Accordingly

I’d read Janet Tashjian's Gospel According to Larry
weeks ago and needed a reminder about Larry, so I went to his blog .

The reminder came. I didn’t love Larry/Josh (I will later refer to him as just “Larry”). He didn’t feel real to me. His preachings sounded good on the surface, but I didn’t see any truths revealed further down. It seemed as if the author were piecing together a young adult novel out of Chinese fortune cookies or other snippets of wisdom, hoping that the audience was not discerning enough to see through her ploy.

Other “ploys” the author used that I actually liked were some of the hints Larry gave his readers, specifically the personal items he photographed and placed on the blog for identification. I also liked the idea in general, Larry’s having a secret persona in order to disseminate his ideas. It’s a little Shakespearean (Rosalind in As You Like It, for example). There was also the teen-age drama playing in the background, Larry hoping to get the girl. But I think the author would have had more success had she focused on her characters and their relationship more than the gimmicks.

The Gospel According to Larry

I LOVED this book! I loved the story, the author's style, and the message (or at least, what I got out of it)! First, the story. I am trying to teach my students that they can change the world! I think some of them are getting it. [It was one of my Korean students that introduced me to, "Pay It Forward" after one of my "you are the future" speeches.] I loved how the "Larry" site took on a life of its own and the change effect snowballed. Second, the author's style. I found out right away that I needed to READ the footnotes. (I rarely do.) I also loved the way the beginning "Note to the Reader" and "Epilogue" make the story seem real. Third, the message. Simplifying life . . . getting away from materialism and self-centeredness is a message for our time.
But, another reason I loved the book is that it raises a lot of questions and made me think. At the end of my copy of the book is a "Reader's Guide" with 12 discussion questions. The first asked what my 75 items would be. That is a question I want to answer (I just don't have time tonight). Question 8 was about "media frenzy" and reminded me of our discussion a while back of "Welcome to the World Baby Girl." Question 12 asked what I (and my friends) would want to change. My answer has to include the reality check, "one star fish at a time." And then there were questions about Josh. Why does he do it? Why doesn't he close the site down? What if he had told Beth how he felt early on? Would he have created the site?
I am looking forward to reading your reviews! I know I have barely scratched the surface on this one. :)