by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is a terrifically talented writer; don't hold his cleverness against him.
What to make of a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a
True Story? For starters, there's a good bit of staggering genius before you even get
to the true story, including a preface, a list of "Rules and Suggestions for
Enjoyment of This Book," and a 20-page acknowledgements section complete with special
mail-in offer, flow chart of the book's themes, and a lovely pen-and-ink drawing of a
stapler (helpfully labeled "Here is a drawing of a stapler:").
But on to the true story. At the age of 22, Eggers became both an orphan and a
"single father" when his parents died within five months of one another of
unrelated cancers. In the ensuing sibling division of labor, Dave was appointed unofficial
guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher. The two live together in semi-squalor,
decaying food and sports equipment scattered about, while Eggers worries obsessively about
child-welfare authorities, molesting babysitters, and his own health. His child-rearing
strategy swings between making his brother's upbringing manically fun and performing
bizarre developmental experiments on him.
More info
about A
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a True Story ...
|