Finishing up the survey of Judy Blume (for now) with a really steamy entry...
Forever is the story of Kath and Michael (and Ralph!) and their first love -- a very hot torrid physical relationship. The story recounts everything from falling in love, to having sex, to dealing with separation, and to the eventual breakup.
There actually isn't much more story than that, although Blume does fit in teen suicide, teen pregnancy, birth control, and even drinking and drug use. There's a lot going on in this book and it is pretty explicit. In fact, it's basically NC-17 (or XXX to use the jargon in which the book is written). As before, there are lots of moments that date this book (most notably, that this group of 18 year olds go to a bar and have drinks). The most dangerous dated reference (having sex without a condom) is actually addressed by Blume in a new forward to the book.
There are certainly lovely moments in the book, like recounting the awkward physics of having sex with a new partner or the cuteness of pet names (although I used "Richard" instead of "Ralph"), but again it is a rushed book. And like so many of her other books, Blume is on a crusade and it shows. Kath is so comfortable having sex and so uninhibited (as, in fact are the adults) that it is surreal. Even for adults, it does not go that smoothly. But in the end, the whole experience is just so clinical -- Blume is basically trying to show young readers that sex is awkward and wonderful -- that the story is hollow and empty. To have written a book about how beautiful young love and passion can be would have made a fantastic read. Instead, we have a clinical and political manifesto....and one that left me feeling a bit dirty.
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6 comments:
Though the story seems rushed and surreal...that's how all this happens in reality for most, i recently have split from my boyfriend and like in forever it now seems rushed, it seems from what i can remember from reading the book that it was like an exact story about us, its scary to say even the argument that splits them up had happened between us in a similar way...even though u probably think the story is hollow and empty it's not because thats reality and after that much one ends up feeling hollow and empty and like they've been asleep the whole time, just surreal. She just tells it how it is, at least for some.
I just loved the story. A real fascinating one. Plus i wish i could read it again in internet free online
I cant believe that you think Forever is a rushed and " dirty " book . I for one think that this book portrays life as it really is for teens nowadays . From peer pressure to sex , theres a lot of bullshit we have to deal with . And this book is about our life just in words on pages . I love this book , and I think I'll read it again .
I might be willing to take back some of my overstatement about the explicit nature of the book (although mostly because I've read more since I wrote the review), but it's hard for me to accept with a straight face that this very dated novel "portrays life as it really is for teens nowadays." If it does, it does so superficially as so many important factors of life of the 00s are missing from the story (again, read Blume's own forward for that acknowledgement).
Blume was a pioneer and she gets a lot of credit for writing about this stuff when no one else was doing so, but in her footsteps has come some much more impressive, insightful, and entertaining alternatives.
Im a 15 year old sophomore in high school and all i have to say is that this book makes you think about having sex twice. It kinda makes you feel sad at the end. Like how Kath feels a little bit because the book made it sound like they were going to be together forever but then everything changes all of the sudden and i think that the girls out there who are just screwing around with a lot of guys shoud read this book and maybe it will teach them something, but thats not a promise. Anyways, this story also makes me wonder about my relationship. But i love him and we haven't or even planned on showing it physically. thanks.♥
I THINK FOREVER IN THE BESTEST BOOK IN THE WORLD(I JUST FINISHED READING IT)AT FIRST I WAS SO SAD BECAUSE KATH LEFT M. BUT THEN I WAS KIND OF HAPPY FOR HER BECAUSE SHE MOVED ON EVEN IF HER GRANDPA DIED!!!
I LOVE JUDY BLUME, I HOPE SHE MAKES FOREVER 2
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