Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is a memoir about the life of young Augusten and the wild adventures he exeriences from the age of 9-17. For the first twelve years of his live Augusten lives with an alcoholic and violent father who is also a mathematics professor at a university in Massachusetts, and a psychotic mother who is a wannabe star. As it is a very violent and abusive relationship Augusten and Deidre, his mother had to leave his father.
When his mother had her first mental break down, little Augusten was sent to live with his mother's psychiatrist, Dr. Finch who bears a striking resemblance to dear old Saint Nick and eventually when Augusten gets older, is adopted by him. As Augusten ages he starts to keep a journal, writing about his crazy surroundings and trying to find out who he really wants to be. The Finches household consisted of: Dr. Finch, Agnes, his "wife", Hope, his favorite daughter, Kate, Natalie, Augusten's best friend, Vickie, and Neil Bookman, Dr. Finches previous mental patient, and Augusten's first boyfriend.
As the memoir progresses Augusten admits that he is gay, partly because his mother was discovered to be a lesbian and mostly because he had a relationship with a thirty three year old man who was Neil Bookman, Dr. Finches previous patient. Bookman was the first person to make Augusten feel important and notice him. Yet Bookman doesn't want to hurt Augusten and leaves him.
Augusten goes from wanting to be a hairdresser to getting into a intense relationship to dropping out of high school and laying around the house. Augusten and Natalie go on many adventures and constantly getting into trouble. They both take on a care free live and finding themselves through their journey.
When his mother had her first mental break down, little Augusten was sent to live with his mother's psychiatrist, Dr. Finch who bears a striking resemblance to dear old Saint Nick and eventually when Augusten gets older, is adopted by him. As Augusten ages he starts to keep a journal, writing about his crazy surroundings and trying to find out who he really wants to be. The Finches household consisted of: Dr. Finch, Agnes, his "wife", Hope, his favorite daughter, Kate, Natalie, Augusten's best friend, Vickie, and Neil Bookman, Dr. Finches previous mental patient, and Augusten's first boyfriend.
As the memoir progresses Augusten admits that he is gay, partly because his mother was discovered to be a lesbian and mostly because he had a relationship with a thirty three year old man who was Neil Bookman, Dr. Finches previous patient. Bookman was the first person to make Augusten feel important and notice him. Yet Bookman doesn't want to hurt Augusten and leaves him.
Augusten goes from wanting to be a hairdresser to getting into a intense relationship to dropping out of high school and laying around the house. Augusten and Natalie go on many adventures and constantly getting into trouble. They both take on a care free live and finding themselves through their journey.