This is our last dance. This is ourselves.

Friday 10 September 2010

Asleep by The Smiths.

"I guess 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."

The reason I absolutely lied and didn't post yesterday is because of this book. Recommended to me years ago and given to me on my birthday, I have fallen absolutely in love with one of the most amazing books. I have a horrible feeling that everyone has already read it and fallen in love with it and talked about it a lot; I have a feeling that it is a "cool" book with lots of hype and an immediate cult following.

But it is just absolutely wonderful. A kind of modern day Adrian Mole. Through Charlie's letters, we witness the life of this boy, a teenager, and just how he copes with life. It's remarkably sad, not in a burst into tears kind of way, more in a way that puts you into a state of uncomfortable melancholy. You feel his every word and sometimes it's just too honest and you laugh out loud at how awkward it all is and it reminds you of how first kisses felt and the first time you got stoned and the first person you pathetically fell in love with. And how it feels when you fuck everything up.
And I think Charlie is so easy for any one who has grown up to identify with. Parts of him are too extreme but other parts just symbolise you.

And oops, I think I'm gushing a little much.
Word on the street (or perhaps I've made this bit up, I don't want to Google it for fear of being right or wrong) is that they are making it in to a film. I really don't want this to happen. I don't want Michael Cera to be my Charlie. They would try and make the film too happy and attractive and for me, this book was about the amazing times which are constantly permeated with sadness because of his ability to think them away.

The end is absolutely heart breaking. And I cannot recommend it to anyone enough. Because I've just re-read this back and AAAAH IT'S JUST REALLY GOOD and I absolutely haven't done it justice.
Please please please talk to me if you have read it, I need a seminar!!!!


3 comments:

  1. you will probably be spectacularly unsurprised to learn that I HAVE READ IT and I loved it!! It is extremely charming and sad. Let's discuss at length the next time I see you, with much hand-flapping and over-excitement. xx

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  2. this is very strange, i found an old old copy of this book in the bedroom of someone here who means alot to me, given to him by his sister and told it will change his life. he told me to borrow it but i didnt want to not be able to return it so i didnt. and then i flick on here to see what youre up to and there it is. i feel like im being told by everyone important in my life to read this book! when i have, we shall have the most in depth conversation we have ever had xxx

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