His sympathetic approach toward people is so unbearably heartfelt and in that way, it makes the reading experience more profound. Why, he wonders, do people do such things or behave in such ways, and how much does their environment or people around them influence that? Having witnessed his share of people doing bad things, Charlie tackles trying to learn the why of it all.

Characters get fleshed out and heavily developed as the book goes on. Through Charlie’s voice, Chbosky effectively explores the complexities of people. There were so many lines that prodded at the sensitive part inside me, forcing out barks of laughter and tears and second-hand embarrassment. I truly empathized with Charlie and understood his view on things. The simplicity and bluntness of the writing was perfect, and reading the letters felt so personal. And you understand.”Ĭharlie’s story hit me in all the right places. We see things he’s not supposed to see, and find out what he should have seen earlier.Īt one point, when Charlie accidentally gets high, one of his friends Patrick calls him a “wallflower.” He tells him, “You see things. We watch as he tries to “participate”, a good-intentioned recommendation from his English teacher. We meet his new older friends, who notice him and welcome him in with open arms. Suffering from a loss of a close friend, he also struggles with his mental health, which slowly deteriorates as the book goes on.īut through his letters, we see the world through his lens. Like how many of us once were, or currently are, Charlie is innocent and naive and easily pliable. It captures everything in such a raw and realistic manner, that I sometimes felt as if I was looking through a window rather than ink on paper.Ĭharlie’s characterization is such an important factor of this portrayal.

It’s a classic coming-of-age tale, of a young person learning the ropes of the real world while also delving into the endless blissfulness of teenage life.īut, what makes “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” so special is the way it discusses the intricacies of it all. Throughout the novel, Charlie meets people, and he experiences new things, and he learns from all of them. It is not specified who the letters are written to, but through them, we learn how Charlie’s life unravels during his first year of high school. Incidentally, the book is also told through letters, written by a 15-year-old named Charlie in the 1990s. I am writing to you because I recently finished reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, and it changed my life. Still from the “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” trailer on Youtube (1:50).Ĭontent warning: sexual themes, homophobia, drugs and mental illness mentions of abuse, suicide and sexual assault

The perks being a wallflower book