The author himself acknowledged this book was “ loosely based on his experiences “…. Take that as you will

I felt that way about Mary Karr's memoir, 'The Liar's Club.' And based on the title, her dad's stretching of truth and her worshiping it, and a large amount of talk about "veracity" in her book "The Art of Memoir," she may be projecting a bit. I've seen other people question how a person could have such a detailed memory of their childhood. I can't comprehend it myself, but I haven't taken the time to research 'memory' either.

I think it's important to keep in mind the difference between memoir and autobiography. Memoir is not fiction, but there isn't the same expectation of fact checking that there is for autobiography. There's leeway for art and style.

Honest question to everyone who is surprised by the content of forewords/prefaces:

Did you just never read any of the assigned books in school? Like 80% of the books I had to read had this exact type of preface.

Somebody said they wished that school had taught them what the preface is. I mean... they probably did, my dude.

Yes the author was writing it and posting to his blog. A lot of people wrote him and asked him to put it no Amazon as a self-written book. I understand it was harder to download from his blog.

He redid parts of it and posted it on Amazon.

When I bought it for my Kindle I paid 99 cents.

Not long after that the price whet up and everything went crazy.

Keep trying on Lord of The Rings. It is an amazing series, different in places from the movies.

And then she had him back on and apologized to him. But everyone seems to forget that.

https://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1897924,00.html

The advantage would be that a whole world of novels would then be opened to you.

I just realized my “anxiety disorder” is actually hypervigilance from PTSD. I am currently looking for a therapist who is trained in these things, as the trauma was for so long, and I was re-traumatized by an abusive boss.

He is so funny. I don't care if it's true or not.

Yes, I am. Thank you.

Different book. You’re thinking of “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey

I never read this, but I remember the scandal when it was revealed it was fiction, but labeled a “memoir” for book sales. I remember Oprah scolding the author on her show, feeling conned that she put it on her book list.

EDIT: wrong book

It has bearing on the real people depicted in the story.

I think you are making two important points here:

1. It is a good book. He is a great writer and the book being based in reality or not doesn't really take away from that. If anything I would see him as more of a creative storyteller if he simply made most of it up.
2. When we tell stories about ourself they become just that. Stories with us as the unreliable narrator. Sometimes we remember things wrong, sometimes we draw the wrong conclusions when we lack information and sometimes we embellish or lie. But we always experience and look back on things with our own bias, If I have been told that my uncle was crazy then that is going to color my memories of him. And there is not going to be some sort of all knowing and neutral third party to tell us or others what is 'really' true.

I believe many memoirs, especially ones that focus on early life, get “enhanced” to push the drama or humor. When you call something a memoir, you are literally saying it’s what you recall and not what a camera would have recorded and when we look at all the research showing how malleable memory it’s apparent some dubiously true material will work it’s way in.

With all that said, I think it would be more honest to change the characters’ names and call some of the “wild childhood” memoirs autobiographical novels, but there has typically been a more robust market for memoirs.

Thanks! I appreciate the advice. I’ve looked into EMDR before and started once but wasn’t in a good enough place to start it when I did. It’s something I’d like to pursue again in the future.

Currently I have a FABULOUS therapist who is helping me become more functional in my every day life and start recognizing emotions, realize when things are triggering me and how to handle them more effectively, and stand up for myself and my needs. She’s amazing and I am thankful to have her. Right now I’m definitely in the right place for this moment!!

I truly appreciate the advice, though, and, as someone who’s been in therapy and on meds for nearly 20 years, I appreciate any advice which may provide new insight on healing.

Thanks for your thoughts! I’m glad you got the help you needed and are improving yourself!!

I've got most of his stuff in paperback from a clearance sale (???), but an epub sounds like a great idea, thanks!

Reading improved my spelling, grammar and my lexicon. So yeah, even if the content isn’t overtly educational you get benefits.

That being said, Sci-Fi and fantasy often deal with social subjects that writers would be criticized for if their book was was set in our world.

On of my favorite books is called Johnathan Seagull, no idea if it’s technically fantasy or philosophy but it blew my tiny mind in high school. Highly recommend.

I read this as a teen back in the 00s... and I could never remember the title!

I don't mean to overstep, but if you ever feel like those repressed memories are taking a toll on your current behaviors/relationships, I highly recommend seeking out a therapist trained in EMDR. Ketamine treatment was also very helpful for me.

I have experienced just as much, if not more, trauma than Augusten Burroughs and I was incredibly uncomfortable when I read his books because he puts on such a show of it, you know? Super sensationalized, going for shock value simply for its own sake, and obnoxiously arrogant. It was clear to me straight away that it was 99% fiction, and it sickens me that someone would so ostentatiously belittle people who have actually experienced this type of trauma for real. It's a flash fiction mockery. I'm (slowly) taking a course for memoir writing and there really is a whole formula with regard to the most effective way to evoke and relay your memories - the process of writing and that of remembering become intertwined. Last but not least, those of us who have experienced serious trauma (I have CPTSD) typically go through intense therapy (EMDR) to recover repressed memories in order to fully process them and start healing from them. Memoir writing thus becomes something of an act of healing in and of itself. Or it's supposed to, if you're not a fraud.

I absolutely love this book. None of it seemed implausible to me so I’ve never even wondered if it’s all true. In retrospect I guess this means my childhood may have been a bit fucked up.

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Isn’t there a disclaimer in the book since the defamation suit that the family does not agree with his description of events?

I think the issue is that it’s presented as a memoir, which is subject to The Non-Fiction Contract, so everything should be true to the best of the writer’s ability to remember. That being said, I also don’t really care and loved it nonetheless.