Beez: The perks of being a wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a freshman.
And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.
Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. 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.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
Note before reading this:
Do not read this review if u haven't read it and plan to. This is not a review. This is basically a collection of my lots of thought on this book and Charlie and everything so basically its the whole story.
lets talk about charlie.
he is a wallflower (later i realized that anyone could see that from the title)
this story, is a story from Charlie's eyes. (mindblock)
Charlie is a lot of things. Hes a wallflower because he thinks about everything but isn't in it much. He's like the guy on the sidelines who observes and analyzes. But there is a lot of depth to him. His brain is just a jumble of thought and a lot of things jumbled up together. So basically he's just this normal typical guy you usually don't notice. That being said, let me remind you that guys like Charlie simply do not exist in this real (and cruel world) -just the sad truth.
And so in this book while charlie tells us his story, we have this total stay in in his brain and just be. So yeah, there are many down sides to Charlie's character like how he sometimes restricts himself from all the things he could be. He is incredibly talented and he doesn't know it. When Bill tells him just how brilliant he is, he just humbly says thank you because he's confused coz he doesnt see that brilliance in him, he just sees himself as him.
One thing i absolutely loved about Charlie is how he observes people. He doesnt see their bad points or do the sherlock type analysing, he just simply takes notes of the small things. You realize that when he gives gifts to all those people. They didn't get him anything but he got them stuff that they very much liked and they were surprised because they really didn't think he knew them so well or noticed them. And another great point about Charlie is he is very good hearted.
It paricularly showed when Sam and Craig break up. And when his sister gets hit. And a lot of other situations. He doesn't think if himself. He just wants everybody to be happy. When Sam and Craig break up, he spends a lot of paragraphs telling us how the whole thing went but we do not see a single sentence of maybe he is kind of happy that theres a chance of him and Sam again.
Though quite lot of that is because Charlie doesn't think he stands a chance wih Sam but also because he cares aboyt her first, then likes her. So he is not at all happy that they broke up. But over here we have a negative point too.
Charlie doesnt think he is a is a possible chance for Sam. That is kind of disheartening but then u realize that Chrile doesn't quite consider himself. The wallflower thing. But while a wallflower might be someone who is on the sidelines and thnks things through, Charlie doesn't think much about himself.
When i read Openly straight, Rafe thinks quite a lot of what he thinks others might think about him. But then in the end times he comes to this understanddng that people dont think much about him, instead like he himself they think about themselves.
So our Charlie over here doesn't really think about him.
He doesn't think that people think about him maybe the way he thinks about them. He has clearly written that he is surprised when he finds out that they thought about him too. This is quite the reason why Charlie doesnt participate. Because he just doesn't consider himself. I find this i several places like when his sister gets a abortion he doesn't utter a word what he thinks about it. No question nor anything. And when Charlie tells us abouut his various family holidays you can clearly see Charlie is invisible, as in he is there and people know it but he doesnt participate because he doesnt hold himself there. I hope u r getting me. This is a huge part of Charlie's character because despite his brillaintness this stops him. Now Charlie's two best friends Patrick and Sam, slowly start seeing him because he starts getting more open with them and then he does start considerig himself a bit more, but not all people are like that are they?
We see how Charlie is with those kind of people in Mary Elizabeth part of this book.
When Charlie was with Mary Elizabet, i didn't feel like he truly connected with her. He felt that too. But i think that is mostly his fault. When Mary Elizabeth chatters off incandescently about things she doesnt want Charlie to participate and but in and say something but Charlie just doesnt. Yes he acts as an incredible listener so ME continues talking. But when Charlie feels suffocated by that he doesn't tell it to er. And if Charlie had probably tried more to be a person to ME than a ear things could have gone a lot lot better. He just doesn't think hes the one to have an opinion. Of course like normal person he does have opinions but he doesnt always share them and nor does he think its his place to have them. So when ME really wants him to say something and when he disagrees she does want him to argue Charlie simply doesn't. And then he doesn't tell her that he's feeling suffocated and she never knows.
So to Charlie he is nobody.
So i guess since this is technically a review i should include a bit of the book in it. In simple words this book is all about Charlie's story. So i dont know how to write a summary on this one. Basically yeah its Charlies story and he tells us about his freshman year at school and the different stuff that happens to him and all about other people and in that way we get to know charlie. I particularly liked Charlie. He's a sweet guy who is brilliantly brilliant. And that mind of his thinks deep stuff.
Also i completely forgot to mention an important act. Charlie cries a lot. At a lot if times. He doesnt bawl. He is just rather sensitive and an emotional wreck. Also he is absolutely not afraid or shy to cry being a boy and a teen himself. There are so many parts where he's written he has cried. From a person who cries very less, this is a mixture of both good and bad according to me. While crying is like a good way and all to express yourself, Charlie does cry a bit too much. But we all love him for it.
So this just says about how he makes 2 best friends called Patrick or Nothing and Sam who he is infatuated with. And then how he simply tags along and does so many things with them and their friends and then gets his first kiss and a girlfriend and then very self destructively wrecks his life and then wallows while going through a lot of mixed feelings and reading a lot of good books and just silently brilliant beng himself and coping and dash dash. Then after some more things happening with different turns for some characters, we see Charlie still stay the same while every body is doing something. And then we see in the end Charlie doesn't really have any enemies because all he wants is for people to be happy and have a great life (he make no secret if it: e once called a teleshopper for some exercise equipment and told her that he didnt want anything but just wanted to wish her a good day). I think its all a mixture of that that makes us finally love and adore Charlie.
But let me just tell you in bold that there is no Charlie in this world.
So i really want to talk about this.
Patrick. Patrick is a really huge part if Charlies life. I think he is a more bigger part than Sam. Now i mainly want to talk about Brad. Brad is the guy who sleeps with Patrick but is in the closet and doesn't want anybody to know. So at first i didnt like him. i didnt like how Patrick dedicated so much time to him and he still didnt do him justice. Like, i loved Patrick and i felt like Brad was using him. But then theres a turning point. Over here i think people go into two groups- one who sympathize with Patrick and one who hate him. I'm the sympathizing one.
While i dint particularly like him, i felt like after all he s just a child of repressed bringing up and no freedom to be himself. Thats because when his father discovers them in bed he beats poor Brad up and if u really see it from Brads view he dint really have a choice and i felt sorry for him. Sure you can tell him to be brave and take a stand but till we walk a mile in the persons shoes we really cant dictate them. Its his choice.
Now i think a normal person would still get a dislike for Brad after the faggot comment and tho i definitely didnt like it, i was expecting it (seen the movie) didnt really think much of it. I just got a feeling that even if Brad didnt really want to be that person, he didnt really have any say in it. Then i didnt really like Brad that much when i saw Patrick suffering and i did kinda want to punch him(yay charlie!)
But in the end, at graduation Charlie is happy for Brad too. Which just makes you wonder what planet Charlie is from.
So one of my favorite parts of this book is obviously the "We are infinite part". I have Charlie's last letter as per the movie and i am obsessed with it. I can tell you every word right now. And that line
"Änd in that moment, i swear we are infinite.""
that line is like the key to my heart. I love that line. And that scene. And when Charlie sees all of that.
Its just beautiful.
Love this book.
Definitely gonna read it again.
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| No doubt it. 6/5 |
