Stephen Chbosky: The Perks of Being A Wallflower

10/22/12



I got interested with The Perks of Being A Wallflower after I saw an interview with Emma Watson. It was only then that I learned about the book. When my cousin mentioned the book in her facebook status, I got more interested.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written by Stephen Chbosky. He also directed the film. It is about a boy who is in a confused stage of adolescence. Charlie, an ordinary introvert high school freshman, narrates the story by writing letters to an anonymous person.

I enjoyed reading the book I was able to finish it overnight. Too bad I wasn't able to watch the film. I'm still waiting for the dvd release.

Here are some of my favorite lines:

I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist.

So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I am still trying to figure out how could that be.

...As much as I feel sad, I think that not knowing is what really bothers me.

I wish I knew. It might make me miss him more clearly. It might have made sad sense.

We accept the love we think we deserve.

I do believe in God very much. I just never gave God a name, if you know what I mean. I hope I haven't let Him down regardless.

Not everyone has a sob story, and even if they do, it's no excuse.

(Craig) doesn't really listen to her when she talks. I don't mean that he's a bad guy because he is not. It's just that he always looks distracted. It's like he would take a photograph of (Sam) and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of (Sam).

I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why I'm trying not to think.

...things change. And friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody.

People who try to control situations all the time are afraid that if they don't, nothing will work out the way they want.

I would die for you. But I won't live for you.

It's sweet and everything, but it's like you're not even there sometimes. It's great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms or something like that? You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things.

If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me. And if they do something I don't like, I'll tell them.

We are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

I think that if ever I have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.

As we went into the tunnel, I didn't hold up my arms like I was flying. I just let the wind rush over my face. And I started crying and smiling at the same time...

...but mostly, I was crying because I was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was me standing up in that tunnel with the wind over my face. Not caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite.

Please believe that things are good with me, and even if they're not, they will be soon enough. And I will believe the same about you.