Tuesday, August 11, 2009

the great perhaps and the way out of the labyrinth



I just finished reading Looking for Alaska which I was originally prevailed upon reading after coming across the above quote on a random tumbr page and deciding that this year wouldn't be complete without my delving into such a novel. The ironic thing is that the original paragraph that captured my imagination is pretty much the absolute climax of the story in regards to quality writing and memorable lyricism. The poetry of those few lines is worth reading the book for, as in order to completely experience and understand what "those movies" are and how it is possible for such infatuation to occur you really do need to tumble through the life of Miles Halter, skinny nerdy protagonist from Florida going to boarding school to experience the "Great Perhaps". Looking for Alaska turns out to be as philosophical as the storyline somewhat corny, however the depth of discussion about religion, namely Buddhism is interesting and informative and I myself have a renewed interest in ancient traditions and myths. Between learning that President JFK's last words were "thats obvious" in response to the comment "Texas clearly loves you" (or something along those lines) and hearing more about the famous Simon Bolivar and his apparent, though controversial last words "how will I ever get out his labyrinth!" in regards to an immense and insurmountable amount of suffering that life offers, I reckon this book was definitely worth a read, and this little tryst worth knowing about and I feel as though I too, am now seeking the great perhaps. or something.

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