The Glass Castle: A Memoir

· Sold by Simon and Schuster
4.6
915 reviews
Ebook
304
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

THE BELOVED #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—FROM THE AUTHOR OF HANG THE MOON

The extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers.


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.

The memoir was also made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
915 reviews
Jenna
May 1, 2023
This is a good read but it is an emotional one. This could help privileged people see past theirselves and develop empathy for those less fortunate. Nobody wants born into a family living in poverty with mental illness, insecurity, and hunger resulting in abuse and more so, neglect. The author is amazing for not having a more bitter take on her parents. Her parents needed mental health intervention when they were probably kids and thus the cycle usually repeats. But not with the author, and not with my father. A cycle breaker is a hero to me. Even with their children are grown, the parents in this book see no fault in their living conditions and choices. They truly do not know better and are living in survival mode. Be nice out there. Nobody knows what the other has been through.
Did you find this helpful?
Ellen W
January 22, 2023
Not one to read bios. But this came so highly recommended by a daughter. Every word either entertains, is jaw-dropping, or sad. You think YOU had a rough/interesting life? See how this family survived! And joy! E
Did you find this helpful?
A Google user
The rules of parenting differ from person to person, and it’s not uncommon to hear whispers of criticism amongst adults on the subject. However, in Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, she shows that some people prefer to have no rules at all. The Walls family was far beyond any that the reader of this book will likely ever meet. For starters, housing was always considered optional, as were paying bills and even going to school. Jeannette traveled around the country with her family in death traps of cars, staying in towns only until the debt collectors would start closing in. Then, she and her whole family would do the ole “Walls Skedaddle” and drive off to wherever they pleased. While Jeannette’s parents taught their children important life lessons, sometimes their hypocrisy and sketchy behavior would overshadow it all, leaving the four siblings lost, confused, and clinging to one another for support. The theme in the book is to stick close to those who help you and to use your experiences wisely. The writing style was absolutely superb. While some first person perspectives try to fill in all the gaps of the story that were not being seen firsthand, Jeannette gave only what she could, and the story was that much more authentic for it. She told her feelings and experiences without trying to clutter it all up with pointless side stories that would take away from what she herself had gone through. The Glass Castle was a great book for me to read as it raised the question of where the line should be drawn and made me consider how far a person should go to help others without sinking down themselves. Jeannette Walls’ memoir at some points had me double-checking whether or not it was a memoir or some crazy fantasy adventure, as it was so peculiar and spectacular that it was hard to believe that someone could go through it all and live to tell the tale. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was not only an excellent read, but it also inspired me to never give up and go swinging against anything that could hold me back.
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

Jeannette Walls graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than eight years. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Walls lives in rural Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.