I've wanted to write about this book for a long, long time because it is a book that means so so so
much to me. In my A2 English class this year we were allowed to write about and compare books we liked and I wanted to do 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower' and all summer I was like "yeaaah get to write about my fave book mahn woo" but my teacher, who was lovely but whom I can't forgive for saying this, said that it wasn't the 'right sort of book', which basically means that snobby people who decide what is and isn't worthy in the world of literature have decided this book is not 'proper', or whatever you want to call it.
And I've never disagreed so much in my life.
So I suppose this blog post is kind of a metaphorical middle finger to all the people that don't see the value of this book, but moreover it's a celebration of such a wonderful piece of literature, up there with ya 'Catcher In The Rye's' and 'The Great Gatsby's' and I want to let you know what this book means to me, and if you've read it too and it's made an impact on you, I'd really truly love to hear about it so please do comment!
Now I bought this book two years ago on the day after my prom in Waterstones in Birmingham on the get one half price deal (I know that's not really relevant but I'm setting the scene so bear with me...) just before summer really began. I was not long sixteen, one year older than the narrator Charlie is in the book, and in the middle of lots of important changes called 'growing up 4 real', ie. leaving school and childhood and beginning college and adulthood, kind of like Charlie too.
I was looking for something to read that sounded like it would make an impact of sorts. One of those books that you read and it stays with you for practically your whole life, because I was weird like that and still am. Then I discovered this book, the exact cover design as in the photo above, and read the back cover. Something about it sounded different yet so very appealing, and I just had this gut feeling that I would like it, so I bought it, and read it pretty soon after that, and my perspective of life seemed to change a little after reading it.
The story occurs in early to mid nineties America and is narrated by a fifteen year old boy who chooses to go by the alias of 'Charlie' and is noted by many as being a 'wallflower' who observes things from afar but never really participates. He writes his story out in a quirky and unique retrospective narrative on his typewriter, in the form of diary entries to you as the reader, so very quickly on you feel as though Charlie is a friend of sorts and by the end you don't want to let him go!
In this incredibly wonderful story, which is filled with so many references from The Smiths, to the Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Catcher In The Rye, we follow Charlie as he describes the period in his life where pretty much everything changes for him and almost all of it for the better. We see him begin to make friends in the form of Sam and Patrick, and embrace the rich variety that life has to offer. We get to know Charlie and the kind of person he is (kind of like Holden Caulfield but different), we see him fall in love and explore the world of relationships and trying to figure it all out, we see him grow, develop, mature and experience new things, opening his eyes to the world that surrounds him. And most importantly, we're with him throughout all of the bad times and all of the good.
I don't know about you, but when I try and put my finger on just why this book is so special, I can never quite put it into words. There's a quality about it that's just quite simply magical. The world Chbosky creates is one you want to be a part of and do feel a part of because of Charlie's intimate narrative which is so honest and inviting, and you almost find yourself feeling like you know and love all the other amazing characters just as much as Charlie does. As a kid of the 00's and 10's, I find myself wanting to go back in time and grow up in the early 90's like Charlie in a world devoid of technology and filled with mix tapes, videos, typewriters, old trucks and all the culture too from music, films, tv shows, fashion and so on. The nostalgia in this book is just so sweet.
But beyond that, I think Chbosky, through Charlie, has done an amazing job in capturing the world and journey of adolescence, from the harsh reality to those happy, blissful moments of absolute freedom and joy.The discovering of new things and experiences, the fear and excitement of the big grown up world that awaits you and that you're already finding yourself trying to navigate, stepping onto the dance floor instead of watching from afar. How you find yourself losing your childhood innocence and awe of the world yet retaining that excitement of finally being 'grown-up', as you make your way through that grey area between childhood and adulthood. The highs where you almost feel invincible, undefeatable and the lows where you hit rock bottom, you're feeling lost, alone, afraid, down, but also how you get yourself through it, back on your feet and ready to try again.
All these things are captured so beautifully and effortlessly and crafted into the most touching, poignant, hopeful of tales that will probably in time become what 'Catcher In The Rye' was to young people from the 50's to the 80's, to young people from the 00's onwards. Even in 2014, I just feel like this book gets me, that it was almost written for me because it's literally everything I could have ever wanted in a book. It's filled with the most amazing storyline and real, flawed, honest characters, it's got a ton full of quotes to inspire you and help you make sense of life, it immerses you in a world that isn't quite the one you inhabit now but in principal is just the same and is one you long to be a part of and are when you're reading.
If you haven't read it yet, I would strongly, strongly recommend Perks because it will change you in some way and trust me, even if you never read it again you will never forget it. So fifty years down the line, when people are still reading this amazing book and it's still inspiring and changing people's lives and creating the wonderful impact that it does, and the snobs are forced to admit that this book is damn worthy of it's place in the great hallowed halls of literature, I'll be doing my hip in celebrating.
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Some of my fave quotes from the book that I think you might like... :)
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