Title: The Perks of Being a WallflowerAuthor: Stephen Chbosky
Release Date: February 1, 1999
Source: library
Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, andThe Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.
Nancy’s Review:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those books that teens obsess about because they think that it’s “cool”. Yes, yes, it was fine. I guess. There were some deep, thought-provoking, teen obsession-inducing, passages, but I didn’t really see more than that. I’ll admit that it wasn’t completely horrible, in fact, there were many times that I actually enjoyed it. However, some things were just too much for me. Like Charlie’s crying.
What the fudge. Why did he cry so, so, so much? About every, single thing. It was crazy. I wanted to jump into the book and smack him. Just overly sensitive. Not only was he an overgrown cry-baby, but he was also freakishly naïve. I’m sure I’m not the only one that knows that if you’re offered brownies at a party filled with teenagers, they’re going to have something in them. Seriously. Oh, Charlie, so sad and pathetic. I think it’s safe to say that I did not like Charlie. I was fine with everyone else, just not the main character.
I did like how the book was written. It was all letters from Charlie to the reader of the book. It felt very close and personal, like Charlie actually knew me and was actually talking to me. I liked that. However, Charlie seemed to “write” like an 8 year old, with overly simplified sentences and no real structure. When he actually wrote something interesting, it didn’t even go well with everything else he had written and seemed out of place. The obsession-inducing passages I mentioned were the ones that have been quoted over and over by teen girls that don’t even know where these quotes came from. They include:
“We accept the love we think we deserve.”
“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” ← This one just makes me angry, because I’ve seen it everywhere.
Moving on… there were some nice passages in the book that I really liked, but it sort of felt like it was a mix of nice passages and random garbage that had no real substance or meaning. Maybe I can’t really relate anymore since I’m not a teenager and no longer in high school. Maybe if I was 15, I’d “get” the book? I don’t know. I’m eager to see the movie, and I hope Charlie won’t be as emotional and pathetic as he is in the book. So far, the trailer looks promising.
Here’s the trailer:
I think this is a great review, I just finished this book a few days ago actually and it reflected of what I also felt about charlie and the plot. I did question a lot about charlie and what was actually going on with him and well I guess I just got a little bit confused at the end when he got that huge breakdown or I don’t know what to call it. Agian great review, new follower! Would love a follow back if you want
http://www.youonlywritesomuch.blogspot.com/
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Hi Josie! Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you agree, I feel like it’s just me against millions of fans! LOL I’m following your blog now via GFC. =)
Hi there,
Nice use of a Santana .gif, but that’s basically the only part of this review that I found redeeming. I read this book a few years after it came out, so like in 2002 or something. It didn’t make much sense to me then because I couldn’t necessarily relate to the heavy topics addressed. However, I reread it this past year before the movie came out and I loved it. I loved it because I understood it. I know a lot of people who suffer from depression and bipolar disorder, and this book nails both of them right on the head. It completely explains why Charlie is so emotionally volatile all the time. He’s obviously suffering from PTSD and at least one form of a depressive disorder. Being molested by his aunt as a child, experiencing her death and claiming responsibility for her death, being somewhat ignored by his parents, and experiencing his only friend’s suicide are kind of huge factors in the reason why Charlie seems to be so “overly sensitive”. It’s common for people who have experienced such emotional trauma (especially early in life) to develop abnormal belief systems and emotional capacities. People with depression and bipolar disorder feel emotions with much more depth than those who do not. The smallest things can evoke the most non-proportional reactions. When things are good, it’s the end all of good times, but when they’re bad, it’s the worst. They can’t gauge their feelings let alone control them. Even if they can rationalize that they are overreacting they can’t always fix it like normal people can by reasoning with themselves. So while I respect your opinion of the book, and I hope you enjoyed the movie (screenplay written by Steve Chbosky as well), I’m not sure you grasped the gravity of Charlie’s situation. And remember, all of this is in the course of a year. I’m not sure it’s necessarily a lot of crying if it’s spaced out over a year.
Wow, finally someone else who doesn’t like “Perks…”. I read it a few years ago because everyone was raving about it, but it just left me cold. It felt like Stephen Chbosky had a list of EVERY TEEN NOVEL ISSUE EVER and he was just working his way through it. About five pages before the end, I thought to myself, well at least he hasn’t included – (omitted to avoid spoilers), and then I turned the page and read the final bit and there it was. I couldn’t believe it. The only bits I really liked were the “Rocky Horror” bits, mainly because it was one of my favourite movies as a teenager. The kinda similar “Rats Saw God” by Rob Thomas is a far better book.
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YAY! You agree with me! I’ve gotten a bunch of complaints about how I didn’t understand that he was depressed and what depression is (I’m a Psychology major… I understand). He just didn’t need to keep crying or whining. Mainly, the author didn’t have to keep writing it over and over again. I mean, it’s like I had told my friend the other day, characters in a movie have to pee during the span of time in the movie, but they don’t show that every 5 minutes… so why did I have to keep reading about Charlie crying every other page. Ugh. I mean, there was so much that could have taken the place of all the sentences about crying.
What you said about how he included every teen issue in here is so true! He had every issue in the book and I understand that there are people like that, but it just seemed forced. Eh… Anyways, I’m glad you’re on my side!
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