The memoir, noted for its postmodern style and self-referential prose, was a commercial and critical success, becoming a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and hitting number one on The New York Times bestseller list.

The two brothers move from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Eggers tries to balance his responsibilities as a young parent with his desire to pursue creative ambitions, including starting the satirical magazine Might.

[3] The work also delves into themes of grief, parental responsibility, and self-doubt, while humor and absurdity offer a counterbalance to the weightier emotional topics.

Critics praised the book's innovative narrative techniques and Eggers' ability to convey both profound grief and comic absurdity.

[7] In 2002, New Line Cinema acquired the rights to adapt the memoir into a film, with a screenplay written by novelist Nick Hornby.