As requested, I read John Green's novel 'Looking for Alaska', which I thoroughly enjoyed, as it raised so many interesting ideas and different perceptions people have in the world. This is a book that not only is a great read, but is also I great book to discuss with friends, so instead of me just talking about the synopsis of the story, I will also mention some of the concepts that were introduced within the text, because they are really fascinating and open to interpretation (hence why I think it is a fantastic book to study- I would have loved to study this book in high school).
But before any of that, I will have to provide a brief summary of the story: it is divided up into two sections, the time 'before' and the time 'after'. While reading the 'before' section, the text itself is broken by a countdown, eg. we begin "one hundred and thirty-six days before". We don't know what this event that the protagonist, Miles (aka Pudge) is counting down, however this device allows the reader to remain intrigued and eager to discover what is going to happen, that must be so significant to this character that the entire novel is written around this one big thing. And when you think about it, countdowns are so natural in everyday life. How many times have you looked forward to something or dreaded something and started writing a countdown in your diary or calendar? I know I certainly have. Our lives are made up of significant moments that can change us dramatically, which I briefly mentioned in a previous post about the spoken word poet, Sarah Kay. I'm not going to give away what this book's significant moment is, because that's the point of the novel, so I am only going to talk about the 'before' section.
Pudge is a teenager who has a fascination with people's last words, for example Francois Rabelais' last words "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" which drives Pudge into moving to a boarding school- towards a 'great perhaps'- where he meets new friends, the Colonel, Takumi and the eccentric and intriguing Alaska. Everyone I think is in search of 'the Great Perhaps' with everything we do. Well, I am at any rate; I don't know where my life is going to take me, but I know that I want to take chances and take risks to make something happen. It's sort of like something Vincent Van Gogh said "I would rather die of passion than of boredom." Okay, maybe not the dying part, but the idea that I would rather take risks and fail if I have the possibility of achieving something wonderful rather than just sitting around and allowing my life be consumed with mediocre boredom. So, the idea of 'The Great Perhaps' raised by John Green is wonderful at summing up motivation. It was really enjoyable reading about this group of teenagers because they just seem realistic with the way they talk and act; it seems so normal and familiar, as you realise the great complexities that each person holds.
There are so many things to explore that are prompted by the book, which really shows how much of a book nerd I am, because I'm so excited about the numerous discussions that can be risen over even the smallest of comments in this book. I'm 'word-greedy', as I like to put it, because I just want to read more and more and more as if each word was some kind of decadent food and I'm starving and craving for more, to the point of addiction. I've actually underlined so many phrases in this book, because I really find them so insightful and I think it can relate to everyone to some extent.
Another important last words mentioned in 'Looking for Alaska' is Simon Bolivar's "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" which the character, Alaska, is obsessed with. And it really is a mind-boggling question, which cannot be answered. So instead of writing a thesis length of my own interpretation (which I have to admit, I think I'm going to do that just for fun in my spare time), I'm just going to leave you with the question so you can come up with your own thoughts.
And apparently this is being made into a film, so I really hope that they do it justice.
9/10
But before any of that, I will have to provide a brief summary of the story: it is divided up into two sections, the time 'before' and the time 'after'. While reading the 'before' section, the text itself is broken by a countdown, eg. we begin "one hundred and thirty-six days before". We don't know what this event that the protagonist, Miles (aka Pudge) is counting down, however this device allows the reader to remain intrigued and eager to discover what is going to happen, that must be so significant to this character that the entire novel is written around this one big thing. And when you think about it, countdowns are so natural in everyday life. How many times have you looked forward to something or dreaded something and started writing a countdown in your diary or calendar? I know I certainly have. Our lives are made up of significant moments that can change us dramatically, which I briefly mentioned in a previous post about the spoken word poet, Sarah Kay. I'm not going to give away what this book's significant moment is, because that's the point of the novel, so I am only going to talk about the 'before' section.Pudge is a teenager who has a fascination with people's last words, for example Francois Rabelais' last words "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" which drives Pudge into moving to a boarding school- towards a 'great perhaps'- where he meets new friends, the Colonel, Takumi and the eccentric and intriguing Alaska. Everyone I think is in search of 'the Great Perhaps' with everything we do. Well, I am at any rate; I don't know where my life is going to take me, but I know that I want to take chances and take risks to make something happen. It's sort of like something Vincent Van Gogh said "I would rather die of passion than of boredom." Okay, maybe not the dying part, but the idea that I would rather take risks and fail if I have the possibility of achieving something wonderful rather than just sitting around and allowing my life be consumed with mediocre boredom. So, the idea of 'The Great Perhaps' raised by John Green is wonderful at summing up motivation. It was really enjoyable reading about this group of teenagers because they just seem realistic with the way they talk and act; it seems so normal and familiar, as you realise the great complexities that each person holds.
There are so many things to explore that are prompted by the book, which really shows how much of a book nerd I am, because I'm so excited about the numerous discussions that can be risen over even the smallest of comments in this book. I'm 'word-greedy', as I like to put it, because I just want to read more and more and more as if each word was some kind of decadent food and I'm starving and craving for more, to the point of addiction. I've actually underlined so many phrases in this book, because I really find them so insightful and I think it can relate to everyone to some extent.
Another important last words mentioned in 'Looking for Alaska' is Simon Bolivar's "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" which the character, Alaska, is obsessed with. And it really is a mind-boggling question, which cannot be answered. So instead of writing a thesis length of my own interpretation (which I have to admit, I think I'm going to do that just for fun in my spare time), I'm just going to leave you with the question so you can come up with your own thoughts.
And apparently this is being made into a film, so I really hope that they do it justice.
9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment