The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Charlie: The alias of the young protagonist of the story who writes letters to an unknown person. The wallflower. He is a truly caring, innocent individual who goes through hard times in his troubled life, but seeks the light to a better future.
• Sam: Charlie's best friend who he is in love with. She is Patrick's step-sister. Charlie fights his feelings throughout the entire book to not love Sam because he knows that will make her happy.
• Patrick: Charlie's best friend and Sam's step-brother.
• Bob: He is a friend of Sam's and Patrick's who later also befriends Charlie. Holds multiple parties throughout the story. Is the group's drug dealer.
• Aunt Helen: Charlie's aunt who passed away
• Mary Elizabeth: Becomes friends with Charlie after he is introduced by a mutual friend Sam. Mary Elizabeth comes off as a very cunning and intelligent, but later we find out what she is really looking for.
• Bill: 1st year English teacher.
• Brad: Star quarterback of the high school football team
• Craig: Add a description of this character.
• Michael: Charlie's friend who committed suicide as of the start of the book, and sends Charlie through a maniacal depression.
• Peter: Craig's best friend who dates Mary Elizabeth. College guy who we do not see a whole lot of in the book.
• Alice: Mary Elizabeth's friend who accompanies Patrick to school dances.
• Susan: Michael's ex-girlfriend. She used to be a friend of Charlie but since the incident, she ignores him.
• Phil
• Mr. Small: The Driver's Education teacher
• Walden
• Charlie's dad: The main character's father
• Mom: Charlie's mom, quiet character who gets what she wants from her children and is respected greatly.
• Charlie's brother: Older brother of Charlie. He goes to Penn State and plays football. Does not talk to the family much.
• Candace: Charlie's sister. Dates an abusive boy. Gets mad at Charlie for telling Bill. Does not like to express feelings toward her brother and family.She is solely given the name Candace in the film adaptation; in the book, she is only referred to as "my sister."

Quotes edit see section history

• “I feel infinite" p.g 32”

  Charlie

• “Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve" p.g 24”

  Bill

• “And I guess at that moment I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter" p.g 179”

  Charlie

• “It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book" p.g 9”

  Charlie

• “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.”

  Charlie

• “I would give someone a record so they could love the record, not so they would always know that I gave it to them.”

  Charlie

• “There's nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons. It was that great.”

  Charlie

• “I'll die for you. But I won't live for you.”

  Charlie

• “So 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. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

  Charlie

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

• “I just want you to know that you’re very special, and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.”

  Bill

• “Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs.I wonder how they feel tonight.”

  Charlie

• “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.”

  Sam

• “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

  Charlie

• “And she started to cry. And she said something that I won't forget. Ever. "I know that you know that I like Craig. And I know that I told you not to think of me that way. And I know that we can't be together like that. But I want to forget all those things for a minute. Okay?" "Okay." "I want to make sure that the first person you kiss loves you. Okay?”

  Sam and Charlie's dialog and the kiss they share.

• “This moment will just be another story someday.”

• “That's why on the back of a brown paper bag he tried another poem And he called it "Absolutely Nothing" Because that's what it was really all about And he gave himself an A and a slash on each damned wrist And he hung it on the bathroom door because this time he didn't think he could reach the kitchen.”

• “Enjoy it. Because it's happening.”

• “"Not everyone has a sob story, Charlie, and even if they do, it'sno excuse."”

  Charlie's Dad

• “"Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve." <pp.27>”

  Bill (Charlie's teacher)

• “"I hate you""No, you don't." My dad can be very calm sometimes."He's my hole world""Don't ever say that about anyone again. Not even me." That was my mom. <pp.28>”

  Charlie's Dad, Charlie's Mom & His sister

• ““I hate you." My sister said it different than she said it to my dad. She meant it with me.She really did. "I love you," was all I could say in return. "You're a freak, you know that? Everyone says so. They always have." "I'm trying not to be.” Then, I turned around and walked to my room and closed my door and put my head under my pillow and let the quiet put things where they are supposed to be.<pp.28>”

  Chalie & his sister.

• “After the song finished, I said something."I feel infinite."And Sam and Patrick looked at me like I said the gratest things they ever heard. <pp. 36>”

  Charlie

• “I said no to having a beer. I once had a beer with my brother when I was twelve, and I just didn't like it. It's really that simple for me. <pp.37>”

• “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite. <pp. 42>”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• So, 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. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

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• I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.

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

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• “You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”

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• And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn’t.

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• Asleep by the Smiths Vapour Trail by Ride Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum Time of No Reply by Nick Drake Dear Prudence by the Beatles Gypsy by Suzanne Vega Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins Dusk by Genesis (before Phil Collins was even in the band!) MLK by U2 Blackbird by the Beatles Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

  Highlighted by 417 Kindle customers

• “I would die for you. But I won’t live for you.” Something like that. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people.

  Highlighted by 407 Kindle customers

• It’s like when you are excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to always feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means that you’re happy, too.

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• And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

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• “Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve.”

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First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Music: It reflected Charlie's unique sense of the world. All of the music he listened to wasn't mainstream pop music.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Solid.

Preceded by ttyl, and followed by Fallen Angels.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Stephen Chbosky (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3553.H3469 P47 1999
• Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Lots of sexuality (including homosexuality and rape), and drug abuse.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Teens › Social Issues › Homosexuality › Fiction
• Books › Teens › Social Issues › Being a Teen
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Teens › Literature & Fiction

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) (IMDb): "Tells the story of an introvert freshman named Charlie who is taken on the wings by his friends Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the world of sex, drugs and complicated relationships."

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