THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER-stephen chbosky
There are some books that only get better the more you read them, each time reaffirming the reasons you loved the book to begin with, but also finding new reasons-things you may have missed the first, second, or third time. But there is something lost with each new read, something that can only be experienced the first time. For me, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is just such a book, with a simplicity and naiveté that never fails to crawl in, find, and nestle against my teenage soul.
Stephen Chbosky’s stunning first novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is the coming-of-age story for the 21st century. It leaves blistering metaphors about the loss of innocence and not-so-subtle references to the biblical at the door and focuses on the inner-workings of a young boy named Charlie who tries with all of his might to find a place where he belongs.
Sounds corny, perhaps, and probably clichéd, but every step that Charlie takes in discovering how he fits in and what makes him different will grip you by the heart and pull you effortlessly along.
Charlie tells his own story here, and he does so through a series of letters that he writes to an unknown person-unknown, essentially, even to him. He explains that he heard good things about this person from someone, and he wants to write to him/her with the hopes that they will simply listen. No strings attached. His voice is young and fragile; his understanding of the world heart-breakingly innocent; his kindness and compassion towards even the most terrible of people is inspiring. Charlie is brave, but is often a coward. He’s incredibly smart, but sometimes doesn’t quite get it. He knows how to read others, but doesn’t really understand himself. He wants nothing more than friendship, but struggles with knowing what it really means, and how to deal with the pain of falling in love.
This all may sound quite familiar to you; what coming-of-age tale doesn’t work this way? But there is something unique about Charlie’s story. Perhaps it is his sweetness and innocent view of the world. Perhaps it is his variety of friends-most notably Patrick, who is gay (and written by Chbosky in such a way that draws attention away from stereotypes, yet is simultaneously not afraid to show a “dark side” to young gay life), and Sam, who is a voice of reason and understanding throughout Charlie’s journey, and yet struggles with her own dilemmas and mistakes.
But really, what makes Perks so perfect in my eyes is how EXACTLY it reflects my own heart. My own struggles. My own fears. As the title implies, Charlie’s story is all about what happens when you don’t participate; what life is like for those who sit on the sidelines; the benefits and struggles of sitting and watching and understanding, but never really being part of the experience.
That is my life. This book is me.
It’s like Hector tells Posner in Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys:
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something-a thought, a feelings, a way of looking at things-which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”
That’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower in my life. More than anything-more than the way Charlie is or how he views the world-it’s what people make him realize about himself; it’s finishing the book and realizing the mistake of living a life only for others… of never truly participating. Charlie learns, and as a result, I did too.
I recommend this book to any and every one, but I feel as though there is something special about reading this book in high school-something that, otherwise, will be missed. If you are not in high school, you may not understand just what it is that makes it so great, though you would likely be touched in one way or another. Every freshman high school student should read this book. Everyone should take a walk in Charlie’s world.
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