Little Failure: A memoir

Really enjoyed reading Little Failure. Gary has a dark sense of humor. It reminded me so much of my own immigrant household and the experience of growing up with people who wanted the best for their children but were not sure exactly what that entailed in America.

Keeps you in a life that is described with depth, humor and integrity. The author has a gift of description, absurdity and long look at some of the foibles of the cold war having roots in Russia early in his life.

Anyone who has had to navigate the waters of assimilation with immigrant parents, obnoxious American peers, and drippy sinus passages will find this book hilarious in its truth. I heard him read a passage on Fresh Air so when I read the rest of the book I imagined him telling the story in his voice. Made it that much better.

Enjoyed the book very much. Found myself laughing out loud at times but there is much that is very disturbing in this book. At times, it is difficult to read. You cry for Gary, the little boy. You worry if Gary, the late teenager, will ever get his act together. And Gary, the guy in his 20's and 30's is a mess. Yes, I enjoyed the book and would certainly like to know more about Gary, the adult and his most interesting life.

The book mirrored a lot of the experiences that I went through as in immigrant. It was tender, honest, and an enticing read. The author, though witty at times, no longer hides behind his humor when addressing topics that could break one's heart. A must read.

I enjoyed super sad true love story and wanted to read more by this talented and humorous writer. Male coming of age narcissistic tales are usually NOT my cup of tea but this super sad and VERY true love story I found touching and was glad that the hero found the familial love he always wanted.

I thought the book was cleverly written and insightful-to a point. He seemed to have had a good handle on what happened to him as a child. This was interesting and funny/sad. About halfway through the high school experience and most of the college years, at a time when one would expect to at least start growing up, the writer gave up long boring descriptions of lost
attempts at love (boo-hoo) and equally boring accounts of drinking and drug use, not unlike hundreds of other kids really too immature to deal with living away from home. The final chapters in which he visits Russia with his parents, finally shows some maturity.
I realize the author is not that old, and while he seems very talented and funny, a "memoir" seems premature.

Tedious. Depressing. Some humorous writing. Kinda like sitting in on a LONG therapy session with Gary. Ending better than beginning. Kinda wrapped up why we had to spend SO much time belaboring some points. Still, save the detail for individual therapy. More editing maybe?

Brilliant and oh- so- candid writing. I ache for all the immigrants who feel unwelcome here but I also know we are still the best country in the world for assimilation. Hats off to Mr Sheyngart..I literally could not put Little Failure down. Hope his goblins are fading away.

Not what I expected. Nothing special. The author can be funny but not my kind of humor plus Mr.Shtrengart often wallows in self pity and embarrassment toward his parents due to his immaturity. Maybe we can expect more from the author in the future.

An unusual story of the son of Russian Jewish immigrants whose parents where more "into" each other than they were interested in their child. Despite being considered a "Little Failure," Shteyngart's humor allows you to enjoy his challenging upbringing and admire his achievements..

I found it Absolutely delightful! Shteyngart has a unique way of looking at the world and his observations are done with his unique sense of humor. I loved "Super Sad Love Story" land I knew I would like this one. I was not disappointed!

I loved this very personal journey by the author. It was not only humorous and fun, but full of historical data about Russia from the time it was the Soviet Union, to present day. This even deserves another read, something I rarely do!

Parents want bright children, but then they terrorise them and tell them they are stupid. This is not a trait of only immigrant families. If the parents don't do it, the siblings will. If not the siblings, the neighbors, if not the neighbors the schools, and if not the schools, the culture at large, it's religion, businesses, institutions, prejudices. The family of Man takes a terrible joy in making each other bleed, and torturing there own young is a safe way to satisfy that urge. If they cannot safely meet that need, on their fellow man, they kill any innocent that cannot fight back. And from this, the world is destroyed.

The first few pages are a little rough and disjointed, but in particular the following segments up until Stuyvesant are thoroughly entertaining. After that, it's slightly weaker but sill worth the read.

Very deep and sensitively written. Very funny and any other positive "very" that you can say about a book.
As a Jewish immigrant from a comunist country (to another country) at about the same age, I found it particularly relevant and fascinating.