Guide Note

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a 2000 memoir written by Dave Eggers.

Fast Facts

Author: Dave Eggers
Genre: Nonfiction
Publication Date: 2000
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Vintage Books
Pages: 496
ISBN 978-0375725784
Pulitzer Prize nominee¹

Plot Synopsis

At age 21, Eggers is appointed the guardian of his younger brother after their parents succumb to cancer. About half of the memoir chronicles the author's struggles with parenting as he tries to maintain a social life while caring for his brother.² The other half covers the rise and fall of Might Magazine, which Eggert started in the 1990s.

Critical Reception

"Eggers's book, which goes a surprisingly long way toward delivering on its self-satirizing, hyperbolic title, is a profoundly moving, occasionally angry and often hilarious account of... odd and silly things..." - The New York Times³

"'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' is an astonishing debut. But still, there's that title. Heartbreaking? Definitely. Staggering? Sure. Genius? I'd say." - Bookreporter.com⁴

Categories

Writing | English | Literature | Books | Fiction | Novels

View Note History

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Wikipedia: Dave Eggers
Random House: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Info
The New York Times: My Brother's Keeper (review) (February 20, 2000)
Guardian.co.uk: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius First Chapters Extract
Amazon.com: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
YouTube Video: Dave Eggers Interview with Charlie Rose (Time: 57:01)

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A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Quotations

Guardian.co.uk: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius First Chapters Extract
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A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Reviews

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The New York Times: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Review
Bookreporter.com: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Review
Tucson Weekly: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Review (March 30, 2000)
Salon.com: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Review (March 14, 2000)

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius News and Articles

Google News Archives: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Search
Gawker: The Guy From 'Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' Pens Romantic Comedy With That Guy From 'The Office' (January 25, 2008)
Times Online: Their Master’s Voice: The Rise and Rise of Brand Mcsweeney's (February 3, 2008)

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Study Guides

Publisher Site: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Reading Group Guide

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Author Information

Mcsweeney's: Dave Eggers Bio
Wikipedia: Dave Eggers

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