There’s a new review on our website that will appeal to people who liked Running with Scissors. . . or who are intrigued by families that have 14-bathroom apartments. Or who put hamsters in frying pans.
When I first heard of Wendy Burden‘s memoir, Dead End Gene Pool, I was skeptical. I reviewed Tad Friend’s Cheerful Money in the October edition of BookPage, and I wondered. . . how much is there to say about fallen WASPs? (Friend’s ancestors came to America in the 17th century and his father was president of Swarthmore College. Burden’s great-great-great-great grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt. Both memoirs address the dysfunction in later generations of privileged families.)
I think I’ll have to reconsider my position. Although Dead End Gene Pool doesn’t hit shelves until April 1, our review is available now online. Nonfiction editor Kate Pritchard called Burden’s memoir “darkly funny,” writing:
Burden herself is a delightfully strange character, especially as a child, when her fascination with all things morbid was at its peak. (In one episode, she attempts to drive off one of her mother’s suitors by dressing up like Wednesday Addams and trying to cook her pet hamster in a frying pan.)
Yikes!
Sounds like we’re not the only ones who’ve taken notice of this memoir. On Wednesday there was a lengthy write-up about Burden in the New York Times, which includes a slide show of her Portland home. (Note the camel skull on her coffee table.) Penguin also released a video interview with the author which features photos of family members in the book (watch the video after jump).
What do you think—is the WASP memoir a hot genre? Will you read Dead End Gene Pool?
No. I don’t want to read about people who are extremely wealthy but who complain that they don’t have more or who squander their wealth.
I read it and I found it hard to side with the author since she seemed so mean and out of touch. Do I really need to hear a person complain about how hard it is to be rich and run through your trust fund?
Can’t wait to read it