Outside Reading: Week 5

Summarization:
In this section of Running With Scissors, the lumberjack looking man was kicked out of Deidre’s house and sent to live with the Finch’s until he found another place to live. Before he was kicked out however, Augusten woke up one night to find that this strange man was trying to rape him. Augusten pushed him off and he luckily left him alone. While living at the Finch’s house, Natalie had sex with him for not very much money. It turns out that everyone who had sex with him started to get a itchy feeling in the genital area. It however is not serious and is eventually forgotten.
Later, Natalie and Augusten decide to take the money that Natalie earned by sleeping with the foreigner to McDonald’s. They then decide to get high off of marijuana, and walk under a waterfall on the property of Smith College.
The Finch family is becoming more and more afraid of the recent shortage of money. So because of this, they decide to sell many of the things they don’t use at a garage sale. They however get sidetracked and take the whole family room outside and set it up just as it was inside the house. They live outside for awhile and amuse passing cars.
Next, Augusten goes to visit his mother and Dorothy. When he arrives, he finds that all the lights are on in the house and the front door is open. This time, both of them have gone crazy. Augusten calls Dr. Finch’s but only Hope is able to come and help. They call the police and Deidre and Dorothy are taken away. Dr. Finch decides to take Deidre to a motel away from everything. There, she finds a waitress that helps her through this psychotic episode. Winnie Pye (the waitress) takes Deidre away from Dr. Finch for awhile, and when her episode ends she returns home.
Finally in this section, Bookman runs away and is never found again. At two in the morning, he came into Augusten’s bedroom to tell him that he was going to go to the store to purchase some film for his camera. Hope helps Augusten search for Bookman for a very long time, but they both eventually give up. After he is over Bookman, he decides that he wants a new boyfriend. He makes it very clear that he doesn’t want a sex partner, but a real boyfriend. He writes a note to a guy he saw in a gas station, but finds out that he is straight. He is devastated and ceases to search for another boyfriend.


Personal Reaction:

I am still really enjoying this book although I do not agree with most of the content. I am starting to notice however that the book is slowing down. He seems to be more depressed than usual, and the section was rather uneventful. I am happy that Bookman has left the picture, he was too moody for Augusten. Augusten has enough emotions to deal with as it is, and Bookman served nothing but a sex object anyway. I agree with Hope earlier that their relationship was immature, and it needed to end.
In the beginning of the section when the lumberjack person was sleeping with many of the characters, it kind of bothered me. I mean it's good that everyone in this story is so accepting, but going as far as having sex with him was just disgusting. Showing hospitality is one thing, but Natalie went way to far. If I recall correctly she only earned twenty dollars after the morally wrong affair.
I also dislike the drug abuse in the memoir. Being very against it myself, hearing the opinion of someone being high after smoking marijuana is not exactly fun to listen to. It is however interesting to hear the perspective of someone under the influence of illegal drugs.
Other than the flaws mentioned, this book is still a smooth read. Everything flows together which still makes it enjoyable.