Thursday 8 November 2012

I am the Messenger, Markus Zusak

Read in paperback, November book club book, Nicci's choice.

Another book club book set in Australia.  This is a "Young Adult" novel, and reads a bit like a PG film.

Small town loser Ed is working as a taxi driver, even tho' he is under age.  He loves his best friend Audrey, but she dates other guys, he loves his smelly dog - the Doorman, and his two other friends miser Marv and waste of space Ritchie.

After haplessly foiling a bank raid, Ed receives playing cards in the mail, which encourage him to carry out missions on behalf of his town's less fortunate citizens.

The central premise seems to be: be nice to the elderly, encourage the young, be welcoming to immigrants, don't forget about your family, don't get into fights, go to church: in essence think about others rather than yourself.

Dan Savage put it more succinctly: "Worry less about getting your 16-year-old self laid and more about getting your 20-year-old self laid. Get out of the house and do shit, get books and read shit, volunteer for a political organization and change shit. You'll have more boys to choose from in a few years and be a more interesting, informed, and attractive guy thanks to all that doing, reading, and volunteering."

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