![]() Book name: The Perks of Wallflower Author: Stephen Chobsky Genre: Novel Goodreads: <Link> Storygraph: <Link> I remember this book being extremely popular a decade back around the time of the release of the film by the same name, but I never got around to reading it until it was picked for this months TNBC book pick. The novel is told in the form of epistles written by Charlie, a 15 year old high school student where he writes to you, the reader about his high school friends and experiences. Throughout the novel, Charlie describes his experiences with his two friends Patrick and Sam and the various social situations they find themselves in from football games, high school proms & parties and the associated experiences from falling in and out of love to anxieties over college and the future in general. “He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.” Alongside these experiences, the novel touches on a wide range of serious issues including abortion, drug abuse, sexual violence, generational trauma etc. While these issues don't receive equal treatment throughout the novel while some only getting a cursory mention, this may have been a deliberate choice on the part of the author in order to to appeal to a wider audience, where even if the reader hasn't experienced the specific situation the characters are going though, the reader can pickup on and related to aspects that resonate with them. In my case, being an introvert and the weird & awkward kid in school, I very much fit into the mold of the "wallflower'' which is a reference to Charlie who is someone who observes wha'ts goes on around him and internalizes it. “The inside jokes weren’t jokes anymore. They had become stories . Nobody brought up the bad names or the bad times. And nobody felt sad as long as we could postpone tomorrow with more nostalgia.” One interesting point that came out from the discussion of the book is that your experience with reading the book very much depends on how close you were to your teenage years given the context and type of issues discussed in the book which might be the typical anxieties of teenagers. For those who read it during their formative years, this book has a special resonance and has become a cultural touchstone to their experiences similar to books like Catcher in the Rye from a previous era, which this book is compared to. But even if you read it sometime later as I did, there are alot of interesting points of discussion one can pickup from the novel. Another interesting point about the novel is that even though is set in the early 90's and written in the late 90s seems to transcend time and is not speaking about the experiences of a particular generation. The references made to literature such as On the road, Fountainhead, Naked lunch which Charlie's English teacher recommends and pop references to the Rocky Horror picture show and Fleetwood Mac seems to be speaking of an earlier era. “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.” The novel is filled with a diverse cast of characters going through varied experiences, from Charlie and his family, his best friends Patrick and Sam and the circle of friends around them, to Charlies English teacher who recognizes Charlie's talent and encourages him. One point brought out during the discussion which sets the novel apart is in terms of the experience of an LGBTQ character such as Patrick who is gay where Charlie and his immediate circle of friends are fully accepting of it and where Patrick's issues and trauma is is not defined by his identity and not made the centre of attention, which makes the novel standout in that respect. "I just wish that God or my parents or Sam or my sister or someone would just tell me what’s wrong with me. Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense. To make this all go away. And disappear." A number of characters in the book including Charlie are going through mental trauma's which the book highlights the varied symptoms of it in a very effective and realistic manner. This also makes Charlie and unreliable narrator, which, given the structure of the novel, means that as the reader you may fail to pickup on certain cues on an initial read of the novel and hence some developments in the novel might seem very unexpected. “It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.”. One issue I felt in the novel was with respect to the voice of Charlie which seemed more 'kid like' and didn't seem to match up with his experiences and his age. But this simply might be because that's really the level of sophistication of a Teen's thoughts at that time! Overall the novel has an interesting story and makes for an interesting novel to discuss and would quite recommend it.
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![]() Book name: All Quiet on the Western Front Author: Erich Maria Remarque Genre: Novel/ War Story Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Young men of iron. Young? None of us is more than twenty. But young? Young men? That was a long time ago. We are old now. The famous title of this short Novel which comes from the 1930s film of the same name depicts the experiences of young soldiers on the German side during World War I. I Really like how they illustrate the experiences of the soldiers that have to go through the war through the Mundaneness of War which involves alot of waiting around and boredom which is punctured by sudden and unexpected bursts of horrific violence. This lends an air of authenticity to the novel which is directly drawing from the experiences of the author who was in a similar position and is quick unlike the typical plotline of a alot of popular war films which typically touches on a band of misfit soldiers accomplishing something daring or heroic. On the pointlessness of War ‘I think it’s more a kind of fever,’ says Albert. ‘Nobody really wants it, but all of a sudden, there it is. We didn’t want the war, they say the same thing on the other side – and in spite of that, half the world is at it hammer and tongs.’ The level of self awareness of the novel about the pointlessness of war which was written just over 10 years after the ending of World War I is really amazing and alot of its themes and key message continue to resonate today. From what I understand of World War I, it was a war of transition from more classical style of warfare which was dictated by this idea of 'Hand to Hand Combat ' and Cavalry charges all under this idea of 'gentlemanly conduct and rules of war' to something more colder and brutal which saw widespread use of poison gas, tanks and aeroplanes which has come to define modern warfare. The author really highlights and critiques the pointlessness and the resentment the soldiers who are on the front line felt towards things like practicing parade drills which served no purpose. The protagonist naively even suggests that the leaders who instigate the wars should just duke it out in a boxing match to determine the winner! While this seems naive it is also a critique of class based disconnect that was strongly visible during WWI where the officer class and command structure had a very different view of what warfare entailed compared to the harsh realities experienced by the soldiers in the trenches. For anyone interested in a film that explores these class relationships would recommend the French Film the 'The Grand Illusion' by Jean Renoir On survival We are free of care no longer – we are terrifyingly indifferent. We might be present in that world, but would we be alive in it? It is this naivetés of the protagonist who views the world in a very uncomplicated matter that makes the whole novel really endearing and relatable. It is also made clear that this seems to be the coping mechanism of alot of soldiers to maintain their sanity and survive where given the uncertainty they face, it is just too painful to even think about happier times or what they can do in the future. This is particularly the experience of the protagonist and his group who was caught up in the war while they were in their late teens and no nothing else than war. In essence the soldiers are not even given a chance to come to terms with their feelings and do not no how to process anything outside of their experiences in the war. This is highlighted really well where the portagonist goes home on leave but is unable to find joy in the mundane such as reading books that used to elicit so much joy as a youth . Finding beauty in the horror Never has life in its simplest outline seemed so desirable to us as it does now; the poppies in the fields near our base camp, the shiny beetles on the blades of grass, the warm evenings in the cool, half-dark rooms, black, mysterious trees at twilight, the stars and the streams, dreams and the long sleep. Oh life, life, life! While given the subject matter the novel is a grim, the author manages to incorporate moments of beauty and lightheartedness such as when the Soliders come across birds making nests and butterflies flittering around the Trenches or when they debate about the usefulness of their learnings in French Grammar in school when they are in France . At the same time the novel also brutally highlights the fickleness and uncertainties of war where a brief respite or even something approaching happiness is punctured by sudden and unexpected moments of violence. Overall would highly recommend this novel where alot of its themes and its message are as fresh and as urgent as ever. ![]() Book name: The Star of Kazan Author: Eva Ibbotson Genre: Childrens book, Mystery , Historical Fiction Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Reading the title of the book, I imagined it to be a Fantasy book given its title as well as the cover image which invokes a sense of magic and mystery. The book in fact a historical fiction/ mystery novel which is set in early 20th Century in Vienna which was a part of the Austro Hungarian and German empire at the time. However given the evocative description of the neighbourhoods in Vienna, the Spanish Riding school, brooding castles in the German countryside and food delicacies, it could very well pass for a fantasy novel as well! The novel reads more like a mystery novel with elements of suspense, adventure and even a bit of horror which makes for an interesting read. I like how the story takes unexpected turns, while at the same all the little details and hints fit together and has a satisfactory payoff at the end. The character development is really good with some really memorable character. I particularly liked the worrying professors and the antics they got upto! The novel is also set in a historical context and makes references to historical figures and famous locations in Vienna and is written in a very evocative way. It's clear from the writing that the author is drawing on her own childhood exepriences growing up in Vienna which gives it a very authentic feeling to it. The book is also very interesting in that even though its written in 1999, it has the feel of a 'classic' novel and one can easily mistake the book as having been written much earlier. Another interesting point was even though the book is meant for children, it does touch on some interesting themes. One in particular was the attitude towards servants and the expected patterns of behaviour which I haven't seen covered in that way in any other novel. Recommendation Overall, while I felt that in some places the novel could have been a bit shorter if it didn't go into a few sub plots which didn't seem to fit too well into the main story, I found the characters and storytelling to be very well done and if you like a good mystery set in a historic period, this might be a novel for you. ![]() Book name: Passing Author: Nella Larsen Genre: Novel, Historical fiction Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link “It’s funny about ‘passing.’ We disapprove of it and at the same time condone it. It excites our contempt and yet we rather admire it. We shy away from it with an odd kind of revulsion, but we protect it.” Set in the 1920s New York, the story mainly revolves around two women; Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. Irene has settles to a comfortable life when it is disrupted by the arrival of a Childhood Friend Clare Kendry who is 'passing' which is described the practice of people crossing the colour line and all the opportunities and dangers that comes with it. Irene who is the protagonist of the novel through whose eyes we experience the novel is a complicated character and the reader is left uncertain of her true intentions. At times she is in awe of Clare and wishes she is brave of enough to do the same while at other times she is horrified at her recklessness and the risks she takes. This also makes her an unreliable narrator, especially with her views towards Clare Kendry, the reader is left uncertain if she is describing what actually took place or what she imagines took place. Irene seems even unwilling to acknowledge what Clare has done and continues to refer to her by her maiden name and tries to remember her as she was in her youth. Irene considers what Clare has done by 'passing' as a danger not just to Clare but to her and the comfortable life she has built for herself. This is made even more complicated by the fact that Irene herself occasionally Passes in order to go to a fancy restaurant and allow people to think she is white. Hence it begs the question whether Irene even has the right to criticize Clare for Passing when she herself does it. In fact at the start of the novel, you feel that the story is being related by someone who is white Apart from barriers related to race, another theme that I saw strongly as a theme was class barriers. Irene's hostility towards Clare for her recklessness; imagined or otherwise might be due to the fact that Clare is not only 'Passing' the race barrier but also the class barrier as it is stated that Clare comes from a more humble background as a daughter of a Janitor compared to Irene's own status. Another interesting aspect where this is brought up is with regard to Irene's husband Brian who cautions their children with tales of horror such as lynching which Irene seems to dismiss fears of such things. This might be a reflection of the fact that her husband who unlike Irene is unable to pass given his complexion is fully aware of the dangers while Irene seems to take comfort in her class status and the privilege it affords. Recommendation The book is fairly short and it moves at a brisk pace which makes it fairly quick read. However the book has alot to unpack and contains many layers which you might be able to uncover with multiple readings. Quite liked the book and would recommend it. Quotes Clare remarked, thoughtfully : “You know, ’Rene, I’ve often wondered why more coloured girls, girls like you and Margaret Hammer and Esther Dawson and— oh, lots of others— never ‘passed’ over. It’s such a frightfully easy thing to do. If one’s the type, all that’s needed is a little nerve.” For the first time she suffered and rebelled because she was unable to disregard the burden of race. It was, she cried silently, enough to suffer as a woman, an individual, on one’s own account, without having to suffer for the race as well. It was a brutality, and undeserved. Surely, no other people so cursed as Ham’s dark children. “How could you know? How could you? You’re free. You’re happy. And,” with faint derision, “safe.” |
AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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