New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z By Title
Archives: A-Z By Author
Advanced Search

All-Time High Scores
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Books In Our Forums

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed books.

Magical Thinking
True Stories
by Augusten Burroughs


8.2

based on 11 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 5 votes
read user comments
rate this book

Compare prices at pricegrabber.com

Buy it at powells.com

Buy it at amazon.com

Buy it at amazon.co.uk

An autobiographical collection of stories by the bestselling author of Dry and Running With Scissors.

St. Martin's Press, 288 pages
10/05/2004
$23.95

ISBN: 0312315945

Nonfiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Essays
Humor

All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...

Booklist Allison Block

[T]his volume by a man "made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions," offers an irresistible display of sanity hanging by a thread. [July 2004, p. 1795]

Entertainment Weekly Henry Goldblatt

[Burroughs] hooks you into a story better than anybody.

Kirkus Reviews

Dementedly original and unstoppable: Burroughs deserves a shelf all to himself, just as an unpredictable convict might require protective custody.

Library Journal William Gargan

While his stories may at times shock or even disgust readers, they are redeemed in the end by laughter. [1 Oct. 2004, p. 79]

Publishers Weekly

[T]his collection showcases Burroughs's sharp, funny and sometimes brilliant writing.

San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand

Even wallowing in happiness, Burroughs keeps his scissors sharpened.

The New York Times Book Review John Leland

[Burroughs's] subject is less his experiences than himself experiencing them, or himself writing about him experiencing them.

USA Today Deirdre Donahue

Perhaps it is Burroughs' versatility -- he can write about love without being cloying, he can describe being an alcoholic without being boring, he can write about his demented family without self-pity -- that makes him such a delight to read.

Daily Telegraph Mark Sanderson

Burroughs portrays himself as a genitally fixated motormouth. A nightmare to meet, perhaps, but great company if you keep him at arm's length and simply read about his outrageous antics.

The Guardian Jay Parin

For all of its many delights, I found a good deal of it downright irritating.

The New York Times Janet Maslin

Some of the stories work wickedly. But others just work overtime at being quirky.

The average user rating for this book is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Scott Y gave it a7:
I still haven't figured out if I truly like this author, but I've read Magical Thinking as well as Dry and also Running With Scissors. His stories are so outlandish, I'm giving this a good rating because of their high entertainment value.

Greg P gave it a9:
Laugh-out-loud funny throughout. Burroughs is a very good writer; I'm shocked he's a high school dropout. Burroughs takes vulnerable to a new, hilarious level.

D. Rock gave it a9:
Overall, an enjoyable collection of short stories. "Roof Work" will have you laughing out loud at times, and cringing at others.

Discuss this book in our forums

Return to top of page

Magical Thinking True Stories by Augusten Burroughs

Magical Thinking
True Stories
by Augusten Burroughs