The Glass Castle

A Memoir

by Jeannette Walls

Paperback, 288 pages

English language

Published Jan. 8, 2006 by Scribner.

ISBN:: 978-0-7432-4754-2
OCLC Number:: 65210928

(70 reviews)

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.

29 editions

almostallthecake reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Reading Blog || Socials

This is one of those books that will change your life. If you have any sort of experience with abusive family members under delivering and gaslighting, you will find a lot of solace in this book. The family member that recommended this book to me said it healed her a bit as it felt like it was similar to her childhood, and that she wasn't alone.

I may end up re-reading this book if I can find the paperback, as I read this book some years ago. It is a deeply emotional, true story, told in a truly beautiful way. I heavily recommend this book.

aleshahildebrand reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book is amazing from beginning to end - very powerful story of resilience!

Nano Book Review reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Growing Up Disfunctional

5 stars

A memoir about growing up with irresponsible parents. Things don't seem so crazy when you've never known anything different. But even so, your circumstances don't have to be your results.

PanaX reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Fantastic story of overcoming a difficult childhood with eccentric and neglectful parents.

Machinedreamread reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Best memoir I’ve ever read. I actually listened to this on audible and I was really sucked into the story the whole time. It is a sad book but it has beautiful moments and memories. Loved it!

cherold reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Glass Castle is an entertaining and somewhat disturbing memoir about really bad parenting. What's interesting is that while the parents are objectively terrible, Walls portrays her childhood as a rather heroic and engaging adventure. It's not that she doesn't acknowledge that parents that barely feed their children are bad parents, but the book still shows the ways in which she had freedom and learned remarkable self reliance. I was far more coddled as a child, and I'd say I am far more fearful as an adult. (May or may not indicate causality.)

Should the kids all have been taken away by social workers? Probably. And yet, they seem to have turned out pretty well, at least according to the book.

Anyway, if you ever complain about your childhood this is a handy reality check. If it's worse than Walls' was, you've definitely got the right to complain!

Very entertaining …

govmarley reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Nature vs. nurture. It's a long-standing debate. I personally think nurture has a more to do with how you turn out as a person, but Jeannette Walls might have just proved me wrong.

This is the story of growing up with two parents who, to put it nicely, both have issues. My armchair psychiatrist degree says they both just might be mentally ill. Definitely co-dependent. And really bad parents. Jeannette and her siblings grow up roaming from place to place as her parents run from people of the real and imaginary sort. They are poor, and hungry, and really don't seem to realize how crazy their upbringing truly is. I can't believe no one stepped in and helped these kids, but I'm sure there are families right now who have it just as bad or worse and are under the radar like them.

This book made me mad. And sad. I realize it could have been worse for the Walls children. But what was there was bad enough. Now get off the computer, go hug a loved one, and be grateful for all that you have. It's a miracle Jeannette Walls grew up to make something of herself, so her nature won out over the terrible nurture she received. 4 stars for Jeannette and a virtual high five from me.

AliCorbin reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I had problems with this book, as I kept wanting to throttle the parents. But after I decided to view it as fiction I was able to appreciate the writing. I liked that her descriptions of her memories as a small child actually were child-like, and not colored by her later feelings as she grew disenchanted with her parents.

Molly Foust reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I just love dysfunctional families, and this family really did put the fun in dysfunctional. I could not put it down, the constant excitement- everything from eating grapes for days to the mother playing piano in the backyard to the son waiting for his father to finish with a whore while he waits in the hallway... I liked the parents despite the terrible things they did to their children, at least they encouraged their education. I liked the kids for their bravery and character. Just goes to show child bearing is not for free spirits, alcoholics, driven artists, or people with mental disorders. Whew, glad I dodged that bullet!

unicorndeburgh reviewed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Review of 'The Glass Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It's a well written story, and the memoir of an often appalling childhood. I recommend it. And I desperately want to know if her mother really owned real estate worth a million dollars while her children were hungry.