Mary Karr's The Liars' Club

[create_destiny]

We must all hail Mary Karr!

I'm serious. I recently read her memoir, The Liars' Club and hot damn, something good has come out of Texas after all!

Mary Karr is foremostly, a poet. This memoir of her childhood growing up in a small, east Texas oil town, was first published in 1995. The thought of how this woman's writing has managed to escape me until two weeks ago is unnerving. I blame all of you, actually, for not telling me about her sooner. Jesus and the angels will help me recover from this most bitter betrayal.



From the first page of this book I was sucked in. I had to sleep with it next to my head on my pillow and carry it around with me at all times. When I finished it, I wanted to read it all right from the start again. Her writing is brutal, ballsy, alluring and sharp.

Mary was the type of child who, at the age of nine, climbed up a tree and started shooting bbs at the family of a boy who insulted her. She would flip off her grade school teachers and tell other authority figures to, "Eat me raw," thinking it was just another way of saying, "Kiss my ass."

Yeah, so when you see your neighbors' children behaving like anarchist strippers on crack and you wonder if you should call child-protective services, you might want to read this book first, because its hilarious and tragic and the best damn thing I've read in a long time. And I'm not saying it should have any bearing on you making that call. That's between you and God. What I'm saying is Brutally sharp alluring balls, people, that's all I'm sayin'.

Comments

liars club

[lcurtis.livejournal.com]

So you liked it huh? Reminds me a bit of some girls I know.

[bluemamie.livejournal.com]

What do you mean something good has come out of Texas "after all"? Have you ever been here?

[bluemamie.livejournal.com]

And yes, it's a great book, one of my favorites. I read it several years ago.

[nodressrehersal.livejournal.com]

Hot damn, that's as glowing of a review as I've read in a long time. It's been added and moved to the top of the list, thanks.

One of my favorite memoirs is Too Close to the Falls, by Catherine Gildiner. A great read, to be sure.

[honeywoney.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's one heck of a book.

In fact, she wrote a piece against James Frey, and another author then wrote disparaging comments about Karr, and I jumped into the fray to defend Karr.

You may need a NY Times subscription (online free) to read this: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/opinion/15karr.html?ex=1294981200&en=1c321211aefeeff6&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

If you enjoyed "Liar's Club," then please read this: http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0375758992

:)

[si-anenome.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review -- I'll have to read it. We've had that book for a long time & I've never cracked it open. (We buy interesting looking books and then stick them in a pile... for some future day when we have time, I guess.) Sounds like a great read.

[grrlpup]

I just put it on hold at the library. And the next crazy little hellion I see, I will tell "you're going to be a poet when you grow up." And then I'll run.

She sounds like Scout, but more so.

[dietcokehed.livejournal.com]

Ordering it now :)

Cuz if i don't...I kinda feel like you might kick my ass!!
Plus I need more books...don't we all? :)

[metalgypsy.livejournal.com]

can i borrow it?!

[e-compass-rosa.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I saw your comment over at Doug Lain, and then was browsing your sight to come upon the Mary Karr review. This is the second time today I've come across this book, totally randomly, so because I love sychronicity I figured I ought to add you to my friend's list. I'm looking forward to reading your journal.