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Dry
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
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Dry
Buy Now for £17.39
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Summary
Critic reviews
"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)
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What listeners say about Dry
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- G M F
- 12-04-18
listened twice. love it.
really enjoyed this despite the dodgy English accents.
and just for the record it's Marmite not Vegimite, that's what Australians eat.
bit overall an excellent audio book.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Helen
- 19-02-12
Live in the Raw
Augusten Burroughs does it again, Dry starts off after Running With Scissors left off but can be listened to as a stand alone volume. I went through a wide range of emotions listening to this one, its both brilliantly written and narrated, laughter, sadness, anticipation, anger, even crying, its so raw that it is shocking in places but when you remember this really is an actual account of one man's double life the way he has to hold down a job, keep up appearances, maintain friendships and basically keep going then on the flip side the addictions, drugs and booze, men, its all there laid out in the rawest language, its amazing. A highly entertaining listen, there were many times throughout this one I didnt want to stop listening its a completely addictive book in itself.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LMK jewels
- 26-10-18
deserves 6 out of 5
Really, anyone would enjoy this book. It's witty, clever and captivating. The author is an intelligent, interesting man - a true talent.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gail Jeffery
- 15-09-18
Absolute must read!
A couple of months into my sobriety, I've been listening to anything subject related... and this is by far my favourite! Honest, funny, witty, a little dark... I laughed, cried and felt elated.. could not switch off!! Beautifully written and narrated. Pleased to see he has written other titles I'm now checking out!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ritasweeney
- 27-03-19
Read this right now, if not sooner!
Outstanding book and beautifully narrated in a stream of consciousness style by the author. Fab if your struggling with the demon drink, equally as fab if you’re not!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Joe Armstrong
- 01-09-18
Excellent, engaging, involving, superbly read.
Excellent, engaging, involving, superbly read. I didn't want it to end. Was surprised when it did.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sober Fish
- 29-03-18
Outstanding book
I LOVED this book! Heartwarming & tragic at the sane time .. loved that it was narrated by the author and thought it was beautifully written. Highly recommend 😁
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Janis
- 28-04-13
Awesome
Augusten sweeps you up and takes you on an amazing, emotional, funny and heart felt journey....it was a privilege to go
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- donna mitchell
- 04-02-23
Second read
Still as witty and darkly comedic as the first time I read it. Well worth a read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 21-01-21
Loved it
A great story of where addiction can take you too and the journey to recovery. Loved the narration, so detailed in descriptions I could see myself right there.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- heidi
- 28-09-03
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.
26 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- W. Rodger Gantt
- 13-11-06
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.
22 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Grant
- 10-09-12
I chugged it.
I could not stop listening. As a writer, I'm not sure I could ever pen an account as personal and self aware as Dry. And Burroughs' candor and veracity seem to be what other readers often call into question. "No one could possibly be this messed up," I hear again and again. True or not, it's a pretty stunning piece of work. Anyone who has struggled with addiction can take two things away from this story. One, the typical way we deal with these problems don't always work — just the opposite, in fact. And two, very few people can hit rock bottom and come back like the author.
21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 27-09-06
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!)
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Max
- 02-05-15
wow! (so glad I bought it)
I thought I'd listen to this but was kind of dreading it. But what a well written and read tale of true life. I wanted to listen because I know I'm drinking more than is good for me and it's hard to moderate, but haven't yet hit bottom or even had glaring problems (not many anyway). I like to listen to these stories as they give me hope that if this person can survive and rebound then I'm ok and not headed for hell. But this was a great life tale in it's own right. I think even people who aren't affected by a substance abuse problem or associated with someone close would still enjoy the story. It's not a crazy story, and it's not written in shocking cliffhangers - but it had me yearning to get in the car and drive just to listen.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Jana
- 28-06-04
Fascinating, scary, touching, funny, uplifting
Burroughs does a great job of narrating a hair-raising story of excess and addiction and eventually, success, at fighting addiction. I liked it better than his earlier memoir, Running with Scissors, which, while true, was a downright horrifying story of child neglect, abuse and insanity. I think his voice and style have matured since Running. I enjoyed listening to the book and was sorry when it ended.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- csk
- 21-06-05
Very worthwhile
My first impression of this was that it was not as well-written as "Running with Scissors." (I heard that this was written first, even though it comes later chronologically, so "Scissors" may be a more mature work.) I very much warmed up to it, though. There are priceless descriptions of alcoholic craving, of the regrets and failures that feel impossible to face up to, and of the moment when one faces the pain, which is the first step toward recovery. As another reviewer stated, alcoholics/addicts will recognize it all, while others will learn something about the disease. Another reviewer stated that he emphasized his gayness and spent a lot of time talking about his sexual feelings; this was not the case. There were places where the writing didn't grab me, but the treasures scattered throughout make this an easy recommendation.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 13-09-18
Audible please...
So picture this, you're in your car in the last parts of the final chapter of a fantastic book and your mind is in reflecting over every word as you lose yourself to your thoughts.
As the final sentences begin Audible steps in,
"DID SOMEONE ORDER SOME FUCKING HIGH HATS!?"
Confusion strikes, you lose focus on the words that were written and are being spoken by the author and rage starts to slowly rise and boil over with the increasing volume of the shitty high hat loop that some dip shit at Audible thought might be a good idea.
You finish, no longer focused on the book, it's merits, it's drawbacks, it's composition is entirely lost to you.
Because of those God damn high hats.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Edwin Bomba
- 16-01-05
Unexpected Great Reading
My first Burroughs and as it turns out, all of his books are excellent!
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Curtis
- 15-02-04
Open and Honest
It grows on you... And stays with you.
3 people found this helpful