Jan 04, 2017 06:43 PM
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I almost didn't finish this book. The main character was so hard to figure out. He was supposed to be intelligent but he was so naive. I get being book smart but dumb streetwise, but it was basic social and life knowledge that he didn't get. One minute he seemed wise beyond his years and the next he acted like a child thrust into a teenage life.
There were also a couple of scenes that I didn't think were believable. I almost put the book down(view spoiler) It seemed like Chbosky was throwing in random drama just to make his novel edgy(I hate that) and was wandering aimlessly. I almost gave it up.
But I kept going. Partly because it was a quick read and partly because the voice was almost amazing. It would have been a great voice had it not been so fraught with inconsistencies, had it not been so hard to figure out, and had it not made so many observations about what adults must think that didn't feel real(more like Chbosky telling us what teenagers will learn when they aren't teenagers anymore). But sometimes I enjoyed Charlie's observations, especially about how a song on a radio while you're driving can make you feel infinite. I know it's a cheesy one-liner, but it reminded me of being a teenager. He did have some great moments as a narrator.
In the end, I'm glad I finished the book. The second half of the book was much better than the first, and by the end I got Charlie. Once he made a little more sense, I could appreciate his story. Plus, I liked the feeling of the epilogue, the way I felt bittersweet and nostalgic when I closed the book. I can see why it's a cult classic. I'd probably like it better if I read it a second time, and probably would have loved it had I read it as a teenager.
