Dry

A Memoir

By: Augusten Burroughs

Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

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)

Hilarious, Tragic, Inspired

Augusten Burroughs gives a raw and unvarnished looked at alcohol addiction, which at times is painful to listen to, and/or laugh out loud funny. Having worked in advertising myself, his depiction of that bankrupt industry is spot-on and hilarious. An inspired memoir, indeed.

Sobriety with a sense of style....

Tales of substance abuse treatment are starting to become their own subgenre: Carolyn Knapp's "Drinking: A Love Story" and Pete Hamill's "A Drinking Life: A Memoir" come to mind, as does the film "28 Days." Augusten Burroughs' new book is a brilliant addition to this field, outclassing many other entries with its clever wit, ever present sense of irony, and hysterical humor. It's an excellent read even if you're not particularly interested in this topic, picking up the boy we've worried about since "Running with Scissors." He compares to David Sedaris, but wins hands down because he is authentic and faces the pain in his life with more than just sarcasm. I can't wait to see where else his writing career will take him.

This is especially appropriate for gays in recovery, by the way, although there's nothing in it that won't apply to all of us. This edition is brilliantly read by the author.

The Wisdom to Know the Difference

My mother was a recovering alcoholic and took me to her AA meetings when I was ten years old, back in 1952. Augusten Burroughs attended his first AA meetings in the mid 1990s, over forty years later. Listening to his book, "Dry: A Memoir", I was amazed how little AA has changed over the years. Even the Serenity Prayer as remained a mainstay: "God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Yes, "Dry" is funny but it deals with a potentially tragic subject. Virtually everyone has an addiction or two. For most it's an ingrained habit, such as coffee, talking too much or the Internet. These are tension relievers and not life threatening. But then there are alcohol and drugs. These can be killers.

For most readers, "Dry" is an entertaining romp through Burroughs' life style, his rehab, AA and beyond. The story is well written and narrated by Burroughs himself. I suspect there are some readers who have a substance abuse problem and the book's message could very well save their lives. I highly recommend "Dry" as a fun read. Likewise, I recommend "Dry" to anyone needing an introduction to AA.

A Must for anyone in recovery!

I laughed outloud as I read the first chapters and alternated laughing and crying through the meat of the book. Burroughs brings a crisp reality to the process of addiction and recovery, but also a truthful hilarity. As one who works in addictions, I had to laugh at myself and our proces and had to stand in awe of how accurate his portrayal of the pain and reality was. I highly recommend "Dry" to anyone who needs a ride through the entire spectrum of emotions and an introduction to the reality of addiction and recovery. (For those who might ask about the skipped year....one cannot describe the first year of real recovery. It just doesn't translate!)

Awesome perspective

Spouse of a 120 day recovered alcoholic, this book helped me try and understand. Couldn't put it down. Very humorous in parts.

Felt nothing like homework.

Well I want to say first that I’ve assigned myself five random googled highly rated memoirs that personally resonated with me (I may or may not be or have been an alcoholic) to read as homework on writing/format techniques. May I just say that I picked two memoirs by this same author without knowing it...which says a lot. I’m on my way to “read” running with scissors next. I have the physical copy of each as well but Augusten reading this book to me was so colorful and elaborate, I now prefer to read the next the same way. Before I attempt to write my own book in this small space I want to say I truly recommend DRY and it felt as if I knew the characters. Great read. Augusten, “you ARE somebody”.

Great story!

Loved this story. Listened to it straight through to the end. I highly recommend it

loved it

this book was absolutely fantastic. and paints a very clear picture of what life as an alcoholic is

Wow wow wow

Such an incredible story! We are all lucky to still be alive and have a chance to share experience, strength & hope with one another. Thank you for this book!

I love you Augustin!

One of those great books that you're so very sorry that it ended. Same with his other books.