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Augusten Burroughs: Running with Scissors

Motokid said:
Did you check the date of Kayden's one and only post?????? :D

"18th December 2005, 10:50 PM"
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You should just try holding a real-life conversation with me sometime. Even people who love me begin to get this oddish look in their eyes. Some of them actually flee the scene.

Anyway, I'm friendly.
 
Motokid said:
Question:

Did the "good doctor" rape Augusten's mother?
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I was under the impression that there was consensual sex between them, but it has been a while since I've read it.
 
The accusation of rape
is what caused Augusten's mother to finally seperate herself from
Dr. Finch

There was nothing legally done about it, but I think between what his mother told him before she
vanished
and what the waitress from the diner told him, Augusten just could not look past something of that nature.

It is also what drove Augusten away from Natalie and the rest of the family. Of all the things Mrs. Burroughs and the Finch family had put this poor boy through, this was one instance where Augusten could not cope with just letting it slide. The old "blood is thicker than water" type of thing I guess.

But then again, the way the story is told the reader has to make an assumption one way or the other. Either it really happened, or it didn't.

So my question is not so much what did happen, but what do you as the reader think happened?
 
Wow. I guess I have forgotten a lot.
Anyway, I must have been doubtful in that I remembered thinking it was consensual. It did seem like she was being manipulated by him, and maybe she was allowing it to happen because she it was "part of her treatment". Which, in my opinion would equate to rape.
Does that sound right?
Was it portrayed as part of her treatment?

I think if I had enjoyed the book more I would go reread it, but I ended up sending the book out through bookcrossing because I just didn't care for it.
 
mehastings said:
Wow. I guess I have forgotten a lot.
Anyway, I must have been doubtful in that I remembered thinking it was consensual. It did seem like she was being manipulated by him, and maybe she was allowing it to happen because she it was "part of her treatment". Which, in my opinion would equate to rape.
Does that sound right?
Was it portrayed as part of her treatment?

I think if I had enjoyed the book more I would go reread it, but I ended up sending the book out through bookcrossing because I just didn't care for it.
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The section dealing with that towards the end of the book led me to believe that
mom told Augusten that the doctor kept her drugged up and tried to take advantage of her while she was in that state. Don't forget that earlier, he and Winnie(?) walked into a hotel room to see the good Doc. penning her to the bed while she was in crisis. I think that was stopped when the waittress threatened to get some of her big trucker friends in to help and the good doc. left shortly thereafter.

Sorry it wasn't your cup of tea mehastings. I just finished it last night and I was hooked from start to finish. As mentioned in the film thread, the comments mom and dad made twoards one another were just a hoot, I chuckled out loud more than once. I couldn't believe how the one daughter and Augusten pulled it together and went to school and finally took it seriously. I don't know, I think the habits and skills you need for later success are built during the high school years, some people go against the grain I guess. I also found it interesting that the
doctor lost his medical license.
Definitely a good read, I can know get back to Tom Wolfe.
 
I really enjoyed it. Wouldn't put it on my best book list, but it's very entertaining and easy reading.
 
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