The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower  
Perksofbeingwallflower1.jpg
Author(s) Stephen Chbosky
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Young adult novel/Epistolatory novel
Publisher MTV Books/Pocket Books
Publication date February 1, 1999
Media type Print (Paperback) and Audiobook
Pages 256 pp (first edition paperback)
224 pp (regular edition paperback)
ISBN 0-671-02734-4
OCLC Number 40813072
Dewey Decimal 813/.54 21
LC Classification PS3553.H3469 P47 1999
For the upcoming film of the same name, see The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film).

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. It was published on February 1, 1999 by MTV. The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.

The story explores topics such as introversion and the awkward times of adolescence. The book also touches briefly on drug use and Charlie's experiences with this. As the story progresses, various works of literature and film are referenced and their meanings discussed.

The story takes place in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the 1991–1992 school year, when Charlie is a high school freshman. Charlie is the titular wallflower of the novel. He is an unconventional thinker, and as the story begins he is shy and unpopular.

Chbosky names J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye as an inspiration,[1] and pays homage to Salinger's work by naming it as one of the books that Charlie's English teacher Bill gives him to read.

The book was third on the American Library Association's list of the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2009, for reasons including the book's treatment of drugs, homosexuality, sex, and suicide.[2]

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the novel begins in August 1991 with a teenager going by the alias of Charlie, writing to an anonymous "friend" whom he heard someone at school talking about, and decided they sounded like a nice person to write to, on the basis that he or she reportedly did not sleep with someone at a party despite having the opportunity. Charlie states that he does not want the anonymous friend to try to figure out who he is or to find him. Charlie has just begun his freshman year of high school, his brother is at Pennsylvania State University on a football scholarship, and his sister is a senior in high school. We learn that his best—and only—friend, Michael committed suicide prior to the beginning of the book—leaving Charlie to face high school alone. Charlie often refers to his late Aunt Helen and how she was his "favorite person in the whole world" and states frequently that something bad happened to her (we later find out she was molested by a family member), but he can never talk about her death as it takes him to his "bad place." Soon Charlie makes the acquaintance of Sam, a beautiful senior on whom Charlie develops a crush almost instantly, and her gay stepbrother Patrick, a charismatic student who is friendly to Charlie. Upon disclosing his feelings and sexual confusion to Patrick and Sam, they are not angry with him, but rather advise him how to handle his feelings privately. Sam and Patrick continue their advisory role while introducing Charlie to many people, music artists, and drugs. Meanwhile his English teacher Bill introduces him to books and encourages him to write essays about them that he will grade despite having no bearing on his English class. At the very beginning of the book, Charlie is referred to as a wallflower for his ability to observe and understand things, but over the course of a year's worth of letters, Charlie explains the efforts of the people in his life to get him to "participate" or "do things" and the feelings and experiences he has as a result.

[edit] Charlie's lists

[edit] Literature

In the novel, Charlie's teacher, Bill, assigns him various books to read. Charlie describes them all as his favorites.

The book also references a book of poems by E. E. Cummings, The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts, a book by Anne Rice, and an autobiography of a woman who was a character in Reds, most likely Emma Goldman. The poem "Absolutely Nothing" by Osoanon Nimuss is also mentioned.

[edit] Film and television

The novel references these films:

The novel references these television shows:

[edit] Music

The novel references these songs:

Other music groups and artists are also mentioned without reference to a specific song, including Village People, Blondie, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, The Slits, and Billie Holiday.

[edit] Film adaptation

Main article: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (film)

The production company Mr. Mudd is developing a film adaptation of the novel, with Summit Entertainment to distribute the film. Mr. Mudd's producers John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, and Russell Smith hired the novel's author Stephen Chbosky to write an adapted screenplay and to direct the film. It has recently finished being shot in Peters Township, Pennsylvania. The production stars Logan Lerman (Charlie), Nina Dobrev (sister), Ezra Miller (Patrick), and Emma Watson (Sam).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Beisch, Ann. "Interview with Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower", LA Youth, November-December 2001. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  2. ^ http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2009/index.cfm
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