A Memoir Based on a True Story

A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius

A Memoir Based on a True Story

Published: 13, February 2001

Author: Dave Eggers
Genres: Biographies & Memoir, Comedy & Humor, First Person Narrative, Satire

Rating: 75/100
Recommended: 80/100 Yes.

The Review:

The novel is as ostentatious and self-centered as the title implies. Eggers is a twenty-something who is not only trying to make his own place in life but also dealing with mortality and raising his younger brother. It may be viewed as a coming-of-age story in which the narrator must learn to live with the death of his parents. Perhaps it's a novel about death in which the living are introduced as supporting characters. In any case, the book is genuinely brilliant.

There are acknowledgment pages before even getting to the opening page of the work. These are multiple pages of small print ravings that make up the acknowledgment section. You are more than welcome to skip this portion, according to Eggers. I highly encourage you to refrain from doing so. It's lengthy, but it's also amusing, and it sets the tone for the remainder of the work.

I was already aware that this book seemed to elicit powerful emotions before I ever opened it. Some individuals despise it, while others adore it. The way you react to Eggers' writing will determine how you respond to this book. You'll love this book if you like his stream-of-consciousness, crazily extraneous, always-on-the-verge-of-a-panic-attack style of narration. If you're looking for a simple, linear story, this is the worst book you'll ever read.

A touching and amusing memoir. The writing is unique and casual. The personal story Eggers shares is painful, yet he conveys it without being self-pitying. The tales told by Eggers are vivid and often funny. This is an excellent book, and his other works are also worth reading. But what I am saying about this book is from my point of view as I mentioned earlier that this book is not for everyone.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was that I treated it as if it were a novel about a fictional character rather than a real person. It was quite helpful in understanding the sarcasm, hatred, rage, and energy that this novel exudes. Another thing that touched me was the author's resolve and love for his young brother, despite the fact that he was still a student at the time of his parent's death.

This is one of those books that divide readers as to whether they should hate it or love it, and I am one of those who liked it. Let's see what everyone else thinks, so once you've finished the book, please leave a remark or message with your comments.

Final Thoughts:

A beautiful and heartbreaking biography but not for everyone and that is the only reason to give it low points and recommendations.

I was astounded by the author's decision to write this book at a period when he was neither renowned nor well-known, and yet he produced a biography about himself. Call it pride or whatever you want, but he succeeded in writing a masterpiece that became a best-selling novel and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction.

It is one of the very few books that were able to make me laugh out loud.

It's also unusual. You will probably despise this work if you are seeking for a more traditional narrative structure or a more mature and lovable main character. You will probably enjoy this book as much as I do if you are searching for something that pushes the boundaries, looks at novel writing as an art form and isn't afraid to reveal the world in all its brutal reality.

Synopsis:

“"Exhilarating…Profoundly moving, occasionally angry, and often hilarious...A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is, finally, a finite book of jest, which is why it succeeds so brilliantly" (The New York Times Book Review).

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is the unique, moving memoir 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. In his distinctive style unlike any other memoir, Egger's story is an exhilarating debut that manages to be simultaneously hilarious and wildly inventive, as well as a deeply heartfelt story of the love that holds a family together.”

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