilliant, but I'm not a fan of this "stream of consciousness" writing. Too many words to say to little.
LibraryThing member claudio.svaluto
I abandoned this quickly. It is clearly incredible but I didn't have it in me to go through so much sadness at the time
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Digital audio read by Dion Graham
Water the Flowers!
I had heard about this memoir when it first came out and had it on my TBR ever since. I was intrigued by a book written by a young man who took on the responsibility for raising his much younger brother after both their parents died within a few
It’s clear that Eggers is intelligent. Obviously the circumstances that resulted in his guardianship of his baby brother were tragic, and every older sibling’s nightmare. I should have read the reviews by Goodreads members before I decided to finally read / listen to the book.
I found Eggers self-absorbed, immature, irresponsible and totally lacking in any insight. I really pity his little brother who might have been better off raised by wolves.
The most entertaining part of the book is the forward/preface/acknowledgments/copyright notice … which on the audiobook are read at the very end. Had this come first, I might have gone into the book expecting something more on the lines of satire, and (while satire is not my favorite genre) had different expectations and a different take on the work. But I went into it expecting a memoir of a tragic and difficult time in a young man’s life, and some reflection / insight / growth in character as a result. Too bad for me. Well, the preface,etc gets him one star.
Dion Graham does a reasonably good job reading the audiobook. Not his fault that the F bomb is used so often or that the writer gives us a manic narrative. (Not helped by my decision to listen at double speed to get through the 13 hours faster.)
Water the Flowers!
I had heard about this memoir when it first came out and had it on my TBR ever since. I was intrigued by a book written by a young man who took on the responsibility for raising his much younger brother after both their parents died within a few
Show More
weeks of one another. I expected some tragic, emotionally charged scenes and some sense of enlightenment or inspiration. I read another book by Eggers and really enjoyed it, so when the audio finally came in from the library, I was pleased to finally get to this on our long drive to Texas. It’s clear that Eggers is intelligent. Obviously the circumstances that resulted in his guardianship of his baby brother were tragic, and every older sibling’s nightmare. I should have read the reviews by Goodreads members before I decided to finally read / listen to the book.
I found Eggers self-absorbed, immature, irresponsible and totally lacking in any insight. I really pity his little brother who might have been better off raised by wolves.
The most entertaining part of the book is the forward/preface/acknowledgments/copyright notice … which on the audiobook are read at the very end. Had this come first, I might have gone into the book expecting something more on the lines of satire, and (while satire is not my favorite genre) had different expectations and a different take on the work. But I went into it expecting a memoir of a tragic and difficult time in a young man’s life, and some reflection / insight / growth in character as a result. Too bad for me. Well, the preface,etc gets him one star.
Dion Graham does a reasonably good job reading the audiobook. Not his fault that the F bomb is used so often or that the writer gives us a manic narrative. (Not helped by my decision to listen at double speed to get through the 13 hours faster.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member techeditor
A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS is delightful. Dave Eggers has a writing style like I’ve never read before. What would otherwise be, for example, sad or serious, he lightens. My gosh, he even makes the copyright page enjoyable reading! And I'm glad I read a hardcover copy and could see
This is a memoir. Eggers explains that he wouldn’t really call A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS a true story because he made up the dialog. And sometimes that dialog is obviously his invention, such as when a 9-year-old boy talks with the maturity of a 30-year-old man or when he begins with his MTV interview that turns into something else. I sometimes had to re-read to understand what he was doing.
Before the beginning of A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS Eggers notes all the parts you can safely skip. But that made me want to read them all the more, and I didn’t skip anything. I admit, though, after 100 or so pages his style sometimes aggravated me, his constant repetition, so I did skim some paragraphs. Even though I could tell that those paragraphs represented his private thought processes, I sometimes found them disjointed and monotonous.
Most reviews of this book concentrate on only part of the story, he and his little brother. Yes, Eggers raises his much younger brother, Toph, after their parents died. And, of course, Toph is a big part of the story, occupying Eggers' thoughts most of the time.
But he also emphasizes all the energy he simultaneously expends on a startup magazine. Poor Eggers is always exhausted.
Also running throughout his story are his remembrances of his mother, beginning near her end. Yet he doesn't have much to say about his father, apparently an alcoholic.
Eggers' memoir has three main subjects, not just one. Probably most readers find his relationship with Toph to be the most touching.
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the cover minus the dust jacket. Check it out if you can.This is a memoir. Eggers explains that he wouldn’t really call A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS a true story because he made up the dialog. And sometimes that dialog is obviously his invention, such as when a 9-year-old boy talks with the maturity of a 30-year-old man or when he begins with his MTV interview that turns into something else. I sometimes had to re-read to understand what he was doing.
Before the beginning of A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS Eggers notes all the parts you can safely skip. But that made me want to read them all the more, and I didn’t skip anything. I admit, though, after 100 or so pages his style sometimes aggravated me, his constant repetition, so I did skim some paragraphs. Even though I could tell that those paragraphs represented his private thought processes, I sometimes found them disjointed and monotonous.
Most reviews of this book concentrate on only part of the story, he and his little brother. Yes, Eggers raises his much younger brother, Toph, after their parents died. And, of course, Toph is a big part of the story, occupying Eggers' thoughts most of the time.
But he also emphasizes all the energy he simultaneously expends on a startup magazine. Poor Eggers is always exhausted.
Also running throughout his story are his remembrances of his mother, beginning near her end. Yet he doesn't have much to say about his father, apparently an alcoholic.
Eggers' memoir has three main subjects, not just one. Probably most readers find his relationship with Toph to be the most touching.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Pulitzer Prize (Finalist — General Non-Fiction — 2001)
Independent Publisher Book Awards (Gold — 2003)
Guardian First Book Award (Shortlist — 2000)
Borders Original Voices (2001)
Language
Original language
English