Customer Reviews

Dark at the Roots: A Memoir

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I finished reading this lovely tome set in my illustrious home state of Louisiana last night and sat straight up in bed and shouted, "I DEMAND A SEQUEL!" As it was 2 a.m., my husband sat straight up in bed, too, and said "WTF?" Even the dog barked! LOL!

This is one of THE best memoirs I've read in years. Sarah Thyre is a born comedian and a fantastic writer. She captures the essence of the Coonass culture and the hidden joys of a dysFUNctional Louisiana childhood like no one else I've ever read. (I was born in south Louisiana and have lived here most of my life, so I know a good story when I read one.) Ahem...

My only regret was that she ended the book too soon. I'm dying to know what happened to her after high school (and the convenience store job so deliciously described) and if she really did go to LSU. So, Sarah, if you read this, please, please, please consider a sequel to this hilarious, touching, bittersweet story of your childhood.

I think it deserves ten stars after some of the dry, boring memoirs I've recently read. Buy this book if you need a good laugh and a summer read that you won't soon forget.

Sarah Thyre was born hungry--for food, for love, for laughter and most of all, for attention. Scatalogical, scattered, raunchy and hilarious, the book took a bit to win me over because of our narrator. She was the kind of kid that drove me crazy--pushing this much too far, too hard, never backing up, always in your face. The book is the same way. But by the book's end, her awareness of just how whack her family was and her constant efforts to mask and blend in with the regular folks really touched me. Excellent portrayals of her parents, her mother's eyes "glittering with Munchausen's," her father's complete inability to connect with his kids other than the occasional blow to the head. Hey, she made it through and I admire her for that. I do have to complain about the ending, though; it just stops.

If you enjoy this book, you might just love this novel: Colors insulting to Nature, by Cintra Wilson. I did!

Anyone born in the late 60's or early 70's is going to catch all the hysterical references to our own childhoods. Sarah Thyre was able to put into words the feelings/attitudes of those crazy years, especially in the later chapters. From describing her old beat up "Gremlin", the music, the clothes, even her beloved copy of "The Preppy Handbook". I loved "Dark at the Roots", and look forward to more tales from this author.

This book was hard to put down -- very, very real, cringe-worthy at times, unflinchingly honest and relatable. It's one of those books that makes me as a parent get a grip on the mistakes I make or worry about making. No matter what I've done so far, it doesn't match the messed-up child-rearing methods and decidedly hands-off approach taken by our families back in the '70s. Sarah Thyre turned out great, and I guess I did too! Fun book for those who grew up in that era in sometimes less-than-perfect circumstances.

I loved this book. Sarah is absolutely hysterical. I found myself laughing out loud in bed reading it at night. My only problem is that she hasn't written anything else. Please, Please, write something else, and hurry.

I loved "A Girl Named Zippy" and this book is just as great! I had forgotten about Sizzlean, Tame creme rinse and other delightful 70's products! Great memories, great laughs!

My husband and I laughed out loud as we read this sometimes touching, sometimes sad, and often memorable book about growing up in the 70s. The main character, a spunky, creative questioning child tries to comprehend what she should accept as real (inconsistent adults, girls whose "mother's love them", catholic school personnel, etc.) and what she can turn away from as fake, mean, or motivated by adult desires, which often have ulterior motives.

We love to read a sequel! Thanks for the laughs!

Memoirs are a tricky beast. Not that I'm a expert but it's starting to seem to me that there's hardly anything so cringe-inducing as an off-the-mark memoir and there's hardly any read so satisfying as a truly good memoir. Sarah Thyre's book falls squarely into the second category; although, it did take me a while to get into 'Dark at the Roots'.

At first, her attempts at humor hit me as off color. Most of Sarah's early memories of her father struck me as plainly not funny and I was initially put off by her insistence on writing her memoir as a piece of humor when it's pretty clear that parts of her childhood were really somewhat scary.

However, as soon as young Sarah started Catholic grade school in New Orleans, I really warmed up to this thing and I read the entire second half in about three hours. Ultimately, Ms. Thyre's what-can-you-do-but-laugh? attitude is contagious. As with any good memoir, the success of her story lies in the way she tells it. In this case, the crux of the thing is her hilarious commentary and her willingness to lampoon herself as unforgivingly as she does the rest of the characters.

She hits an especially good balance in her description of her mother. Mrs. Thyre is rendered as lovingly as she is humorously. In some ways, the whole book reads like a giant, tremendously funny thank you letter to her tenacious, persistent mom.

Sarah Thyre's brand of humor is ballsy and badass and I would venture to say that a lot of people would miss the point. I was almost in that camp but, ultimately, I really enjoyed this book. I would especially recommend it to those who enjoy the comedic stylings of Chelsea Handler, David Sedaris, and/or Amy Sedaris.

Sarah Thyre is a BAD girl and she's written one of the most twisted memoirs to prove it. "Dark at the Roots" is shameless (in a really funny way), and one of my favorite chapters has to be "Smell It Like It Is." In it, Sarah explores her fascination with her father's collection of "Playboy" and "Penthouse" magazines.

If I had known Sarah in elementary school, I'm certain she would have gotten me into a whole lot of trouble and I would have loved every minute of it!

This was a delightful book! It was nice to read a memoir about growning up on the outside of the fringe and I'm sure alot of us could relate to never fitting in and yet always trying,sometmes with very funny results. I didn't want it to end. I hope Sarah will write another memoir to let us know the rest of her very funny,sometimes sad, yet always inspiring life story.