Outside Reading Blog #1

In Stephen Chbosky’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” one of my favorite aspects is the writing style. It is incredibly simple, without an extensive vocabulary and many simple sentences, sometimes even just fragments. This style is to represent the inner monologue of Charlie, a fifteen year old. Although Charlie has some very deep and complex thoughts throughout the book, most of the writing stays consistent and maintains its simplicity. This writing is meant to be in the “voice” of the character, however sometimes when I’m reading this, the simple aspect gets mistaken for oversimplified, making Charlie sound younger than he is.

There are portions of this book meant for an older audience, such as Charlie’s first-time experiences with marijuana and homosexuality. In these sections of the book, Charlie’s “voice” seems too immature and youthful to even be considered simply naive for his age. His almost-too-young maturity level is justified in other sections of the book. Chbosky shows Charlie hanging out with friends who, although are only a year or two older, seem to be very mature for their age compared to Charlie. There are parts where Charlie’s friends calm him down by getting him an ice cream, or they tell him to keep situations a secret, almost as if they are taking care of him. They are also there to talk him through very innocent scenarios where many people do not need guidance.

This is something I really do not like in “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” but I find that ironic because even though I don’t like it, I love the simplicity of the writing. What’s interesting about that is the part of Chbosky’s book that I hate, Charlie’s abnormal innocence, is what encourages the aspect of PBW which I love, the simple and easy to read writing style.

- Emily Schulz -