The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
5/5/20261 hr 33 min
Do you remember what it was like to feel infinite? This week, Jeff and Rebecca crack open the millennial nostalgia time capsule that is Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. They talk about how it has provided multiple generations of teenage outsiders with assurance that they're not alone, why it has been a frequent target of book banning and censorship attempts, and what gives it continued resonance today. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Merit Beauty. Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag with your first order at meritbeauty.com. Head to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJeff O'Neill· Host0:00
This episode of Zero to Well Read is sponsored by ThriftBooks.com, so we get to talk about books like today's episode, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, a '90s into 2000s hit about high school, one of the great modern high school novels, and there's really two editions you can get, and both of them have something to recommend themselves. There are paperbacks that use the original cover. I guess you could find a first edition. I'm not seeing th- any of those available here, but there's a 20th anniversary edition that has, like, a 20th anniversary sticker on it of the original cover and paperback that also includes a new letter from Charlie, the main character, at the end about what they've sort of been up to, and maybe you want that. That's not in the original. That's not in some of the first printing, first edition paperbacks that came out. I also really like the movie tie-in edition of this. I think the one I saw, it just feels so '90s. It just feels of a time and a place. That one you can get for as little as $5. Thanks to ThriftBooks.com for sponsoring this season of Zero to Well Read. You can get free shipping on orders of $15 or more in the US, and every purchase gets you closer to a free book reward, like a paperback movie tie-in edition of this book. All right, time for the show. [upbeat music] Welcome to Zero to Well Read, a podcast about everything you need to know about the books you wish you'd read. I'm Jeff O'Neill.
Rebecca Schinsky· Host1:19
And I'm Rebecca Schinsky. Get ready to get emo today because we are talking about the millennial young adult classic, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I shoulda done black eyeliner,