“This was an entertaining, easy, and disturbing read. The author's childhood was filled with chaos, insanity, and mentally unstable adults, so at times it is fascinating to learn about his unique circumstances, but there are many horrifying scenes that make it difficult to digest. In the midst of reading the story, I discovered an interview with some of the sisters of the real life Finches, and it called into question the reliability and honesty of the stories presented by Burroughs. The family went so far as to sue the author, despite the fact that it would publicly reveal their true identity to the world; no small matter, since it has already caused much embarrassment, humiliation, heartbreak, and anxiety to those family members who chose to read this book. It is troubling and disappointing to think he fabricated some aspects of his memoir. Exaggeration is one thing; over-the-top exaggeration and flat out lies is another thing. The problem is that much of it is in fact true and easily verifiable. As for the rest, who can say what is true and what is false in a he-said-she-said situation? In the end, it didn't leave me with a good impression of the book or the author.”
bluenun21 wrote this review Monday, July 18, 2011.
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