This was another book I picked up while anxiously awaiting my copy of Anna Karenina from the library. I wanted to read it before seeing the movie and its a wisp of a novel that has around 200 pages making it a good choice for a quick read.
The format of the book is laid out in a series of letters that the narrator is writing to an anonymous person. I found the protagonist Charlie to be instantly likeable. He is having to deal with some heavy issues pretty early on in his teenage years including the suicide of his middle school friend. This event among some others fairly dark episodes in his past makes him a wallflower-he seems to be more of an observer of life rather than a participant. During his first year of high school he befriends two senior students, siblings Sam and Patrick. They help to draw Charlie out of his shell and he begins to live life rather than watching it from the sidelines. He is also influenced by his English teacher who notices something different and great about Charlie and encourages him by suggesting different novels for him to read outside of what is required in class.
The book does a great job of reminding you what it is like to be young and free and confused. It tries to capture that feeling you have when you hear a great song or read an amazing book-that indefinable nothing that speaks to you and makes you feel alive. Based on the trailer for the movie it looks like it stays fairly true to the source as Chbosky also wrote the screenplay. I look forward to seeing it.
Cannonball Read V 