Infinite: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 

To “Sam”,  here are my thoughts.

As  [demanded]  requested. 😉

_________________________________

The Story:

The book is a compilation of letters a teen named Charlie (not his real name) sends to an anonymous friend as a sort of diary. The story tackles Charlie’s involvement in sex and drugs, his struggle in school,  his family relationship, and with himself.

Comments:

             I like how crudely the author have touched the ominous topic of sex, drugs, homosexuality and abuse. It has followed how teens are exposed and confused with their lives.  Movie goers should focus on the witty lines and interesting twists they shouldn’t miss.

Good Points:

The perks of this book is its being realistic, no holds barred, vulgar but informative, compassionate, and delicate way of painting the picture of teenage life —the peer pressures, the innocence, the struggle to fit in. I also liked how the book mentioned a lot of good to read classic novels.

Movie Adaptation:

             Since the Author of the book Stephen Chbosky was also the Director of the movie, I find it nicely done. Though the author has left many scenes to be just in the book, he also satisfies the viewers with the hightlights [the tunnel trip, the hilarious rocky horror show, the party, the thing with Aunt Helen]. The whole ‘meat’ of the story is well done –like a roasted chicken without the bloody meat in the core. The casting was fitting — just as I imagined Charlie would look like. Emma Watson exhibits a different role being Sam, as opposed to being Hermoine. It’s fresh and just adorable.

Quotable Quotes:

One of the thought provoking quotes from the book, it hits you just right and leaves you thinking to yourself whispering “yeah, right”.

              Some individuals are just as happy to be loved half-heartedly. Some demands for more. Some are just contented for it to be one-sided. Some are just as happy as they are treated, though for somebody’s point of view, they deserve more. The fact is, it’s on the question of self-worth. How much do you see yourself? How you think you should be treated is a reflection of how much price you tag yourself with.

             It’s not bad or anything, it’s just the way it is.  People often choose to accept the love they think they deserve, neglecting the fact that they are very worthy of such overpowering love.   Much more from the source of all love –God. Some fail to receive that precious  gift.  Open your eyes  heart. Be enlightened.

________________

Here’s another quote from the book:

Bullseye! eh?

Not-So-Good Points:

                  What I find hard when reading this book was the mysterious gaps the author leaves you with. It keeps you wondering as to what happened and forces you to analyze Charlie’s statements. [Maybe that means I’m not smart enough to read between the lines. haha 😀 ] And maybe that’s what also gives the book a taste of mystery, deliciously dark.

Reflections:

Life is not a puzzle to be solved, but a game to be played. Be who you are, not just for any other people but for yourself. Be a wallflower— see things, understand, and keep quiet. Know that every individual has his own story and you can never blame them, it’s their choice.

“… even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” (The Perks…)

Please do ‘participate’ in life. Make sure that at some point, strive to exist. Find purpose. Chase happiness. Be infinite.  

Personal Rating (from a novice):

             Book: 9.2/10

             Movie: 8.8/10

FOUND: The Lost Symbol

Intelligent! Thought moving!

This book made me love Dan Brown. Special thanks to Ate Karen for letting me read this book.

• The Story

This is a sequel of symbologist Robert Langdon’s adventure now in Washington. As he is invited into an occasion as speaker, he is suddenly sucked up in a tale of mystery and action of solving the secret of the ancient mysteries, of hidden passages, organizations, and the greatest secret of history come forth the kidnapping of his friend mason Peter Solomon. Now, he has to follow what the kidnapper wants for him to find: the Mason’s pyramid and the Lost Word.

• Comments

Dan Brown leaved me breathlessly flipping pages, kept me up late at night and bombarded me with much information. His distinct style of riveting rocket-paced thrillers proves to be magnificent.

• Good Points

The way the author gives the details in time while keeping to the plot is brilliant. He preserves the mystery yet still disclosing secrets as he moved on.
Brown has well weaved all his knowledge about history into something exciting. The author is like a tour guide walking you through a museum.

• Negative points

I guess I only have a little comments on the characterization of other supporting characters which did not stood out as well as the others. The main antagonist’s character was perfect though.

• Quotable quotes

“The only difference between you and God is that you have forgotten you are divine.”

“Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.”

“Knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user.”

• Lesson

Do not be blinded by the superficiality of people and things. Look for its roots, and you’ll find their true meanings.

Rating: 9.5/10

_____________________

Photo credits to en.wikipedia.org

Marley and Me :’)

“Adorably cute! Heart-melting!”

I don’t own the picture. Just saw it somewhere on facebook. 🙂

I’ve always read suspense, horrors and thriller books and never really thought of reading a drama but I thought for a change, and from the big push coming from a friend, and for a change, I tried to. And it proved to be worth it.

• The Tale

The story follows the Grogan’s starting family, how they grew together as a couple, and how a labrador changed the picture. It is an account of funny, horrifying, and heart warming stories of pet owners raising their eldest ‘prodigal son’, Marley.

• Comments

This story made me cry a bucket of tears! (yeah, its true) The first half of the book all gave me grins and smiles. But the part towards the end left me with a shirt wet with tears, a stuffed nose, and red eyes. I was really laughing at myself when I realized I looked silly. Good job for the author for making me cry that hard! Really good!

• Good points

John Grogan has this distinct melodramatic way of giving the readers goosebumps and laughs while reading his stories. One good thing about the book is that it is real and true-to-life events are portrayed. There were no pretensions, all purely historical.

• Movie Adaptation

When a book is adapted into a movie, the build up of events are sliced down and so some events are skipped and modified. So, I guess it was still great but the book is always better.

• Quotable quotes

“Bad dogs, if you can really call them that, are perhaps the greatest of them all.”

“A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see.”

Definitely a MUST read! 

Rating: 10/10