Sometimes Novels Lie To Me

[naomi_jay]

I first read Go Ask Alice when I eighteen and working evening shifts at WH Smiths. (I say "working" in the loosest possible sense, because most of my time was spent reading and gossiping with my friend Julian.) I immediately fell in love with the book - an anonymous diary of 17-year-old drug user. I was totally captivated by Alice's life, her struggles with addiction, her battle to get her life back on track despite massive obstacles. I believed it. I believed it was real and I recommended it to friends and forced it upon loved ones.

But Go Ask Alice lied to me. Because Go Ask Alice was no more the genuine diary of a drug addict than I am a psychotic green llama. In actual fact, the book was written by one Beatrice Sparks, psychologist and youth counsellor. Sparks also produced a book called Jay's Journal, an account of a youth who committed suicide after becoming involved with the occult. (I'm dying to get my hands on this, if anyone knows where I could get a copy.) Sparks claimed both books were based on real journals belonging to patients of hers. I don't know if this is true or not, but it seems Sparks was essentially a big fat liar.

Really, in retrospect, I'm amazed I ever believed Go Ask Alice was the genuine article. The lengthy, detailed passages purportedly recorded during freak-outs, drug-binges and stays at mental hospitals should have clued me in, really. And compared to genuine books of this nature, like Katie.com or Second Star To The Right, both of which I adore, this journal just doesn't cut it.

But you know what? I don't care. I still love Go Ask Alice. I'll re-read it until my copy falls apart because, even if it's all lies, it's a great story. And I reckon that still counts for something. How about you?

Comments

[horsedoovers.livejournal.com]

I finally read that when I was in my thirties and hated it. LOL

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Lol, different strokes and all that. I do wonder if I would feel the same about it if I'd known from the start it was fiction.

[horsedoovers.livejournal.com]

I just absolutely hated it. Then again, I didn't like Brave, New World, which I tried to read recently.

Nor have I ever liked Lewis or Tolkien. *g*

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I've never even attempted Brave New World. I know without trying I'd hate it.

[horsedoovers.livejournal.com]

I didn't really know what I was getting into when I tackled it. Had I known it had an Orwellian slant, I wouldn't have touched it.

Oddly I...........

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

never read that book. I think I may have to because I've heard alot of great things about it. I think I skipped it since I usually read vampire fic.

Re: Oddly I...........

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I've read it's often required reading in schools in America - don't know if that's still the case?

Re: Oddly I...........

[horsedoovers.livejournal.com]

Go Ask Alice required reading in the US?

Not that I know of. I never had to read it in school, nor did my husband and there's 7 years between us and we grew up in different areas of the country.

Same thing for our sons--they've been in school in yet another area and they've not read it.

I dunno.......

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

maybe they just started that. I'm 37 and it was not required for my classes.