post 1

So far, I am not completely in love with the book. When we were told, “this book is painless and a breeze”, I was expecting something a little less philosophical than this; I guess this adds to my slight disappointment. Fortunately, I am only on the thirtieth page of the book, so I have about hundred more to go to like it. One aspect I like most so far is Tony’s enjoyment of questioning authority. Even when bringing up topics like sex, he compares himself to his parents and their overly conservative ways, and feels more confident in how much “further” he’s gone than his father. I think this brings a little light and humor into the book, because honestly it’s what every teenage boy thinks about.

            Dostoyevsky is also peeking in through parts of the beginning, especially when the students have a discussion about history. Dostoyevsky questions how reliable an idea can be, such as math, science and religion. Well, in the end he explains that these are all manmade products and each are just as reliable as the other. In that same way, Adrian Finn questions the documentation of history and the perspective in which it comes from. Maybe the person documenting the events is completely biased? If so, this changes the story entirely and now people hundreds of years from then are reading a manmade product, similar to religion, science, or mathematics.

            The character Adrian Finn has me just as intrigued as his friends, who are seemingly obsessed with becoming his closest companion. It’s literally a competition between Tony and his friends for Finn’s greatest admiration. When I think about Finn’s situation, he’s just as average as most people living in modern day. What do I mean by average? Well, half of Americans are living in a split house, but considering this is the sixties I guess this is a foreign concept to Tony and friends. Adrian does have an interesting perspective on life and has something mysterious/attractive about him that I am excited to read more about. But it is a little strange how all of his friends are compelled to do anything to receive his approval; again this brings a little light and humor into the book as well. J