Book thirteen: An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines* (2006)
John Green

Rating: 3/5

I really liked this book. It was equally funny and well written. What more could you ask for?

Green embodies the whole “oh crap, now what”ness of finishing high school very nicely in the protagonist, Colin, a child prodigy who has been dumped by his latest Katherine and now feels his life is over.

It somehow managed to be not too stereotypical coming of age, despite the format (somewhat traumatic event, road trip, uncanny destination, new set of people, finding oneself etc.). There was also not too much of a pause at the end for us to learn our lesson. I think it managed to have the whole underlying moral to the story, without swimming in sickly sweet sentiments.

It also avoided the overly-sombre ending. I’m not saying it’s all perfectly sorted, but I hate when books of the coming-of-age type go to the other extreme. I’m never sure if they are trying to be purposefully unconventional or just realistic. But really, sure, we know these people are only seventeen. We know that whatever it is they have just gone through isn’t going to be anywhere near the hardest thing they ever do (though here’s hoping), but why does that so often translate into a pessimistic ending?

Anyway, the relationship between the main character and his best friend is hilarious, and the way that they interacted seemed realistic. (Never having been a seventeen year old boy, I can’t say for sure). Obviously, there was enough swearing to keep me happy.

The trickiest thing about this book (and I can’t think of another way to describe it other than tricky) is how Green manages to weave Colin’s love of (or perhaps obsession with?) anagrams into the story. He’s perfectly captured a kind of stream of consciousness of Colin’s musing, were one idea turns into the next and somehow the whole thing works out as a narrative in the end. No idea how he managed that.

I’d be interested to read one of his other novels – he has at least one other published, I think it is called Looking for Alaska – to see how the voice differs there.

Wow, only two days off work and I’m sounding like an English lit undergrad. Great. At least I’m not analysing Brava Contemporary Romance’s tonight... let's save that for next time!

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* I read this on Monday, 19/3.