Reflections on "The Spectacular Now"
- Christine
- Jun 28, 2015
- 2 min read
Warning: This review contains spoilers!
My friend and I had been eyeing up The Spectacular Now for months in Barnes & Noble, since before my 20th birthday when she almost bought it for me, but settled on The Virgin Suicides instead. I finally took the plunge and purchased the novel, drawn in by its catchy title, cool cover art, and vague but interesting description on the back. While I don’t consider this book to be the best I’ve ever read, it does have redeeming qualities.
The main character, Sutter Keely, is incredibly well developed. A budding alcoholic, Sutter is always living in the moment, making no plans past which party he will be at the upcoming weekend. His voice is strong and unique. His character never wavers, and he is incredibly honest in his telling, and when he is not, the reader gets a vague sense that something about his story is ringing untrue.
Sutter’s consistency is also his greatest downfall. Toward the end of the book, it seems as though Sutter is finally going to change for the better. Take a step in the right direction. But that line of thinking only leads to disappointment for the reader. In the final pages, Sutter ends up exactly where he was at the beginning, only this time without a girlfriend or his best friend, who realized it was time to move on with his life, which unfortunately involved leaving Sutter behind.
While Sutter was incredibly well developed, other characters seemed to lack depth, except for Aimee, his girlfriend throughout a good chunk of the novel. I chalk this up to the story being told solely through Sutter’s point of view. The reader is only getting a glimpse into the world from his eyes, and therefore cannot believe everything he says.
Another aspect of the story that didn’t sit well for me was Sutter’s complete lack of regard for consequence. Somehow he managed to escape nearly every situation unscathed. And when there were consequences, he simply brushed them off, not taking anything from it other than looking for a way around it. This type of attitude has never sat well with me, but to each his own.
Overall, I have to admit The Spectacular Now was not one of my favorite books. The storyline kept me interested, along with the hope that Sutter would change. While it wasn’t one of my favorites, I do recommend this book to people looking for a light beach read, one that is all entertainment and not a lot of through provoking content. Later this evening, I will dedicate my time to watching the movie and seeing how it compares to the book.
Next up on my list of books to read: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Until then, happy reading!
Komentar