I apologize for getting this going late. I must also apologize for the fact that Running with Scissors
This book was an emotional trip for me because of the life this child endured. It is simply beyond any reality I have known in my personal life. I was drawn into this book due to the manner in which it was narrated. Do you think this book did a proper job of conveying the emotions and growth Augusten experiences throughout the course of his childhood?
He obviously had an interesting life, stemming from his parents (the mother in particular) and continuing on in his experiences with Dr. Finch and the entire Finch family. What is your take on the fact that his mother so willingly passed him over to the Finch family, especially considering the type of family and people she handed him over to? How much of who Augusten is, as a person, do you believe was influenced by his time spent with this family, as opposed to how things would have been if he had stayed with his mother?
To me, this entire story is unbelievable in the sense that it is so outrageous. What do you pick up as the main undertone in the story? Do you feel Augusten regrets the way his life happened to him, or do you get the impression that it gave him an interesting story to tell and pushed him to become more than he would have become had he not faced such a different type of childhood?
As Augusten reaches adulthood, he seems less and less affected by the story of his upbringing. Do you think the book portrayed him as someone who overcame the obstacles in his path or was his life forever damaged as a result of the manner in which he was raised? Finally, what surprised you the MOST in this story?
