I have this theory that the title of a book determines its fate.
Gasp! Connie is judging a book by its cover!
Fortunately in this case, It's Kind of a Funny Story has lived up to its name- in the most subtle, contradictory, hear-wrenching way.
Craig is a 15 year-old high school guy. He's interested in three things: 1) Getting good grades so he can go to a good college and therefore get a good job. 2) Getting more good grades to impress girls, and, 3) Getting more and more good grades all while acting cool and going to parties. He's an ambitious student (no duh) who strives to get into the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School in Manhattan. Wow, that was a mouthful. The pressure to succeed builds up and his internal anxiety finally erupts. Craig finds himself clinically depressed. In his own words,
“I can't eat and I can't sleep. I'm not doing well in terms of being a functional human, you know?”
When asked by his Shrink about things in life he does enjoy, he replies simply, "...Peeing.Yeah, it's simple." "You like simple?" "Doesn't everyone?"
Craig's thoughts soon turn suicidal. One night, he heads to the Brooklyn Bridge, to do the unthinkable. Luckily, he calls the Suicide Hotline and lands himself in a psychiatric hospital where he meets a girl who scarred her own face with scissors, a transgender addict, and other people who, he realizes, are equally as messed up as he is.
Gasp! Connie is judging a book by its cover!
Fortunately in this case, It's Kind of a Funny Story has lived up to its name- in the most subtle, contradictory, hear-wrenching way.
Craig is a 15 year-old high school guy. He's interested in three things: 1) Getting good grades so he can go to a good college and therefore get a good job. 2) Getting more good grades to impress girls, and, 3) Getting more and more good grades all while acting cool and going to parties. He's an ambitious student (no duh) who strives to get into the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School in Manhattan. Wow, that was a mouthful. The pressure to succeed builds up and his internal anxiety finally erupts. Craig finds himself clinically depressed. In his own words,
“I can't eat and I can't sleep. I'm not doing well in terms of being a functional human, you know?”
When asked by his Shrink about things in life he does enjoy, he replies simply, "...Peeing.Yeah, it's simple." "You like simple?" "Doesn't everyone?"
Craig's thoughts soon turn suicidal. One night, he heads to the Brooklyn Bridge, to do the unthinkable. Luckily, he calls the Suicide Hotline and lands himself in a psychiatric hospital where he meets a girl who scarred her own face with scissors, a transgender addict, and other people who, he realizes, are equally as messed up as he is.
Who would've guessed that such a serious topic could be translated into... well, a funny story? In a way, all 444 pages congregate into a huge paradoxical metaphor for life.
Yup. Another life lesson: The journey of self discovery is difficult but worthwhile.
Hehe... I guess that was a good time to sneak in the theme.
Several times throughout the novel, Craig's Cycling thoughts race around in his head so fast, that he feels exhausted from just ...being.
“I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.”
Despite the immense amount of pain Craig dealt with, also he manages to offer some surprising pieces of advice.
“Things to do today:
1) Breathe in.
2) Breathe out.”
Hehe... I guess that was a good time to sneak in the theme.
Several times throughout the novel, Craig's Cycling thoughts race around in his head so fast, that he feels exhausted from just ...being.
“I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.”
Despite the immense amount of pain Craig dealt with, also he manages to offer some surprising pieces of advice.
“Things to do today:
1) Breathe in.
2) Breathe out.”
It's evident that his voice is genuine. After doing some research (thanks to Google), I found out that Ned Vizzini, the author, based Craig's story off his own struggles with depression. What's interesting is, Craig comes from a privileged family who sincerely supports him. His parents and sister are loving and kind, and... normal. In a good way. Most times, we tend to relate suicide with kids from disadvantaged backgrounds- it's true in a lot of cases- but not his.
I think this seemingly minute detail is what truly makes the theme of this book outstanding. Vizzini's story extends beyond our preconceived notions of mental illness and allows us to recognize the individual battles being fought by all 7,271,978 homo sapiens inhabiting this planet. (Again, let's applaud Google.) People who appear to have plastically perfect lives may be enveloped in a disguise- whether it be depression, anxiety, stress, poverty, discrimination- we all have something that sends our brains into Cycling mode. Perhaps we should all listen to Craig, a boy so mature beyond his years, yet still riding through the ups and downs of an endless journey. Perhaps we should pause in our steps and allow ourselves to just breathe in, breathe out...
It's Kind of Funny, how we as living beings have to learn to live all while living. By using charming wit and the right amount of sarcasm, the author has created a delicate balance that strikes the right tone- the funny yet realistic voice of the main character humanizes his experience while not making too much light of it.
I'm sure you've all seen online blogs with pictures and captions targeting self harm. We can argue 24/7 about whether or not these posts and photos actually "romanticize" depression. We can debate on and on about the correctness of suicide and honoring its victims. We can simultaneously find fault or merit in books like It's Kind of a Funny Story.
In the end, however, it boils down to one thing: depression is not a black hole that sucks you in and keeps you prisoner. It's a place where your brain crawls to when it starts to wander off. Reading It's Kind of a Funny Story made me laugh and cry and develop dark circles under my eyes... and most importantly, it empowered me. While I (unapologetically) sympathized and empathized with the characters, I realized that, indeed, "Not all those that wander are lost". As long as you search, they'll always be find a way to find home.
So, keep looking.
Keep living.
I liked how you talked about how the title of the book reflects on the themes and plots of the book. It sounds interesting, and pretty relatable. I liked your ending sentence too! Great job!
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