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Dry  By  cover art

Dry

By: Augusten Burroughs
Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs
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Publisher's summary

You may not know it, but you've met Augusten Burroughs. You've seen him on the street, in bars, on the subway, at restaurants: a twentysomething guy, nice suit, works in advertising. Regular. Ordinary. But when the ordinary person had two drinks, Augusten was circling the drain by having twelve; when the ordinary person went home at midnight, Augusten never went home at all. Loud, distracting ties, automated wake-up calls and cologne on the tongue could only hide so much for so long. At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten lands in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey Jr. are immediately dashed by grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. But when Augusten is forced to examine himself, something actually starts to click and that's when he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan life - and live it sober. What follows is a memoir that's as moving as it is funny, as heartbreaking as it is true. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a Higher Power.
©2003 Augusten Burroughs; ©2003 by Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"Mr. Burroughs remains ebulliently glib when it's useful, as befits his advertising skills....[He] remains adept at mixing comedy and calamity." (The New York Times)
"Like the alcohol he so enjoys, Burroughs' story of getting dry will go straight into your bloodstream and leave you buzzing, exhilarated, and wiped out...this memoir operates on a high level of involvement and suspense." (Kirkus Reviews)
"[A] wrenching, edifying journey...with the added benefit of being really entertaining." (The New York Times Book Reviews)
"Harrowing yet hilarious personal encounter....His performance blends self-deprecating black humor with wise-cracking confidence. His natural wit and charm keep the listener rooting for his success." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The top 100 memoirs of all time


All genres considered, the memoir is among the most difficult and complex for a writer to pull off. After all, giving voice to your own lived experience and recounting deeply painful or uncomfortable memories in a way that still engages and entertains is a remarkable feat. These autobiographies, often narrated by the authors themselves, shine with raw, unfiltered emotion sure to resonate with any listener. But don't just take our word for it—queue up any one of these listens, and you'll hear exactly what we mean.

What listeners say about Dry

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Good listen!

I enjoyed this booked. I had some giggles and sad moments like I was right there with him.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent story any alcoholic can relate

I am a recovering alcoholic, been sober for 8 years. Drany for 24 years before being sober. I really enjoyed the book. I could relate to so much and found a lot of humor in this which we alcoholics seem to do to cope. I would recommend this to anyone. Great story.

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I love Burroughs

I always love when authors narrate their own novels. Augusten sounds exactly as I thought he would and hearing this novel in his own portrayal was perfect. I've read the novel before, but have since had personal experience with someone who has a substance abuse problem, and it really hit home for me. Definitely a do-over. Thank you for your work Augusten.

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Great Listen!

What does Augusten Burroughs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love that the book is read by the author. It gives it a really personal touch.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There is so much that is good about this book but I don't want to spoil any of it for people who haven't listened or read it. If you haven't experienced it, please do. Its a great listen. Its a page turner. I didn't want it to end.

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Highly recommend!!!

As a memoir, it’s a great walk through that portion of Augustens life. As a peek into what it feels like going to rehab & getting sober & navigating real life it was ON POINT!! Love love loved it.

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Worth the credit

Highly recommend- and great narration, so even better than reading the paper copy.
Worth the credit.

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this book touched my soul..

I highly recommend reading this book if you ever had any experience with addiction or loss. Fantastic story!

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Excellent!

This book was exceptionally well narrated by the author. In addition it’s amazingly sad yet cheeky story. You end up laughing and wondering if that was an appropriate emotion. Very well done.

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Loved the book, raw and relevant!

I ready loved the book. Highly recommend to anyone going through sobriety journey! It’s raw and relevant

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Glad I finally read this

This book came out 20 years ago, and I glanced over it as a moody, high school teenager. Now I wish I would have read it 20 years ago. Augusten Burroughs has a great way with humor in otherwise devastating situations in this book as with all of his others. 10/10 recommend for a good laugh and a lot of insight.

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