Personally, I don’t like the idea of a book’s cover based on its movie casting. But the thing is: there was Emma Watson – my childhood crush!! Probably the crush of my generation who grew up watching Harry Potter!! No doubts, it was a successful marketing policy by Mr. Stephen Chbosky. When I was reading, I couldn’t help visualizing Sam’s beauty and charm all throughout my journey.
The first impression about the book is: I felt like a teenager again after a while. The book is basically a compilation of letters by the protagonist Charlie to a total stranger about his life, about his high school. The life of American teenage is a lot different than mine, but I could connect some emotional dots. Growing up is not always easy, specially for a ‘wallflower’ – but sometimes life offers its gifts differently. Even the deepest scar of Charlie started to heal perhaps.
The write-up was pretty simple with short sentences, but the emotions blended very perfectly with the words like:
I wish I could stop being in love with Sam. I really do.
It was like reading a very personal diary of fifteen-year kid. The expedition of friendship, early romance, first kisses, overwhelming sex, experimental drugs, cigarettes & pots etc. Still I was amazed by the simplicity of thoughts, innocence and often, the wave of sadness. Some of the conversations were really lovely & thoughtful.
It’s not like in the movies where girls like assholes or anything like that. It’s not that easy. They just like somebody that can give them a purpose.
The characters of the book are really well-constructed. Charlie, Sam and Patrick were just terrific. Mary Elizabeth, Charlie’s brother and sister, Bill etc. were described very perfectly too. Aunt Helen played a significant role in Charlie’s psychology which was embedded from the very beginning to the end.
গল্পের কিছু কিছু দৃশ্যের বর্ণনা অসম্ভব চমৎকার ও জীবন্ত। হাই স্পিডে গাড়ি চালানোর সময়, বাতাসে হাত ছড়িয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা ভীষণ রূপসী একটা মেয়েকে অনুভব করা যাচ্ছিল যেন। ব্যাকগ্রাউন্ডে উচ্চশব্দে বাজছিল Fleetwood Mac এর বিখ্যাত গান Landslide.
Charlie ঐ সময়ের উল্লেখ করে চিঠিতে লিখেছিলঃ and in that moment, I swear we were infinite.
বইয়ের উল্লেখযোগ্য একটা দিক হচ্ছেঃ আশির দশকের পপ কালচারের রেফারেন্সিং। Beatles, Nirvana, The Smiths, U2, Pink Floyd এর প্রচুর গান, অ্যালবামের রেফারেন্স আছে। The Smiths এর Asleep গানটা আমি বইটা পড়েই শুনেছি এবং মুগ্ধ হয়েছি। মাথার মধ্যে Sing me to sleep ঘুরছে এখনও। বিশ্ববিখ্যাত বেশ কিছু বইয়ের কথাও বলা আছে এখানে। To Kill a Mockingbird, The Stranger, This Side of Paradise, Hamlet, Walden, Naked Lunch, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye etc. এগুলোর বেশিরভাগই পড়া হয়নি আমার, তবে এই বইটি পড়ে ওগুলো পড়ারও তাগিদ অনুভব করছি এখন। সব মিলিয়ে একটা জেনারেশন তৈরি হওয়ার পেছনে যে কালচারাল ব্যাকগ্রাউন্ড থাকে, সেটিকে পুরোপুরি তুলে ধরার চেষ্টা করেছেন লেখক, নির্দ্বিধায় হাত পেতেছেন Shakespear, Fitzgerald কিংবা Beatles, John Lennon-দের কাছে। এবং পুরোপুরি সফল হয়েছেন আমি বলবো।
No doubt, family is the greatest strength of a person. So, a family crisis can actually initiate terrible losses for the upbringing of a child or teenager. This message was found both directly & indirectly all over the book.
I really loved the way Charlie & the English teacher Bill interacted. It epitomized the most perfect relationship between a teacher and his student. This is how one can nurture & guide someone with a combination of fatherly & friendly attitude. This is why Bill said:
We accept the love we think we deserve
I immediately watched the movie just after finishing the book. Well, the movie has a pretty high IMDB rating too. But sadly, I loved visualizing the story way more than watching it on screen. As a movie, it’s a very good one I must say, but comparing to the book: it’s just average. I missed the sentimental details; I missed the pulses, I totally missed the build-up of emotional surge with simple, easy, teenage English.
Overall, I really loved reading this. No wonder, Stephen Chbosky took five years to write this. He successfully showed some real insights of life from an adolescent perspective.
Hats off to the writer. And I just can’t help concluding this review like the letters of Charlie.
Love always
Rizal
