A Review on " The Perks of being a Wallflower " by Stephen Chbosky

This book turned out to be different from all the other books I’ve ever read. Maybe after reading every book, I end up feeling this way but this time it was a completely different experience. I’ve already read a book called “The catcher in the rye“ which has been written on the same genre as this book. These books are known as the coming-of-age classics. I don’t understand why they are called classics because I thought the classics were supposed to teach you something! I usually read a book and write review only after interpreting the inner meaning of the story. All the books I’ve ever read has always had a message in them that has enlightened me. But in these books, I did not find any such message but only the phases of life that an average, shy and a conservative or reserved adolescent goes through.

It’s the popularity of the book that drove me into reading it. Many of my ‘adolescent’ friends seem to love it. Well, it was also an advantage reading this book because as a literature student and as a person with passion for writing, I think I’ve to try reading books in all genre. I feel I’ve just visited the arena which I’ve never been to in the world of books!

Summary:

Charlie, a fifteen year old adolescent writes letters to a person that he has not met before in person  but has only heard about and thinks that this person can understand Charlie’s feelings completely. He writes about what is going on in his life after he has joined high school. He writes about the darkest incidents that have happened in his life like the suicide of his best friend Michael and the death of his favourite aunt Helen that none of his high school friends are aware of.

Charlie is portrayed as a very shy, conservative and a not-so-popular or uncool kid as he puts it. So, he obviously does not have many friends. The only friends that he gets in his high school are his seniors, Patrick and his stepsister Sam who’ll turn out to be his BFF s later!

From my point of view, I think Charlie has a sort of mental disorder. In his high school life, Charlie meets Bill, his English teacher who finds out Charlie’s potential and acts as a guide and a counselor in Charlie’s life. The hidden potential which is unleashed by Bill is Charlie’s writing ability. Bill gives Charlie books and asks him to read them and to write essays on them. Soon, Charlie thinks that he has a career in writing. The first book that bill gives him is the famous classic “To kill a mockingbird”. The only thing that I could relate to was this part of Charlie’s life because the first book that I wrote an essay about is “To kill a mockingbird” and I also have a character like Bill in my life who buys me books and encourages me to write essays or reviews on them! ( Lucky me!!! )

 After getting himself introduced to Patrick and Sam, a different chapter of Charlie’s life opens up and its sure not up to any good. It’s a world of first dates, drugs, smoking, drinking, abuses and stuffs. These things mess up Charlie’s life even more and add up to his depression. But there are also days when Patrick, Sam and Charlie go on their fantastic car trip with their favourite song playing in the background making them feel “infinite“! A typical high school life as portrayed in the movies!

In Charlie’s life, there are also family attachments and supports and quarrels with his sister. There are also frequent family trips to meet his grandparents and cousins. Even though Charlie and his sister have quite a lot of quarrels, it is Charlie who helps his sister out of her toughest times!

As there cannot be an adolescent story without infatuations and love triangles… I’m coming to it. Charlie falls for Sam who falls for Craig, a popular kid at school. And Charlie starts dating Mary Elizabeth and has to break her heart as he feels he couldn’t pretend anymore!

In the meanwhile, Bill keeps on giving him books and Charlie continues to write essays on them. The story ends as his seniors who are the only friends of Charlie graduate from high school and move out. As a result of this, Charlie completely surrenders to drugs and is affected mentally and is hospitalized. After he gets discharged from the hospital, he reminisces all the things that had happened in his life in the past one year and he says that, this is going to be his last letter and he asks the reader of the letter not to worry about him. He says that there are going to be ups and downs in his life just like his past but in the end everything is going to be fine!!!

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!! if not, don't hesitate to leave a comment!!!