[Review] The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Young Adult

Published: February 1st, 1999 by MTV Books and Pocket Books 

Paperback, 213 pages

Original Cover

Movie Cover

Blurb: 

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 Charlie 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.

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Review:

Dear Friend,

This book gives me mixed feelings. Overall, I really liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The problem is that I cannot pinpoint exactly why. Is it due to Charlie's endearing naivete and vulnerability? Do I enjoy the book because I pity Charlie? I don't think so. It could be the simple fact that getting a glimpse of Charlie's innocence/sweetness (aka stupidity) and his interactions with his friends (who are interesting and quite original) make me smile... almost in affection. A book that makes you smile can't be all bad, can it? At the end of the novel, I feel good that Charlie will eventually be alright.

Yet, there's a part of me that feels a little guilty about liking this book. Despite how much I personally like Charlie, the other characters, and the epistolary format of the novel, the writing itself isn't very strong. Chbosky squeezes in way too much drama ineffectively. There's simply too much going on, without a true plot structure or story arch. It's almost as if he simply ripped out a year's worth of entries from his own personal diary and sent it off as a manuscript! While I understand that that may have been exactly his point, it was not presented well to readers. 

I believe that the weak presentation is due in part to the many "conflicts" between the aspects of the characters and story that readers are expected to believe and their portrayal. For example, Charlie is meant to be an extremely intelligent 15-year-old, nearly a genius. That's what we're expected to believe based on his interactions with his teacher. Yet, this is highly unbelievable based on the entire work which is written in Charlie's voice and words! Each letter to "dear Friend" sounds like a 10-year-old's letter to Santa. The writing in the letters lack the sophistication that's supposedly evident in the book reports Charlie writes for his advanced English class. Also, how can someone who has experienced as much as Charlie has remain this innocent?! It was startlingly and unbelievable to me as a reader. Lastly, the big question of whether or not Charlie has a disability. As an education major who recently took a Special Education course last semester, I couldn't help trying to diagnose Charlie as I read the book. While I know I am no expert, I could not find a mold that he truly fit into. At some points I thought he may have an intellectual disability or emotional disturbance. I finally narrowed it down to perhaps Autism or Asbergers, but those don't seem quite right either. As a result, Charlie's character may be seen as a little disrespectful to those with disabilities and their friends and families. 

In the end, I do like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but Chbosky tries to do too much with not enough precision in his writing. Important choices about what aspects of the novel are truly vital to the novel should have been made and those of little to no importance should have been cut out. A potentially amazing story and characters is made less enjoyable and less believable by weak writing.

Who's read The Perks of Being a Wallflower? What do YOU think of the novel? Also, I'm looking forward to finally getting around to watching the movie soon. (Yay! Emma Watson!) For those who've watched it, what did you think of it? I'm hoping the movie portrays Charlie as...less stupid? The trailer looks promising.

Love Always,

Charlie Fatuma

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