Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" has been on my ever-growing to-be-read list for many years. When I was graciously invited to participate in this challenge, the title jumped out at me from the 339 books on the list. And I am so glad it did.

The book is a young adult epistolary novel, the story told solely in letters written by Charlie, a high school freshman in the throes of adolescent angst. Whom the letters are written to is never specified. I choose to believe that the letters are meant for the reader while other theories about possible recipients include Charlie’s psychiatrist, his deceased friend Michael, and even Kurt Cobain. Charlie is burdened by more than his fair share of problems: the recent suicide of his friend Michael, the death of his beloved troubled Aunt Helen when he was in elementary school, intermittent depression, and his inability to make friends and participate in life. Charlie is the kid who sits on the sidelines of a party and plays the music while the other kids dance. Despite his many obstacles, Charlie’s story is a universal one, a story that anyone who is in the midst of or has been through adolescence can identify with.

As I was a senior in high school during the 1991-2 school year, when this story is set, many of the details resonated with me.  It transported me back to the world of mix tapes and the Rocky Horror picture show and Nirvana’s Smells like Teen Spirit. Substitute Friendly’s for Big Boy and this could have been my hometown and my high school friends. Beyond the tangible details, Charlie’s emotional journey brought me back to the awkwardness of my teen years - the rickety connection between the familiar comfort of childhood and the newness of early adulthood.

Chbosky uses a tunnel leading from the suburbs to downtown as an effective symbol for adolescence.

“There’s something about that tunnel that leads to downtown...As you enter the tunnel, the wind gets sucked away, and you squint from the lights overhead...Then you’re in the middle of the tunnel and everything becomes a calm dream. As you see the opening get closer, you just can’t get there fast enough. And finally, just when you think you’ll never get there, you see the opening right in front of you...And you fly out of the tunnel onto the bridge. And there is it. The city. A million lights and buildings and everything seems as exciting as the first time you saw it.”

Charlie feels like he is in an endless dark and windy tunnel. He’s not sure which side of the tunnel he would rather be on. All he knows is that he wants out. He often reminisces about the simplicity and innocence of childhood, when a fast ride on a sled or a pile of warm French fries was enough to make him happy. On the other hand, he longs to exit the tunnel and see the city, to become an adult with all of the accompanying challenges and responsibilities. Through his newfound friendship with two seniors, sister and brother, Sam and Patrick, Charlie slowly learns to participate, to dance rather than just watch passively from the sidelines. On the last page, Charlie expresses that he has come to terms with being in the tunnel; he has learned to live in the current moment despite the darkness and wind and squinty lights.           

“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.”

We would love for you to join us on this challenge. To see the complete list of books, please visit The Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge. If you would like to participate, please email jessicacollinsphotography@gmail.com.