A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
By Dave Eggers

Pg. 437 – Autobiographical Fiction

The book is labeled as fiction, but it is obviously an autobiography. “This is a work of fiction, only in that many cases, the author could not remember the exact words said by certain people, and exact descriptions of things, so he had to fill in gaps as best he could.”

The reader joins Dave Eggers and his family as his mother is dying. This is only a short time after his father has died. Both die of cancer. Different kinds. What a great way to start a humorous book. This isn’t totally explained, but soon Dave and his brother Toph, pronounced Tofe, long o, are living together in California. His older brother and sister are helping out, but Dave, the youngest of the three older siblings, is taking care of his teenage brother.

Eggers style of writing is like sitting next to a man when his head explodes. As the slime, mucus and brains spatter on you the thoughts of his life reveal themselves to you. It’s as if his thoughts are being transferred onto the page. He flies off on seemingly unrelated topics. He is caught up in a sexual fantasy. He relates to something that happened years before where is seems like that was the point of the story rather than what he started with.

They go through many trials. Finding places to stay, roommates, and conferences at school. You witness the growth of their relationship. A battle of brotherly friendship and parental care. Dave struggles between beating up his brother and finding the best path in the house for sliding on your socks and making sure Toph is dressed properly for school and eating the right food.

For the most part Dave gives up his social life. He starts up a small magazine called Might for 20 somethings. Though this he has some outside world experience. But most of the time his spends with his brother. Too broke to do anything other than go to a park and play Frisbee. His wild imaginations come through in the different situations. His hope for glory, his fear for his brother, his guilt and anger at his parents early demise all become great drama’s that play out on the pages of the book. The fiction is obviously an exaggeration, but you know that it all is derived from the truth.

When they play in the park Dave goes crazy over the inconsiderations of the other people in the park. How they must just wait to all come when he and his brother are looking to play. When they play Frisbee they are the greatest in the world; tossing the disc hundreds of yards from one end of the beach to the other. All the annoying people stop and watch in amazement. At one point Dave takes hires a sitter. He has a date and once he leaves the house lives in savage fear of what is happening at home. He imagines a thousand deaths for his brother until he gets home and sees he is safe. This break from reality peppers the book and is its true source of originality.


Emotional: 5 The book is all emotion. You are constantly inside the head of the author and are riding his roller coaster of thoughts and feelings.

Intellectual: 2 Not a lot in intellectual thought. The writing style does provide an interesting feel, though.

Long Term: 2 I don’t think this book will ever stand out a whole lot. It is worthy of a read, but it probably isn’t for everyone.



The reader is intimately invited into Eggers head. His life and thoughts are plainly laid out for all to experience. This little known book was a great find and worth reading.

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