Hello Charlie!
I would like to present you one of my favourite books (also recommended by the Book Club) :
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a New York Times bestseller. It was published in 1999 by the American author and screenwriter Stephen Chbosky. It is one of the most touching books I have read so far and although it is meant to be a youth novel, I think it might be a treat for people of all ages. I have read it several times and at different periods of my life and it gave me a new perspective each time, which I think is really interesting.
The book is written like a series of anonymous letters that Charlie wrote to a person he considered he could trust. He talks about the events in his life, and how he feels about them. From the beginning itself, it becomes very clear that he is going through some issues. He seems to be lonely, with no friends. He casually mentions his best friend killing himself. Even though he doesn’t discuss it much, the incident seems to have made him more lonely.
Charlie has just started High School. He's very worried and scared about it. Charlie's a wallflower so has never really got on well with people, until he meets two outgoing outsiders that are much cooler than him, but they accept him and he finally feels included. Patrick, a gay, happy and outgoing teen, and Sam, a beautiful young woman. Patrick and Sam, brother and sister, soon become amazing friends to Charlie. Charlie starts actually having fun with his life after he meets them. But there's still lots of things Charlie doesn't understand: dating, family issues, the world of sex, new friends and drugs. All of this is new to him. Patrick and Sam show Charlie the power of music and Charlie becomes more and more music savvy. He particularly likes The Smiths. And then he hears this one song on this one night on this one drive that makes him feel infinite : "And in that moment, I swear we were infinite". Charlie gets very emotional over lots of things he's also extremely grateful to have everything he has. He feels special and loved. He feels alive. Charlie goes on a rollercoaster ride full of emotions and learns that he has the greatest friends he could wish for.
After I finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky the second time, I tried to put my finger on what makes this book special. It wasn’t the great quotes or the characters, but how poignant this book is. What makes me love The Perks of Being a Wallflower is how real the emotions in this book feel. A lot of the things that happened to Charlie have never happened to me, but while reading this book it felt as if they had.
If you read this story you will laugh, cry and keep reading on. It is not to be missed. Charlie will show you that high school can be enjoyed if you have the right friends and becoming a teenager isn't as scary as you think, even though it seems that way.
The whole book seems to be asking the reader to love themselves. The author, by writing the story as a series of letters, seems to be trying to speak to the readers, as if speaking to a friend, a friend he sees in high regard, no matter how they see themselves.
What can I say other than if you did not read this book yet, then you are missing one of the greatest books ever written, but maybe I am telling this only because I am a very emotional person...
BONUS:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower also has made me discover new amazing songs and books that I want to share:
Songs:
- THE SMITHS, Asleep
- RIDE, Vapour Trail
- SIMON & GARFUNKEL, Scarborough Fair
- PROCOL HARUM, A Whiter Shade Of Pale
- THE BEATLES, Dear Prudence
- NICK DRAKE, Time Of No Reply
- SUZANNE VEGA, Gypsy
- THE MOODY BLUES, Night In White Satin
- GENESIS, Dusk
- U2, MLK
- THE BEATLES, Blackbird
- FLEETWOOD MAC, Landslide
- NIRVANA, Smells Like Teen Spirit
- THE PINK FLOYD, Another Brick In The Wall, Part II
Books:
- To Kill a Mockingbirb, Harper Lee
- This Side of Paradise, F.Scott Fitzgerald
- Peter Pan, J.M Barrie
- The Great Gatbsy, F.Scott Fitzgerald
- A Separate Peace, John Knowles
- The Catcher In The Rye, J.D Salinger
- On the Road, Jack Kerouac
- The Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
- Walden, Henry David Thoreau
- Hamlet, W. Shakespeare
- L'étranger, Albert Camus
- The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
No matter how many times I read this book ( already a lot ) I never get tired of it ! And as you said the multiple references are freaking amazing , I'm constantly looking for some new recommandations and each time I'm surprised to see that when someone is discovering this book , they will inevitably discover unforgettable songs and books !
ReplyDeleteFor record, I discovered it with the book club and its the first time I read it. (and I think it'll be one among multiple) It is a pleasure, for the first time in a while I read a book because I liked it and not felt entitled to read it for work.
ReplyDeleteThis truly has a writing method that's simple, clean and doesn't feel forced at all. You're really in a brain of someone and it feels kind of good to go through every single thoughts someone has. Also, being able to witness what happens in another teenagers life and know what you missed both the good and the bad.
And it will be my favorite book, (just like every other because its the latest I read). ;)
to the people who get the reference
Hi ! A friend of mine has actually strongly recommended this book to me, and I told her I'd do so cause she was really insisting but I sincerely had better things to do. This made me realise how foolish I was, I'm sure I'll love it so I will put it at the top of my reading list.
ReplyDelete