A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

The book is a memoir, recounting Dave Eggers' personal experiences and the challenges he faced after his parents' deaths, making it a non-fiction account of his life.

A film adaptation of the book was released in 2004, directed by Tom Green and starring Christopher Masterson as Dave Eggers.

This book is Eggers' debut memoir and established his distinctive narrative voice, which often blends humor, self-awareness, and experimental elements, a style he continued to explore in subsequent fiction and non-fiction.