I love this collection of essays. I think Augusten Burroughs has a very clear, witty, engaging writing style, and I wish I could write with even a modicum of his humor. There is a great mix of the intimate and emotional and observational and confessional in this book. Burroughs is a thoughtful writer, who is also very honest about his own shortcomings and eccentricities. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, some cringe-worthy sections, and some thought-provoking essays. I’m glad I took the time to read this, and I will be adding more of Burroughs' writings to my TBR!

I def enjoyed reading these real stories of the writer and got more into the gay people’ world/ their perspective.. very cool very authentic writing style! Loved it

This book is a collection of short stories and brief narratives that talk about the various issues going on in the author's life. The writing is similar to that of David Sedaris -- not just because both authors are gay men who had challenging childhoods. They also seem to have a similar jaundiced view of how the world works (or often does not work) and write in a frequently funny and hyperbolic fashion about ones own neuroses in idiosyncrasies. I found at least one story, (the one about dealing with telemarketers) to be laugh-out-loud funny and several of the others raised a chuckle or two. Just as with Sedaris, there is an underlying sadness/gloominess that can also be generally disquieting.

Augusten is a riot and a half. So glad I finally found the book with my favorite quote: “I am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” Though it was a bit slow getting acquainted to his style and manner of speaking, and his absolutely raunchy, morbid humor, a few essays in I was pretty much rapt. When I could focus wholly on how words I was laughing out loud, near tears. Love him.

Hmmm something happened after I read the Chapter "The Rat Thing". I struggled. A lot. I found myself unable to connect with him anymore. I couldn't laugh anymore because I thought he was just plain cruel most of the time whether it be to animals, children or adults. Now I havent read Running with Scissors or Dry yet but I do understand that he had a very screwed up childhood...but that fact still doesnt make me like the fact that he is so incredibly self-absorbed and mean (even if he does have his guilty moments - and I do have a sense of humour - honest!)...the backcover blurb says "Augusten Burroughs gives voice to the thoughts we all have but dare not mention" - ummm nope not me. I have a lot of trouble laughing at other peoples pain, Augusten seems to revel in it and make it a source of his happiness. Bleh.

Augusten Burroughs is an immature jerk that I wouldn’t give the time of day. I found nothing nothing charming about Magical Thinking and while I was reading it all I could think was that he represents the unshaven underarm of society – the type of person who finds everything wrong with the world and the slice of pie he has been delivered but fails to notice the good things like the fact that he is eating pie. Why am I so disgusted by him? This is the type of guy that steps on a child’s hand in a store and instead of comforting the child, he slips away unnoticed because the child has a delay in her cry response that gives him the opportune amount of time to flee the scene – and then he writes a story about it that makes him pays his bills. That is just one of the examples of the cynical “voices of the new century,” to quote the cover’s excerpt from USA Today, yeah, the USA Today. The only reason I finished Magical Thinking was that I needed something to occupy my time in the bathroom.

YES.
I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I had no idea who Augusten Burroughs was and what he wrote about. I just had some audiobooks from way back when and when I saw the name of this one - "Magical Thinking" - I thought it was going to be some self-help type stuff.
Which is incredibly ironic.
I have incredible respect for Augusten, who does not shy away from the darkness of the human character. Even saw myself in some parts.
Definitely will be coming back to this author.

I always enjoy his books, and I’m going to continue to listen to the rest of his on audio since he narrates them. He has an entertaining way of telling his stories, most of them quite outlandish, and I’m not sure if they are exaggerated, but if so, they are still quite hilarious and sometimes cringe worthy.

Like an angrier, meaner David Sedaris (whom I love) which I still thoroughly enjoyed as a vacation read.

He says some pretty unenlightened things about people with disabilities, which was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the stories - keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to pick this up.

Every so often, I thought, "David Sedaris has written this, only slightly more hilariously and eloquently." And I felt bad for thinking that, because this isn't just an adequately written book. This is a wonderfully written book.

And to be honest, it was only the first few chapters that were very reminiscent of Sedaris. Was it exactly like the opening of "Naked"? Well, yes. Can they help it if they both fostered the same delusions of being snatched from fabulous wealth and fame and deposited into middle-class life by villainous kidnappers pretending to be their natural parents?

No. Just an odd coincidence.

So Burroughs comes off looking like Sham, the horse that would have been the greatest horse of the decade if he hadn't been born the same year as Secretariat. But that's no reason to ignore him. Burroughs is talented and deviant and hilariously ready to share all his wicked thoughts with you. I read "Magical Thinking" in two days of marathon reading (I got lucky that there was a long train ride in those two days) and I'm already looking for more.

Loved. Evilly witty and charmingly/heartbreakingly truthful, with so many laugh out loud moment. If you are a fan of David Sedaris you MUST read . It’s been years and years since I read Burroughs’ memoir “Running With Scissors”, and I feel the need to now go re read, as well as add his other books to my list.

I found this very uneven in terms of my enjoyment of the writing. I found some of the content so disturbing (animal cruelty) that i may never pick up another book by this author.