Being a "child prodigy," Colin, the main character in John Green's An Abundance of Katherines, spent a majority of his young adult life in search of his "eureka moment." He believed that unless he had this epiphany-type moment, he would be a meaningless and worthless adult. A road trip with his best friend results in a lot of self reflection. He believes he has found an equation of sorts that explains his past relationships with all girls named Katherine, but there are some things science cannot answer, and love is one of them. Colin falls in love with Lindsey, someone not named Katherine, and while in Tennessee on this trip, he comes to the conclusion that he may not need to "matter," and have this "eureka moment," in order to be something to someone. Being a fan of John Green, I recognized his style of writing, and enjoyed this story of self-discovery. At the start of the book, he was living in a state of depression, after breaking of with Katherine XIX and not mattering, but eventually, he learns that life isn't about the big things, but the little things that make life worth living. I found myself thinking of one of my favorite quotes while reading this book, "enjoy the little things in life, for one day, you'll look back and realize they were the big things."
Lesson Learned:
If you spend life chasing an unattainable or trivial dream, you may miss the incredible journey!
Danielle, I would very much have enjoyed it if you had talked about why you are a fan of John Green and why this book is similar or different from other books of his that you have read. I also would suggest that you had a perfect opportunity to expand the idea of "If you spend life chasing an unattainable or trivial dream, you may miss the incredible journey." What does that mean to you, personally? Have you observed others who have done this? Have you chased after some trivial dream at some point in your life? What do you think Colin learned from his experience in this little town in Tennessee? From befriending Lindsay? From meeting the "oldsters?" Also, what, in your opinion is John Green's style? And finally, who would like this book and to what age group would you assign this book? You have merely given me a summary of the story here. I have read the story. I do not need a summary. I want your reflections, your thoughts, your experiences here. I want you to tell me where these pieces of literature fit into the curriculum of middle and high school. Dr. Ries
ReplyDeleteDr. Ries,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading Green's novels because they really pull at my heartstrings. I feel as though they encourage me to look back at my life in perspective. In regards to my "lesson learned" I feel like so many people spend their lives trying to get to the life they have pictured in their minds. If people spend their time trying to reach that vision, they miss the moments and memories that are bringing them to that point. I myself try and slow down as much as possible to appreciate the life I am living.
I think Colin was able to really find himself on his journey to Tennessee, and accept someone into his life that he hadn't expected (someone not named Katherine). When with Lindsay, he was able to break down the walls and barriers that hid his true personality. He kept these walls up in front of so many people, including in front of the "oldsters."
I feel as though this book would be appropriate for high shcool aged students. However, it requires a high level of maturity to look past the explicit language and scenes and get down to the true meaning of the novel.
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ReplyDeleteNice response. Thanks for clearing up your former statements. Colin had planned so much, calculated so much that he forgot to "let life take its course." His first mistake, as we find out after reading this entire book, is that he chased Katherines. He had gotten into a routine of planning everything and felt he could also plan his love life. We know better!!!!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I must admit that it took me a while to come to this conclusion. namely that Colin truly did not know how to relax and enjoy life. This road trip was probably one of the best things he could have done for himself. It surely got him thinking about his very egocentric self and his inability to form lasting relationships.
Should I read more Green? Dr. Ries