Yes, I am late to the party for Stephen Chbosky's spectacular novel, originally published in 1999. Okay, very late. I can vividly remember conversations with writers, bloggers and others who, tears-in-eyes talked about the beauty and power of this book. But somehow, it never reached the top of my tbr list. Then, last month, I bought the book-on-CD for a long road trip. I was driving in the car with an 18yo, a 12 yo and a 7yo. Oops. Just a few chapters in, off went THE PERKS and on went the show tunes. But I was already hooked and could not wait to get home and start listening on my loops HOME after dropping the younger kids at school, or driving to my exercise classes. Heck, I'll admit it, I spent more than one half-hour in the grocery store parking lot just listening. It is a gorgeous book. The format, an epistolary novel with each letter addressed to "Dear Friend," draws you in, and keeps you wondering to whom these heart-wrenching and powerfully honest disclosures are being made. The main character, Charlie, is so relatable because, even though everyone is not a wallflower, everyone has experienced, like Charlie, horrific moments of loneliness and joyous moments of feeling connected to others--feeling "infinite."
I don't listen to a lot of books on CD but this one worked wonderfully because of its letter format. It made perfect sense to be narrated in one voice and I thought the young actor reading the book did an excellent job. This is one of those books I'm just going to tell you to read--or listen to. And please don't wait as long as I did.
For more Bookanista book love hop along...
Carolina
Valdez Miller celebrates 17 & GONE by Nova Ren Suma
Christine
Fonseca praises THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting
Corrine
Jackson is wild for WHEN IT HAPPENS by Susane Colasanti
1 comment:
I didn't read this book until late last year just before the film came out. I still haven't managed to forgive myself for waiting so long!
Post a Comment