Prep
Curtis Sittenfeld
Because of Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld has been hailed as the second coming of Salinger, a writer who could relate tales of youth and awakening with a novelty that would make each angst-filled situation seem as groundbreaking as if it had just happened for the first time. With each page, she would not only describe heartbreaking situations of teenagedom, but would impart them with a universality, with such depth and philosophical insight, that she would not only be a new Salinger, but a new Shakespeare, revealing human truths too deep for the average mind to realize on its own.
Or at least that's the impression I got from all the reviews I read about Prep, which follows Lee Fiora through her stay at Ault School, a boarding school for the rich and snobby. On a scholarship herself, Lee has none of the financial accoutrements which accompany the majority of Ault's student body, and therefore Lee is an outsider. Of course, it doesn't help that Lee overanalyzes EVERYTHING (oh my god, was I really like this? Because I totally think I was. No wonder I was so miserable during high school. Ugh, it's all coming back; I thought I had repressed the 90s. Shit, why on earth did I pick this book up? And why is it SO LONG? I swear, I thought high school was only four years long--why does it seem this bitch has been at Ault for 40 frickin years???)
Sorry.
Anyway, the book wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good. First, the good. Yes, it totally took me back to my high school years, and I didn't even attend a private boarding school. My favorite aspect of the novel was its ability to remind me of how hope-filled every moment was. Every night out, every dance, every class, every chance interaction in the hall or in the cafeteria could lead to something great, which in turn would finally lead to Happiness. Every second was so damn momentous, no wonder I plummeted into despair when nothing earth-shattering occurred. How could it, when I placed such expectations on myself? This leads me to my other favorite aspect of the book: it reminded me of how much it sucked to be a teenager and allowed me to be truly thankful that I am well past high school, and praise the lord for that, thank you very much.
Unfortunately, the novelty of returning to high school wore off somewhere around page 200. Sittenfeld should have been shortened the book by half; its length detracted from the book's strength, which is mainly scenes of high cattiness or extreme humiliation. Long passages of Lee's in-depth analysis of social hierarchies were overused and, after the first few, extremely boring. Yes, I get it. You have no friends because you think you are unworthy. You are on a scholarship and are therefore inferior. High school sucks, get older, get over it, shut up.
Ugh.
I guess my biggest gripe is not with Sittenfeld, who is not the one calling herself Salinger II. Rather, my beef is with the myriad critics and reviewers who duped me into buying what I thought would be a must-read, soon-to-be classic. Instead, Prep is an entertaining novel that will pass the time but will not leave you with the lasting impression of life-changing literature.
In a nutshell: Prep is usually funny but doesn't go beyond superficially entertaining. Lee Fiora is funny at first, but by the novel's end, you just want her to shut the hell up. Whiny brat. At least you'll be glad you aren't a teen again.
Bibliolatry Scale: 2.5 out of 6 stars
2 comments:
2.5? Eek!
I almost picked Prep up last week. Now, I am greatful for second thoughts.
I just BookMooch'd Prep from you because just 2 days after I sent my copy, which I'd had for years, to someone else, my bookclub chose this book for the next meeting. I remember when I first read it when it came out, I really liked it. I'd picked it up at a Random House booksale for overstock. I thought Curtis was a guy. So, I had LOW expectations. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. It was interesting to reread it a second time, three years later. I still liked it but part of me feels like I would've liked it more if it had been classified as YA and written in the moment, rather than as a flashback.
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