Augusten Burroughs' Magical Thinking: Vanderbilt Genes

Burroughs again establishes himself as both a brilliant writer and an insufferable brat of a child. His love of all things gold had already been described earlier in the book, but in "Vanderbilt Genes" he describes himself as desperate to live among New England's Rich and Famous. One feels infinitely more sympathy for the parents than for Burroughs in this story, even as he self-awarely slanders them as base and common. The irony that pierces these stories is so subtly obvious that the tone never starts to grate on the reader. Even though he descibres throughout the story his childhood belief that he was kidnapped from the Vanderbilt mansion, there is such a strong current of self-mockery that he never comes off as arrogant. Perhaps it is stating the obvious, but the stories in this book seem to be as much (if not more) about making fun of himself as they are about making fun of his family. It takes a great deal of skill to pull of self-loathing without sounding overly emotional or depressed, and Burrough's sardonic wit is perfectly matched for the challenge. I particularly enjoyed the passages within this story in which he describes how he imagines his past life: "My mother searched for me, silk and gold-thread slippers on her feet, martini glass poised in her hand, pinkie extended."