Las Ventajas de Ser Invisible/The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Título/Title: Las Ventajas de ser Invisible/The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Autor/Author: Stephen Chbosky
Páginas/Pages: 213
Autoconclusivo/Autoconclusive
Sinópsis/Synopsis:
Charlie es un estudiante de primer año de preparatoria, y aunque no es el mayor "friki" de la escuela, tampoco es popular. Tímido, introspectivo, inteligente para su edad aun socialmente torpe, es un marginado, atrapado entre intentar vivir su vida y tratando escapar de ella.
Charlie trata de abrirse camino en territorio desconocido: el mundo de las primeras citas, los mix tapes, dramas familiares y nuevos amigos; el mundo del sexo, drogas y The Rocky Horror Picture Show, cuando lo único que necesita es esa canción perfecta en el momento perfecto para sentirse infinito.
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.
Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.
La historia/The story:
Como ya mencioné, Charlie es un chico tímido, sin amigos e introvertido que acaba de comenzar su primer año de preparatoria. La historia comienza un día antes de su primer día de clases, y conforme la historia avanza, Charlie relata desde experiencias con sus compañeros y algunos maestros y la relación que tiene con su familia, hasta cómo conoció al excentríco Patrick y la hermosa Sam, con quienes recorrerá nuevos y excitantes caminos, irá a su primera fiesta, empezará a fumar y beber, descubrirá música nueva, conocerá interesantes personas... e incluso se enamorará por primera vez.
As I commented before, Charlie is a shy, friendless and introvert boy who begins his first year at high school. The story starts one day before his first class day, and, as the story progress, Charlie narrates since the experiences he has with his classmates and some professors, the relationship with his family to how he met the eccentric Patrick and the beautiful Sam, with those who discover new and exciting ways, go to his first party, begins to smoke and drink, discover new music, meet new interesting people... and even fall in love for the first time.
Los personajes/The characters

Our protagonist has a great imagination and a big taste for the lecture, he sees things, and he understands. He has low self-esteem and self-control problems, he's very introvert and takes care of his friends. He loves writing and Asleep, by The Smiths.
Sam: Incorrecta y desinhibida, Sam es una chica que no busca ser idealizada, sale con un chico mayor y tiene un pasado turbio. Tiene la esperanza de que todo mejore cuando entre a la universidad y le gusta ir en la parte trasera de su pick-up mientras escucha una buena canción.
Charlie dice que ella "tenía una sonrisa muy bonita" y que tiene "unos ojos verdes muy, muy bonitos. El tipo de verde que no se da mucha importancia a sí mismo".
Incorrect and uninhibited, Sam is a girl how does not look for be idealized, she's dating with an older boy and she has a cloudy past. She hopes the things will get better when she get into college and she likes to travel on the rear side of her pick-up while listens to a good song.
Charlie says she "had a very nice smile" and she has a "very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn’t make a big deal about itself".

espíritus libres) de buen corazón y fiel a aquellos que lo aceptan tal como es. Le gusta interpretar al doctor Frank N-Furter durante The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He is Charlie's best friend, gay and funny (he and Sam are free spirits) kind-hearted and loyal to those who accept him as he is. He likes to play the role of Dr. Frank N-Furter during The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Mary Elizabeth: Es una chica convertida al budismo, con ideas bien definidas y actitud algo ruda que no puede esperar a entrar a la universidad. Tiene un piercing en el ombligo, habla español fluido y se encarga de la publicación mensual de Punk Rocky.
It's a girl converted to Buddhism, with well-defined ideas and a little rude attitude that cannot wait to start college. She has a belly button piercing, she is fluent in Spanish and every month publishes Punk Rocky.
It's a girl converted to Buddhism, with well-defined ideas and a little rude attitude that cannot wait to start college. She has a belly button piercing, she is fluent in Spanish and every month publishes Punk Rocky.
Alice: Es divertida y misteriosa, le gustan los vampiros y Nirvana, quiere ir a una escuela de cine. No se sabe mucho sobre ella a demás de que roba jeans en el centro comercial (a pesar de que sus padres son ricos).
Funny and mysterious, Alice likes vampires and Nirvana, she wants to go to film school. We don't know much about her besides she steals jeans from the mall (even when her parents are rich).
Funny and mysterious, Alice likes vampires and Nirvana, she wants to go to film school. We don't know much about her besides she steals jeans from the mall (even when her parents are rich).
Maestro (Professor) Bill Anderson: Es el profesor de literatura de Charlie, ve en su alumno un gran potencial para la escritura, quiere mudarse a Nueva York para dedicarse a la escritura y tiene una novia bastante cool. Siempre está dispuesto a ayudar y escuchar a Charlie a demás de motivarlo a escribir, hacia el final de la historia termina viendo a Charlie no solo como un alumno, sino también como un amigo.
He is Charlie's literature professor, he looks in Charlie a great potential for writing, he wants to move to NYC for being a writer and has a pretty cool girlfriend. He is always disposed to help and listen to Charlie besides to motivated him to write, to the end of the story he ends looking Charlie not only as a student but also as a friend.
He is Charlie's literature professor, he looks in Charlie a great potential for writing, he wants to move to NYC for being a writer and has a pretty cool girlfriend. He is always disposed to help and listen to Charlie besides to motivated him to write, to the end of the story he ends looking Charlie not only as a student but also as a friend.
Opinión/Opinion

As a good person who breaks the rules, the first thing I've watched the film before read the book (I know, I'm a monster) and, unfortunately, the only thing I found good was the soundtrack. I don't wanted to read the novel and it took me years before the idea of reading it pass for my mind (obviously I wanted to borrow the book to one of my friends, I didn't intend to spend my money on it), but I'm a great defender of the idea "Don't judge a book by its movie", so I gave myself the task of looking for some reviews to see if one of them could convince me... nothing.
PERO un día, por obra del destino me enteré que el libro está dividido en cartas que Charlie TE ENVÍA A TI y ese pequeño detalle fue más que suficiente para que corriera a la librería que tenía más cerca y lo comprara. La historia está muy bien escrita y el estilo de Chbosky resulta maravilloso... familiar. Como reencontrarte con un viejo amigo después de años sin verse; Las Ventajas de Ser Invisible puede arrancarte el alma y hacerla pedacitos tan fácil como le resulta robarte una carcajada y te engancha de la misma forma que MTv lo hace con los chicos de trece años: Te hipnotiza y simplemente no puedes dejarlo.
BUT one day, thanks to destiny, I found out the book was divided in letters which Charlie has SEND TO YOU and this little detail was more than enough to run to the nearest library and bought it. The story is very good written and the Chbosky’s style is wonderful… familiar. Like see again an old good friend after years; The Perks of Being a Wallflower can break your heart in a hundred pieces so easy as it can steal to you a smile and hooked you in the same way that MTV with thirteen-year teenagers: hypnotizes you and you just cannot quit it.

Desde el inicio formé un vínculo con Charlie que es difícil de explicar, al ser algunos años mayor que él y al ya haber pasado por muchas de esas experiencias, lo único que quería hacer cada vez que leía que le pasaba algo malo era abrazarlo y decirle que todo iba a estar bien.
*Cabe destacar que el libro toca temas delicados como lo son el abuso en una relación, suicidio, drogadicción, abortos, homofobia, entre otros.
*Cabe destacar que el libro toca temas delicados como lo son el abuso en una relación, suicidio, drogadicción, abortos, homofobia, entre otros.
Since the beginning I made a connection with Charlie that it’s difficult to explain, I’m some years older than him, and I lived (as some of you) a lot of experiences he had and the only thing I wanted to do was hug him and told him everything is going to be better.
*I have to tell you the story touches topics like abuse in relationships, suicide, drug addiction, abortion, homophobia, and others.
Es una historia bellísima sobre lo que significa crecer y sobre cómo, por buenas o malas que sean nuestras vidas, esto es lo que tenemos, además de tener frases más que maravillosas (mi libro está repleto de post-its) y un soundtrack buenísimo... Sí, un soundtrack, como en las películas. A lo largo del libro Charlie te comparte listas enteras con música que puedes escuchar mientras lees sus cartas, dándole un plus a la historia.

Por supuesto, el que la historia me haya gustado no significa que no le encontrara fallas o que amara a todos los personajes, así que empecemos:
Como ya mencioné algunos párrafos arriba, Charlie tocó mi corazón y muchas veces me sentí mal por él y quería decirle que todo iba a estar bien, pero siento que hubo situaciones en las que actuó erradamente y algunas otras en las que exageró un poco (sobre todo cuando se trata de Sam). Sabemos que Charlie ha tenido problemas y un año difícil, y que encontró un gran apoyo en sus nuevos amigos, pero en algún punto se vuelve demasiado dependiente de ellos. Además de esto y que algunas veces Charlie se pasa de ingenuo, no tengo ningún otro comentario SOBRE LA HISTORIA.
Of course, the story has (in my opinion) some faults and I obviously don't love all the characters, so, let's begin:
As I told some paragraphs above, Charlie touched my heart and a lot of times I felt bad for him, but I think there were situations in which he acted wrongly and others in which he exaggerated a bit (especially when it's about Sam). We know Charlie had problems and a hard year, and he found a great support in his new friends, but at some point, he turns very dependent of they. In addition to this and sometimes when Charlie are passed from naive, I haven't another comment ABOUT THE STORY.
Of course, the story has (in my opinion) some faults and I obviously don't love all the characters, so, let's begin:
As I told some paragraphs above, Charlie touched my heart and a lot of times I felt bad for him, but I think there were situations in which he acted wrongly and others in which he exaggerated a bit (especially when it's about Sam). We know Charlie had problems and a hard year, and he found a great support in his new friends, but at some point, he turns very dependent of they. In addition to this and sometimes when Charlie are passed from naive, I haven't another comment ABOUT THE STORY.
And finally, I have to tell you that I don't like Sam at all. (I said it! now, please don't hate me). I've read about a lot of people who loves the character, but I simply don't like the typical character of broken girl and idealized for the main character, it's clear that some things she lived were hard, but that doesn't justify HER decision making or the way that she treat to other characters. All of this, and that in the book we can see Sam through Charlie's eyes does nothing more than annoy me about her (it's like to see Alaska from the point of view of Miles), she's too beautiful, too damaged, a victim of the bad making decision from OTHER PEOPLE but never victim of her decisions, obviously; too interesting, too incorrect, too fragile... TOO all that the main character was looking for.

"A una chica como Mary Elizabeth no deberías decirle que está guapa, deberías decirle lo bonito que es su conjunto, por que su conjunto es elección suya, mientras que su cara no lo es", comenta Sam en algún momento.
On the other hand, I LOVED Mary Elizabeth (despite sometimes she can be such a pain in the neck), she reminds me of myself, both in tastes and in the way of thinking and being AND I CAN'T TELL NOTHING MORE, did someone ever have asked why you like so much something and when you've tried to explain the only thing you can say is: "because it's so sdjkjhkgfd?" Well, that's the way I feel about this so peculiar character who likes read Walt Whitman and listen to Billie Holiday's music.
"with a girl like Mary Elizabeth, you shouldn't tell her she looks pretty. You should tell her how nice her outfit is because her outfit is her choice whereas her face isn't", said Sam in some moment.
3 comentarios
Lo sé, también es uno de mis favoritos, ¡Y pensar que no quería leerlo! De lo que me hubiera perdido jaja.
ResponderBorrarY sí, es un libro algo duro de leer, había momentos en los que sentía que lloraría.
Un saludo! :)
Me alegro que te haya gustado!! Lamento que este no fue mi caso! no pude crear conexión con los protagonistas y me pareció una historia demasiado simple... sin esa chispa que te haga recordar la historia para siempre...
ResponderBorraren fin.. muy buena reseña! besos y nos leemos!
Hola! Gracias por tomarte el tiempo de leer mi reseña!
BorrarCREO que nunca había conocido a alguien a quien no le gustara The Perks, pero siempre es interesante conocer las opiniones que los demás tienen sobre cosas que a ti te gustan o disgustan :)
Un saludo!