The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

Reviewer’s Note:

I’ve always believed diaries and letters to be a few of the most intimate ways to connect to a person. And that’s what Chbosky has exactly done in this book, letting us through Charlie’s life through the series of letters written by Charlie. This is a poignant coming-of-age novel that takes us through Charlie's journey to adulthood from adolescence; it is an anarchic journey of a teenager that might make you a part of its own.

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.” Our whole teenage life is pretty much summed up by Charlie in this one line. It's a bit tricky and weird that at one moment, we are as happy as a sandboy but, the very next moment, our tears of blue wash the sandboy away.

With every new page, I fell in love with Charlie a little bit more. With each page turned, Charlie taught me that being a wallflower is also comforting and not just lonely. Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is packed with ecstasy, grief, and everything in between.

FUN FACT- Charlie was loosely based on Chbosky himself. The idea of anonymous letters came from real experience; during his senior year in high school, Chbosky wrote an anonymous letter to Stewart Stern, the screenplay writer of “Rebel Without a Cause” about how it had influenced him. A year and a half later, Stern found Chbosky and became his mentor. (Source- Wikipedia)

Book Review/Summary:

Sometimes, all we need is someone to lend their ears, someone who’ll just listen to us and understand while we pour our hearts out. That is why Charlie starts writing letters to this nameless person from nowheresville about his life. We don’t know who this person is, and also Charlie doesn’t wish to disclose his identity to this stranger he refers to as ’Dear friend’. Charlie is a wallflower. He is shy and an introvert who is suffering from depression and PTSD, who preferred to be with just himself and did not have much of a social life until he met Sam and Patrick, who eventually became his best friends.

Charlie starts the first letter by explaining the reasoning behind his decision of staying anonymous to the friend he's writing to. His only middle-school best friend Michael dies by committing suicide which throws him into the sea of melancholia as he was already trying to cope with the death of his Aunt Helen who died when he was seven, and the death of his only friend leaves Charlie feeling like an outcast in high school. Gradually, Charlie starts to develop a liking towards his advanced English class, where his teacher Bill Anderson seems to notice that he is a gifted writer and reader. Charlie tries to find comfort in Bill and talks about his life and family. Incidentally, he tells Bill about his sister and her abusive relationship with her boyfriend, to which Bill replies, "Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve." This line makes its way, effortlessly into the minds of the readers, and builds a permanent home.

Today’s youth is wasted on the young. Their world revolves around dates, relationships, parties, sex, weed, drugs, etc. but Charlie's world was different. He wasn’t a part of this wild youth league until he befriended Sam and Patrick, who are his seniors, at a football match. That’s when he falls in love with Sam and truly starts "participating" in life. From going to his first party to eating his first pot brownie, he does it all with them. He slowly makes his way into the group of Sam and Patrick and also learns that Patrick is gay. After a long time Charlie felt special, he felt acknowledged, he knew that he mattered when Patrick raised a toast and said, "He's something, isn't he? He's a wallflower." Sam and Patrick made him feel “infinite”, and that’s what mattered in the end.

Charlie is filled with a pang of barmy guilt now and then and blames himself for the death of Aunt Helen. This is because he loved his aunt as a child, and Aunt Helen also had immense love for Charlie. She dies in a car accident while she was on her way to buy an extra birthday gift for him. Charlie blames no one else but himself. The relationship between Charlie and Aunt Helen is shown a bit sketchy or skeptical from the start by the author. Charlie is also made to discover a bitter truth towards the end.

Charlie and Bill's relationship has always been a two-way street. Bill helps Charlie by becoming his mentor. He helps Charlie feed his inner writer and becomes his guide throughout. Whereas, Charlie made Bill realize to practice before preaching. He made him aware of his purpose and responsibility.

Throughout the book, we see Charlie live his best and worst moments. We see him emerge from the chrysalis and turn into a butterfly. Chbosky has ticked all the boxes of teenage life, and the book makes us feel that it is us who have written at least a letter or two. Along with Charlie, you take a little bit of essence from his friends, his siblings, and Bill. Charlie gives us the true meaning of a wallflower.

Happy Reading!