Book of the Week: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

I adore books. I find that there is nothing I enjoy more than getting lost in the intricacies of the imagination, taking time out from my own life to delve into the pages of fictional wonders and live the exciting lives of others, if only for a short while. Being that I am such a book addict, I decided that, once a week, I wanted to pick one of my favourite books to share with you guys. Some of them will be fairly obvious, some obscure, some old and some new, but all of them will be wonderful reads for one reason or another. So without further ado, I share with you the first of many literary masterpieces (in my opinion at least). I hope you enjoy reading about my favourite books, and that you might even pick some of them up. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

The first book I have chosen to share with you is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I first read this book a little over a year ago, whilst on holiday in Florida. I had heard about the movie (which I also loved) and was really keen to see it, but I, like a lot of others I know, don't like to see a film until I have read the book. So I bought it and took it with me for some light holiday reading, and loved it so much, I had read it within two days.

The book is written from the point of view of Charlie. He is about to go into his freshman year of high school, about to face the same obstacles that we all remember so fondly - awkward crushes, the prospect of making new friends, and all the fun that comes with puberty. On top of this, he has to deal with his best friend's suicide, and he decides to do so by writing a series of letters to an anonymous pen pal, letters which make up the pages of the book.

I think one of my favourite things about this book is that it is so honest. It isn't your typical high school story where the nerd joins the football team and gets the girl. It is a lot more real than that. Like most of us, Charlie is not popular, but he isn't unpopular either. He just sort of floats in the middle, and the beauty of the story is in his keen observations of the everyday details. I really love how he goes through the same things that every one of us went through (or will go through) when we were at school, but he looks at it all in such an inspiring way. He knows that these are their golden years, and so he treats them as such. I think there's something beautiful in that.

As well as this, my favourite thing about the book is Charlie. In some ways he is innocent and child like, but in others, he is wise beyond his years. He is completely unaware of social cues (creating many a humorous moment). He is just so simple and earnest in his observations, and so profound at the same time. He says what he feels and doesn't care what people think of him and for this reason, I find him one of the most endearing and inspiring characters I have ever read. The things he notices and the way he talks about things really makes you yearn to be a bit more daring. To just muster up the courage to be as heartbreakingly honest as he is, making people accept you for exactly who you are. I mean, there are obviously downsides to wearing your heart on your sleeve, but it's a nice ideal, nonetheless!

The book makes me nostalgic for my time at school, and every time I read it I find myself contemplating my outlook on life. It is one of those wonderful books that makes you realise that we should be appreciating every moment as it happens, as these are the memories that we will one day cherish. There is a lovely bit in the book where Charlie talks about photographs of his parents and how, at one point, they weren't photographs. They were actually happening. And one day, the things that are happening to him now will only be photographs. Everytime I read it, I resolve that I will cherish my life as it is now. And remember to take more photographs. 

This is such an inspiring, touching, memorable story. It is difficult to describe exactly why it is such a good book, but it is definitely up there with my all time favourites. I guess you'll just have to read it to find out.

Have you read the book? Do you love it as much as I do? What are your all time favourite books? I'd love to know.

S.