I read this book in a day and a half. I have never read anything by Mr Burroughs before, but now, even though I have no spare money and several projects at work pending, I must go out and acquire every other book he has written and read them all back-to-back while skipping meals, ignoring conversations, and approaching a stack of books the way a chain smoker approaches a carton of cigarettes because it turns out that my emotional doppelgänger is a bald, tattooed, gay man who lives in NYC. Who knew?

Some of the stories were five-star funny, but others were not. So my rating is an average. Definitely worth a listen though!

Burroughs is a favorite of mine, that’s why this book was a bit of a disappointment. Here is a review on Amazon which crystallizes my thoughts exactly: "Possible Side Effects" is more dry than magical, and shows the author at a crossroads. Though consistently amusing, many pieces in this new collection seem forced and find the author overreaching for a laugh, while still others feel derivative of those previously published, or rather they seem as though they may have been leftovers - stories that didn't quite make the "Magical" cut.” That review is so spot-on. Last year’s “Magical Thinking” WAS magical. This book is “every-day”. I hope Burroughs does not get bogged down by his fame. I’ve seen it before…I’ll just keep my fingers crossed. Book #34 of my 2006 Book List, finished reading it on 6-28-06.

I am ashamed to admit that I had never read Augusten Burroughs before taking this out. I didn't want to start with "Running With Scissors" because I dislike reading books after I've already seen the film adaptation... This was a great intro. Big ups, Augusten. Perfect blend of snarkiness, wit, and self-awareness to draw me in. I did end up taking out Running with Scissors after all.

I really liked this book, although not my favorite from Augusten. This collection of stories was a little bit hit and miss, in my opinion. Some of the stories were average, some below average, and only one stood out to me as particularly moving- "Little Crucifixions". I was actually crying when I finished reading it (which is rare for me while reading Auggie)Which was surprising. I felt it was realistic, and relateable in a way, and I really enjoyed reading it. Throughout the book, I noticed lots of little things that lined up with his other books (and even his brother's book too) Which I thought was fun as this was the last book I read out of all of Augusten's works. Overall, I would recommend this to any of my friends, especially fans of his other works.

I quite enjoyed this selection of essays. My favorite by far was "Kitty Kitty", where he buys a dog at the pet shop only to come understand that he is unable to care for the animal. Funny, touching, heartbreaking, all in one.

Augusten's history and past experiences have formed him into a witty, dry, funny, sarcastic man who is clearly impacted by his early years as he lacks many of the social behaviours that are the norm. But there are moments that sneak through where he exhibits genuine sadness, or kindness, or empathy, that redeem him in the long run.

I'm a big fan of his writing!

Of all of Augusten Burroughs' memoirs, this is by far the best. While he tells good stories of his childhood, adolescence and young adulthood in his previous books, the message of personal growth in Possible Side Effects is more apparent. He has learned more about himself this time around, and his writing style has matured, which makes for a smoother transition from story to story.

My favorite chapter is the one in which he talks about his hands and how he hides them because he's embarassed about their appearance. I think this particular story tells more about Augusten Burroughs as a person than his horror stories of rehab and dating.

In "Running With Scissors", I flat out didn't believe Burroughs. I felt that his story was probably 50% true. There is nothing wrong with someone writing a memoir and stretching the truth, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was flat out lying. Along with his horrifyingly vivid description of his early teen sexual experience with a 30 year old man, I felt like he was trying to hard to be shocking for the sake of being shocking. I enjoyed his style, but I had a hard time respecting him.



In "Possible Side Effects", it seemed that Burroughs didn't try to force things. He has stories that don't rely on overly fantastic situations. He leans upon his writing instead of the situations he puts himself in and I think the book benefitted greatly for it.



I made the mistake of reading "GWF seeks same" during my Latin class. My instructer was at the board translating sentences as I tried my damndest to supress giggles in the back of the class. It was definitely the best essay in the book in my opinion.



"PSE" reads fast. If you didn't like "RWS", don't give up on the Burroughs. "Possible Side Effects" isn't a great book, but I definitely liked it. I hear that "Magical Thinking" is his best book yet, so that'll be the next one I try.

I don't know if it's a new thing but, there seems to be a developing genre of authors who's focus is on their own lives, which have been tortured by mental illness and any number of substance abuse problems. Actually, when I stop to think about it, maybe this style has been around longer than I think. Jack Kerouac? Ernest Hemingway?

Whether it is a new genre or not, Augusten Burroughs' writing falls squarely in this realm. "Possible Side Effects" is a collection of hilarious but also often sad essays on Burroughs' life both past and present. His delivery will keep you laughing out loud but the pathos that lies beneath most of his writing will, at times, have you concerned for his safety.

In a lot of ways, Burroughs' reminds be of his fellow gay humorist, David Sedaris but, as hard as this may be to believe, I think Sedaris is more comfortable in his own skin. There is a dangerous edge to most of the writing in "Possible Side Effects" that makes it as powerful, thought provoking and compelling as it is funny.

I really can't say enough good things about this book. When I finished it, I had to resist the urge to simply turn back to the beginning and start again.

I loved Running with Scisscors. I love Augusten. I love all his work. Anyone who had the slightest bit of abnormal childhood or a crazy family will love Mr. Burroughs b/c his life will make you feel normal. He is laugh out loud funny. Sometimes you just want to hug him for all he has been through. Sometimes you feel like you're talking to your best friend. All his books are amazing with the exception of DRY which is good but painful b/c it tells of him going to rehab and getting sober. I promise I'm not raving about him just b/c he owns two French Bulldogs(which he reveals sheds- so I'm over my obsession) but he's wonderful. His brother is coming out with a book about Asberg's syndrome later this month which also got rave reviews.

When I told my friend I had never read Augusten's books before, he was like: "Stop whatever you're doing and go read it right now! Right now!!!". At first, I didn't understand his excitement. He couldn't stop saying amazing things about the author. I was like, "Ok, fine. I'll give it a try.". Now I'm glad we had this conversation, cause I really enjoyed this book! It's hilarious!

"Possible Side Effects" is a memoir made up of short stories from different times in Augusten Burroughs life, ranging from his childhood to the near-present. The subjects are completely random! He goes from incontinent dogs, to evil grandparents, to internet dating, to lesbians, to neighbors, to nicotine gum, among many others. Some of the stories made me laugh out loud and kept me entertained the whole time. Some others were a little boring, but I didn't mind. Each one had a special message, so it was nice anyway.

The stories are in no particular order, so it can get a little confusing sometimes.

As I opened the goodreads page to write my review, I noticed many people saying this is his worst book. I'm just sitting here like, "Are you serious???? Does it get better than this?! OMG!". I must read all the other ones too, then. As a new reader, I definitely don't think this is a bad book to start with.

Augusten Burroughs offers a post?James Frey "dishonesty disclaimer" (New York Times) at the beginning of Possible Side Effects, a provocation that has reviewers scouring the essay collection for signs of the improbable. Sure enough, there's plenty of material that fits the bill, but critics don't seem to mind the tall tales as long as they're in on the joke. The loudest complaints are that the new book mostly retreads the best-selling Running with Scissors (***1/2 Nov/Dec 2002) and Dry and that the quality of these "new" tales varies tremendously. Burroughs's knack as a humorist dampens some of the dissatisfaction, but it might be prudent for him to change his shtick for his next book.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.