There is a rich history of coming-of-age novels that strike a fine balance between universally relatable youth and the time period the plot takes place in. The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower all take place in different decades, but they find a common bond in a young protagonist that undergoes a process of self-discovery, one marked by notable co-characters as well as pop culture references unique to that time period. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, published in 1999, is generally thought of to be the most popular coming-of-age novel for the modern generation. Not only does it touch on more modern-receptive topics like homosexuality; it also reaches areas of pop culture that span across decades, remarkably featuring both your and your grandparents’ favorites. The Perks of Being a Wallflower references films from Rocky Horror Picture Show to The Graduate, and authors ranging from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Shakespeare. But for many readers, one of the most striking aspects of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is its decade-spanning inclusion of musical acts.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower author Stephen Chbosky is a noted music fan and performer, who considers music an essential part of growing up. The novel’s protagonist, Charlie, reflects that sentiment, saying that songs have the ability to make him feel “infinite.” Like Chbosky, Charlie does not limit his tastes to one particular decade or style, though rock is certainly his specialty. The novel references classics of the ’60s and ’70s (Bowie, Nick Drake, The Beatles), staples of ’80s jangle-pop (The Smiths), and kings of ’90s alternative and grunge (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana), all without feeling as if Chbosky is simply dropping names. Each artist and specific track mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower has some sort of broader narrative purpose, both to highlight Charlie’s growing pains and the universal love for music that youths possess, no matter which decade they grew up in.
Love is a major theme throughout The Perks of Being a Wallflower, somewhat of the unrequited sort, so it was not surprising to see The Smiths’ gloomy track “Ask” spearhead a mix tape that Charlie gave to his crush, Sam. The concept of a mix tape is one that Chbosky sees as limitless and age-old, despite advances in music technology. “As long as there are boys who like girls, girls who like boys and friends who are trying to give gifts to each other, there will always be the mix-something,” Chbosky told Paste Magazine. “It might be a tape, it might be a CD, it might be a playlist.” After “Asleep” opens his mixtape, Charlie surveys beautiful shoegaze (Ride’s “Vapour Trail”), quaintly empowering folk-pop (Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair”), and 1967 summer hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale” from British classic rockers Procol Harum. The track listing alone is exemplary of Charlie’s wide-ranging musical palate, both by style and decade.
As The Perks of Being a Wallflower has already attained “classic novel” status not even 15 years after its release, it’s worth wondering how many listeners the novel has turned onto a broader musical palate. As the story is in epistolary form, presented as a series of consecutive documents, it echoes even more to a new generation acquainted with blogging. In fact, as Charlie’s writing improves progressively as The Perks of Being a Wallflower goes on, it makes his presence in the novel feel even more intimate and real. Charlie is a protagonist with personality and pop culture tastes so fleshed out that the novel’s relatively bleak ending is heart-wrenching. The addition of music helped breathe even more life into Charlie’s character, so much so that he feels like a long lost high school friend to many readers. There are several reasons why The Perks of Being a Wallflower will be considered a coming-of-age touching stone even decades from now. The intimate inclusion of music into the protagonist’s personality is one of them.
Perks of Being a Wallflower: The Music Behind the Book
There is a rich history of coming-of-age novels that strike a fine balance between universally relatable youth and the time period the plot takes place in. The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower all take place in different decades, but they find a common bond in a young protagonist that undergoes a process of self-discovery, one marked by notable co-characters as well as pop culture references unique to that time period. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, published in 1999, is generally thought of to be the most popular coming-of-age novel for the modern generation. Not only does it touch on more modern-receptive topics like homosexuality; it also reaches areas of pop culture that span across decades, remarkably featuring both your and your grandparents’ favorites. The Perks of Being a Wallflower references films from Rocky Horror Picture Show to The Graduate, and authors ranging from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Shakespeare. But for many readers, one of the most striking aspects of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is its decade-spanning inclusion of musical acts.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower author Stephen Chbosky is a noted music fan and performer, who considers music an essential part of growing up. The novel’s protagonist, Charlie, reflects that sentiment, saying that songs have the ability to make him feel “infinite.” Like Chbosky, Charlie does not limit his tastes to one particular decade or style, though rock is certainly his specialty. The novel references classics of the ’60s and ’70s (Bowie, Nick Drake, The Beatles), staples of ’80s jangle-pop (The Smiths), and kings of ’90s alternative and grunge (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana), all without feeling as if Chbosky is simply dropping names. Each artist and specific track mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower has some sort of broader narrative purpose, both to highlight Charlie’s growing pains and the universal love for music that youths possess, no matter which decade they grew up in.
Love is a major theme throughout The Perks of Being a Wallflower, somewhat of the unrequited sort, so it was not surprising to see The Smiths’ gloomy track “Ask” spearhead a mix tape that Charlie gave to his crush, Sam. The concept of a mix tape is one that Chbosky sees as limitless and age-old, despite advances in music technology. “As long as there are boys who like girls, girls who like boys and friends who are trying to give gifts to each other, there will always be the mix-something,” Chbosky told Paste Magazine. “It might be a tape, it might be a CD, it might be a playlist.” After “Asleep” opens his mixtape, Charlie surveys beautiful shoegaze (Ride’s “Vapour Trail”), quaintly empowering folk-pop (Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair”), and 1967 summer hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale” from British classic rockers Procol Harum. The track listing alone is exemplary of Charlie’s wide-ranging musical palate, both by style and decade.
As The Perks of Being a Wallflower has already attained “classic novel” status not even 15 years after its release, it’s worth wondering how many listeners the novel has turned onto a broader musical palate. As the story is in epistolary form, presented as a series of consecutive documents, it echoes even more to a new generation acquainted with blogging. In fact, as Charlie’s writing improves progressively as The Perks of Being a Wallflower goes on, it makes his presence in the novel feel even more intimate and real. Charlie is a protagonist with personality and pop culture tastes so fleshed out that the novel’s relatively bleak ending is heart-wrenching. The addition of music helped breathe even more life into Charlie’s character, so much so that he feels like a long lost high school friend to many readers. There are several reasons why The Perks of Being a Wallflower will be considered a coming-of-age touching stone even decades from now. The intimate inclusion of music into the protagonist’s personality is one of them.
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