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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age and gender; a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story. Charlie encounters the same struggles many face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs--but he must also deal with the devastating fact of his best friend's recent suicide. Charlie's letters take on the intimate feel of a journal as he shares his day-to-day thoughts and feelings:
"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why."With the help of a teacher who recognises his wisdom and intuition, and his two friends, seniors Samantha and Patrick, Charlie mostly manages to avoid the depression he feels creeping up like ivy. When it all becomes too much, after a shocking realisation about his beloved late Aunt Helen, Charlie checks out for awhile. But he makes it back to reality in due time, ready to face his sophomore year and all that it may bring. Charlie, sincerely searching for that feeling of "being infinite" is a kindred spirit to the generation that's been slapped with the label X. --Brangien Davis, Amazon.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
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 mixed 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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86% buy the item featured on this page: The Perks of Being a Wallflower �3.57 |
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Truly Touched Me -- what can I say?,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Paperback)
In this day and age when people are so cynical and cruel, it was a pleasure to read a book from the point of view of a genuinely nice person. Charlie is a "wallflower," meaning he stands back timidly watching others live life, afraid to participate. In the course of the novel, we watch Charlie grow: make friends, go to parties, participate, even fall in love -- in other words, come out of his shell. And by the end we discover why Charlie is unable to participate in life until now; we come to understand the source of his pain. I truly loved this book; and I don't care if other people put it down! The chapters are written in letter format, and the writing is smooth and unpretentious. This is definitely the best book I've read since THE LOSERS CLUB by Richard Perez. And I discovered both books on Amazon. Anyway, if you like genuinely beautiful people, I'm sure you'll love the protagonist of this novel. You may even shed a tear for Charlie...bottom line: you'll be moved!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding!!!!,
By [email protected] (Bham, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Paperback)
This book is simply brilliant. I honestly couldn't put the book down. I can imagine that many teens can associate with Charlie, the main character, in many ways... maybe we have not all experienced what he does, but we know the feelings that he feels, and the pain he is going through. The pain of a first crush and not fitting in. This a brilliant first novel by Stephen Chbosky and I hope to read more of his work in the future.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An instant classic, heartbreakingly good.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Paperback)
This is the best book I have read in a very long time. The character of Charlie is the most real I have experienced in any fiction for years. To compare this novel with The Catcher In The Rye would be easy, I just wish I could have read it aged seventeen. I think many readers will identify with Charlie's experiences of teenage turmoil, hopefully fewer will be able to identify with the causes. Simply astounding, I believe it to be an instant classic, with an incredibly funky cover as a bonus. I urge anyone to read this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable experience
I just completely enjoyed reading this book, which I can't say for many other books. It was easy to read, and written in the style of someone talking which made it really easy to...
Published 4 days ago by LucyHoops
5.0 out of 5 stars
Weeeeeeeeell..
I only read half of it, I got as far as the suicide poem and couldn't even- It's a great book and all but it's so depressing.
Published 7 days ago by saylm
4.0 out of 5 stars
touching coming-of-age, with a twist...
There used to be a day when a coming-of-age story was almost synonymous with The Catcher in the Rye.
Published 2 months ago by Els De Clercq
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly absorbing read
A simply written yet deeply absorbing read - I can't recommend this enough. Couldn't put it down and in spite of some other viewers comments, I found the ending to be incredibly...
Published 3 months ago by S. Coleman
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb book
From the moment i picked it up to the moment i put it down i found this novel completly captivating, I would reccomend it to anyone one as one of the best books I have ever had...
Published 3 months ago by Joshua Edgcombe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different but brilliant
This book is unlike anything I've ever read. At the beginning I was skeptical, but soon I cared deeply about the lead character and the experiences he goes through.
Published 3 months ago by Brian Byrne
3.0 out of 5 stars
overall very good book
this was an OK book. i read the reviews and expected it to be better though. though it was happy and sad and made you empathise with the character, it wasn't one of...
Published 5 months ago by vickersss
5.0 out of 5 stars
I didn't want this book to end !
I found this book very touching and I found it really helpful when I was going through a bad patch in my life.
Published 5 months ago by B. O'sullivan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not All That Realistic
Although I didn't dislike this book, I didn't find it very believable either. I found the protaganist, Charlie, naive and far younger than his years.
Published 6 months ago by sappy16
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic - Amazon recomended something wonderful!
A beautiful, touching and funny coming of age story with a slightly wobbly ending bought on amazon recommendation.
Published 6 months ago by S. Hughes
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