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Nybörjarguide till livet eller kaosteori
Ingen har förberett Will på hur man förväntas bete sig när ens förälder plötsligt dör i en bilolycka. Därför är det ingen överraskning att han blir handlöst förälskad i Taryn på sin mammas begravning.
Will söker desperat efter någon mening med sin mammas död. En gammal kamera och filosofihyllan på biblioteket blir hans tillflykt. Men de svar han finner hotar snart allt som är viktigt i Wills liv.
Nybörjarguide till livet eller kaosteori är en stark romandebut om de ögonblick i ditt liv som förändrar dig för evigt.
"Hon är rätt snygg för att vara ett lik.
Fast grön ögonskugga hade hon aldrig, och hon var aldrig så här tyst och stilla. Bröstkorgen har varit uppsågad det syns inte, den är hoplappad, men under klänningen kan jag ana dem, stygnen som aldrig kommer att läka. En läkare stack in handen i brösthålan, kramade hjärtat. Den som en gång gjort det måste se kärleken med nya ögon. Det hjälpte såklart inte hjärtat vägrade att lyda hans hand. Lite överilat, tyckte pappa, att öppna henne när hoppet redan var ute. Men de måste väl ändå försöka?"
Will söker desperat efter någon mening med sin mammas död. En gammal kamera och filosofihyllan på biblioteket blir hans tillflykt. Men de svar han finner hotar snart allt som är viktigt i Wills liv.
Nybörjarguide till livet eller kaosteori är en stark romandebut om de ögonblick i ditt liv som förändrar dig för evigt.
"Hon är rätt snygg för att vara ett lik.
Fast grön ögonskugga hade hon aldrig, och hon var aldrig så här tyst och stilla. Bröstkorgen har varit uppsågad det syns inte, den är hoplappad, men under klänningen kan jag ana dem, stygnen som aldrig kommer att läka. En läkare stack in handen i brösthålan, kramade hjärtat. Den som en gång gjort det måste se kärleken med nya ögon. Det hjälpte såklart inte hjärtat vägrade att lyda hans hand. Lite överilat, tyckte pappa, att öppna henne när hoppet redan var ute. Men de måste väl ändå försöka?"
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2006
12 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Lia Hills
7 books27 followersLia Hills is a poet, novelist and translator. Her work has been published, translated and performed in countries as varied as Japan, Switzerland and the US.
Lia’s latest novel, The Crying Place, is due for release with Allen and Unwin in March 2017. Recipient of a Creative Victoria grant in 2012 for her work on the novel, Lia has travelled regularly to the centre of Australia to research and write The Crying Place, set partly in Pitjantjatjara country. As part of the process, Lia stayed in Aboriginal communities and began learning the Pitjantjatjara language.
Her debut young adult novel, The Beginner’s Guide to Living received starred reviews and was shortlisted for the Victorian, Queensland and Western Australian Premiers’ Literary Awards, and the NZ Post Book Awards, among others. Her novel was translated into several languages and sold into numerous countries, including Germany, Brazil and the US (Farrer, Straus & Giroux), where it was released into the adult, young adult and crossover markets.
Lia’s translation of Marie Darrieussecq’s acclaimed novel, Tom is Dead, from French to English, was described as ‘a text as powerful as the original’ (The Monthly). Following its successful reception, Lia was asked to teach a double-Masters class in literary translation at Monash University, a joint venture with Jean Moulin University (Lyon).
Upon the release of her first poetry collection, the possibility of flight, both the collection and individual poems garnered awards. Her work as poet also includes the widely-praised Moving Galleries, a poetry/art project on Melbourne’s train network. Co-initiator, Lia worked with the project from its inception, and was appointed director when the project became an independent entity in 2011.
Lia lives with her family in the hills outside Melbourne, where she works full-time as a writer, often observed by birds.
Lia’s latest novel, The Crying Place, is due for release with Allen and Unwin in March 2017. Recipient of a Creative Victoria grant in 2012 for her work on the novel, Lia has travelled regularly to the centre of Australia to research and write The Crying Place, set partly in Pitjantjatjara country. As part of the process, Lia stayed in Aboriginal communities and began learning the Pitjantjatjara language.
Her debut young adult novel, The Beginner’s Guide to Living received starred reviews and was shortlisted for the Victorian, Queensland and Western Australian Premiers’ Literary Awards, and the NZ Post Book Awards, among others. Her novel was translated into several languages and sold into numerous countries, including Germany, Brazil and the US (Farrer, Straus & Giroux), where it was released into the adult, young adult and crossover markets.
Lia’s translation of Marie Darrieussecq’s acclaimed novel, Tom is Dead, from French to English, was described as ‘a text as powerful as the original’ (The Monthly). Following its successful reception, Lia was asked to teach a double-Masters class in literary translation at Monash University, a joint venture with Jean Moulin University (Lyon).
Upon the release of her first poetry collection, the possibility of flight, both the collection and individual poems garnered awards. Her work as poet also includes the widely-praised Moving Galleries, a poetry/art project on Melbourne’s train network. Co-initiator, Lia worked with the project from its inception, and was appointed director when the project became an independent entity in 2011.
Lia lives with her family in the hills outside Melbourne, where she works full-time as a writer, often observed by birds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 5, 2010
“God, Mum, where are you? Are you disappointed I’m crap at all this? You never told me what to do when you died, but you should’ve, because it’s the only thing we can be sure of. Death gets us all in the end.” (Page 5 The Beginners Guide To Living.)
There is a saying in Philosophy about ‘active laziness’. It alludes to those who are perpetually busy. Life is always hectic, there are always a million things to do and they all need to be done now. People who live with the condition of active laziness, create this state of living so that they need never be still or quiet enough to contemplate their own mortality.
I am a fast reader. I always have been. But I deliberately read The Beginners Guide To Living slowly. I immersed myself in the pages of this novel, let the poetry of the words rest in my mind, re-read the passages I loved, the passages that made me think about my own life. I often put the book down and wandered away, deep in thought about what I had read. I began to ask questions of myself. I realised, with some difficulty, that I am an actively lazy person.
My heart ached for Will. His grief, his confusion, his need to understand and make sense of a world without his mother. His memories, his questions, his dreams…often resulted with ME in tears.
So much of Will’s experience and the experiences of the characters surrounding him forced me to contemplate my own belief system. If I am honest, this self reflection made me uncomfortable. Something Lia said whilst we talked, (that repeated in my mind often while I was reading) was her belief that as a writer, part of her job is to force someone to ‘sympathise with something they might not want to sympathise with.’ I had no trouble sympathising with Will, however, it was a struggle for me to think about things I actively avoid thinking about. My own mortality.
The Beginners Guide To Living is a beautifully lyrical novel. Not a word is without purpose. Lia Hills offers an intimate window into the grief of a seventeen year old boy. I use the word intimate with great deliberation, because there is an intimacy to this novel that lingers long after closing the cover. I suspect it shall never leave.
The Beginners Guide To Living is so many things, a universe of thought captured as ink upon page. At the very least, it is an exploration of what it is to die and more importantly, what it is to LIVE.
There is a saying in Philosophy about ‘active laziness’. It alludes to those who are perpetually busy. Life is always hectic, there are always a million things to do and they all need to be done now. People who live with the condition of active laziness, create this state of living so that they need never be still or quiet enough to contemplate their own mortality.
I am a fast reader. I always have been. But I deliberately read The Beginners Guide To Living slowly. I immersed myself in the pages of this novel, let the poetry of the words rest in my mind, re-read the passages I loved, the passages that made me think about my own life. I often put the book down and wandered away, deep in thought about what I had read. I began to ask questions of myself. I realised, with some difficulty, that I am an actively lazy person.
My heart ached for Will. His grief, his confusion, his need to understand and make sense of a world without his mother. His memories, his questions, his dreams…often resulted with ME in tears.
So much of Will’s experience and the experiences of the characters surrounding him forced me to contemplate my own belief system. If I am honest, this self reflection made me uncomfortable. Something Lia said whilst we talked, (that repeated in my mind often while I was reading) was her belief that as a writer, part of her job is to force someone to ‘sympathise with something they might not want to sympathise with.’ I had no trouble sympathising with Will, however, it was a struggle for me to think about things I actively avoid thinking about. My own mortality.
The Beginners Guide To Living is a beautifully lyrical novel. Not a word is without purpose. Lia Hills offers an intimate window into the grief of a seventeen year old boy. I use the word intimate with great deliberation, because there is an intimacy to this novel that lingers long after closing the cover. I suspect it shall never leave.
The Beginners Guide To Living is so many things, a universe of thought captured as ink upon page. At the very least, it is an exploration of what it is to die and more importantly, what it is to LIVE.
September 30, 2013
God, I wish I had written this book. *sigh*
April 1, 2011
Summary: Following his mother's tragic death by drunk driver, young Will must deal with his (metaphorically) lost father, angry elder brother, and his own questions and angst about the meaning of life and death. Initially he looks for answers in a new and passionate relationship with free-spirited Taryn, but he learns grief can't be washed away with love or sex.
Verdict: An interesting portrait of grief, punctuated by photographs meant to have been taken by Will with his mother's camera.
Yay!: A strong starter, this book is well-written and features an authentically grieving main character. I especially liked the way Hills portrayed the messy family dynamic caused by the death of Will's mother. The photographs are beautiful and add a nice multimedia touch, although sometimes their contrast is too low due to printing method.
Nay!: Toward the end, the narrative dwells too heavily on philosophy and can feel didactic. The ending was a bit too neat and too flat for me. Oh, and the female characters aren't well developed, and I never believed in the love story.
Verdict: An interesting portrait of grief, punctuated by photographs meant to have been taken by Will with his mother's camera.
Yay!: A strong starter, this book is well-written and features an authentically grieving main character. I especially liked the way Hills portrayed the messy family dynamic caused by the death of Will's mother. The photographs are beautiful and add a nice multimedia touch, although sometimes their contrast is too low due to printing method.
Nay!: Toward the end, the narrative dwells too heavily on philosophy and can feel didactic. The ending was a bit too neat and too flat for me. Oh, and the female characters aren't well developed, and I never believed in the love story.
April 5, 2009
The divine Simmone Howell mentioned that she was reading this little gem on her blog a few weeks back. I decided then that I needed to get my hands on it then.
Reading this book was like slipping into a tub full of warm words. They slip over you, sink in, resonate. Worm their way into your consciousness. It's not surprise that Hills is a poet because every line in this book was beautiful. Reading about this boy's exploration into his mother life and death, what the purpose of life truly is and the presence of hope was a moving experience.
Will's mum was killed when a drunk driver swerves into her and the men in her life are irrevocably changed. Will's dad starts drinking a lot, his brother moves home and Will falls in love. Picking up from the funeral should be discombobulating but it wasn't. I felt eerily calm the entire time I was reading this book. I am typically a sprinting reader, I put words away fast but this book made me slow down and soak it all in. Normally this would make me run, scaring the absolute stuffing out of me but I found myself savouring each philosophical thought, each experience, each revelation.
Hills' debut effort is poised, deliberate and lyrical in some places. the humour dips in and waves at you occasionally lightening the load - "I am wearing corporate socks to a party. The world has gone into a slow decline." Will's romantic endeavours with the soulful Taryn are both speedy and languid at the same time. I have also read the best description of a hangover, bar none (p. 147).
One scene that particularly grabbed me was the scene in which Will overhears his father speaking with his deceased mother. That scene grabbed me by the heart, rattled it around and smashed it on the floor. His pain and grief was exquisite.
I gather there is some debate whether this falls into the traditional YA criteria, despite its marketing as such. There is swearing and sex but I think the languid pace is what might detract some readers. That being said, it is an authentic depiction of a teen's grief and that there is not one way to grieve, only your own. And that is a message that should be universal.
Reading this book was like slipping into a tub full of warm words. They slip over you, sink in, resonate. Worm their way into your consciousness. It's not surprise that Hills is a poet because every line in this book was beautiful. Reading about this boy's exploration into his mother life and death, what the purpose of life truly is and the presence of hope was a moving experience.
Will's mum was killed when a drunk driver swerves into her and the men in her life are irrevocably changed. Will's dad starts drinking a lot, his brother moves home and Will falls in love. Picking up from the funeral should be discombobulating but it wasn't. I felt eerily calm the entire time I was reading this book. I am typically a sprinting reader, I put words away fast but this book made me slow down and soak it all in. Normally this would make me run, scaring the absolute stuffing out of me but I found myself savouring each philosophical thought, each experience, each revelation.
Hills' debut effort is poised, deliberate and lyrical in some places. the humour dips in and waves at you occasionally lightening the load - "I am wearing corporate socks to a party. The world has gone into a slow decline." Will's romantic endeavours with the soulful Taryn are both speedy and languid at the same time. I have also read the best description of a hangover, bar none (p. 147).
One scene that particularly grabbed me was the scene in which Will overhears his father speaking with his deceased mother. That scene grabbed me by the heart, rattled it around and smashed it on the floor. His pain and grief was exquisite.
I gather there is some debate whether this falls into the traditional YA criteria, despite its marketing as such. There is swearing and sex but I think the languid pace is what might detract some readers. That being said, it is an authentic depiction of a teen's grief and that there is not one way to grieve, only your own. And that is a message that should be universal.
August 12, 2013
Will's Mom was killed by a drunk driver as she was getting out of her car for a doctor's appointment. Everyone in the family is devastated. His father deals with the grieving process by immersing himself in work, neglecting meals, laundry and his sons. Older brother Adam who returned from the far east where he was working, deals with it by being angry and disappearing whenever the situation might trigger feelings he can't control. Will deals with his sense of loss by asking questions and seeking physical and emotional comfort from Taryn, the awesome girl he met at his mother's funeral. She's loving and sensual, qualities Will really needs at this point in his life.
The story is one that bounces a bit like a pinball after it's been shot into the game. The more Will tries to find a reason for his mom's death, the more confusing and profound his questions become. Over the course of the story, he comes up with twenty of them that he feels need to be answered in order for life to resume (for example: How many questions does it take? What fragment of truth will be mine? Can one life replace another?) Interspersed with his attempts to find all the questions and some of the answers are flashbacks from moments he remembers about his mother. These really add a lot to the reader's understanding.
Will skips school, gets into an unplanned and impetuous situation with a checkout girl at a supermarket, strikes up random conversations with people he meets (on buses, on trains, even in a remote park by a secluded pond) as well as trying to learn meditation from Taryn's older sister recently returned from living with drug lords in Pakistan. There are times when his desperate need to make sense of his mother's death threaten to destroy the only source of strength he has left, his relationship with Taryn.
I liked this book a lot although it wasn't as easy to get into as some. The sex may turn off some teens, although it's far from graphic. This is a book for readers who like to be forced to think about what they're reading as well as an interesting take on the grieving process from a very smart, but introverted male teen's perspective.
The story is one that bounces a bit like a pinball after it's been shot into the game. The more Will tries to find a reason for his mom's death, the more confusing and profound his questions become. Over the course of the story, he comes up with twenty of them that he feels need to be answered in order for life to resume (for example: How many questions does it take? What fragment of truth will be mine? Can one life replace another?) Interspersed with his attempts to find all the questions and some of the answers are flashbacks from moments he remembers about his mother. These really add a lot to the reader's understanding.
Will skips school, gets into an unplanned and impetuous situation with a checkout girl at a supermarket, strikes up random conversations with people he meets (on buses, on trains, even in a remote park by a secluded pond) as well as trying to learn meditation from Taryn's older sister recently returned from living with drug lords in Pakistan. There are times when his desperate need to make sense of his mother's death threaten to destroy the only source of strength he has left, his relationship with Taryn.
I liked this book a lot although it wasn't as easy to get into as some. The sex may turn off some teens, although it's far from graphic. This is a book for readers who like to be forced to think about what they're reading as well as an interesting take on the grieving process from a very smart, but introverted male teen's perspective.
January 12, 2012
It took me a long time to get into this and buy into Will, but when I did, I really, really liked this story. It's about grief and death, but it's about hope and living, too. There's love and philosophy, and as much as it could come off as a kid being too smart for himself, it's not at all. It's Will pushing grief away, rather than dealing with it.
Hills has a fantastic and poetic writing style, and this book mixes it up with flashbacks and images that make up Will and his mother's story lines. There's also a hard and fast romance, and while I felt Taryn could become a manic pixie dream girl, she didn't, as proven by the end of the story. I was so pleased their relationship was able to sustain itself after all they went through. And yes, there's grief sex, which is something I'm not a fan of, but it works here and it's actually important to Will's grieving. There's a really smart line about being naked with yourself to understand yourself and your purpose.
Lots of philosophy to consider here and a lot of musing about the meaning of life and the meaning of death. It's not a fast read, despite being a thinner book, and it's one worth savoring.
This reminded me a LOT of CK Kelly Martin's I KNOW IT'S OVER with flavorings of MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART. Smart male voices that don't become too emotional but offer us enough emotion to really connect with them.
Unrelated: I have the US hardcover and think the cover is atrocious and misleading and completely devalues the power of the story inside. A girl and a guy making out in a shadowy, illustrated grave yard sure get at the depth here. Sigh.
Hills has a fantastic and poetic writing style, and this book mixes it up with flashbacks and images that make up Will and his mother's story lines. There's also a hard and fast romance, and while I felt Taryn could become a manic pixie dream girl, she didn't, as proven by the end of the story. I was so pleased their relationship was able to sustain itself after all they went through. And yes, there's grief sex, which is something I'm not a fan of, but it works here and it's actually important to Will's grieving. There's a really smart line about being naked with yourself to understand yourself and your purpose.
Lots of philosophy to consider here and a lot of musing about the meaning of life and the meaning of death. It's not a fast read, despite being a thinner book, and it's one worth savoring.
This reminded me a LOT of CK Kelly Martin's I KNOW IT'S OVER with flavorings of MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART. Smart male voices that don't become too emotional but offer us enough emotion to really connect with them.
Unrelated: I have the US hardcover and think the cover is atrocious and misleading and completely devalues the power of the story inside. A girl and a guy making out in a shadowy, illustrated grave yard sure get at the depth here. Sigh.
January 20, 2011
So, I really don't like philosophy, and I suppose the way to get me to read a book about it is to disguise the philosophical bits inside a angsty teen novel where the mother dies. Like mashing up a cat's medication and putting it in tuna fish.
Except, even without all the philosophy, it wasn't that great of a novel. Really not at a tuna fish level. There's one of those excessively quirky free spirit girlfriends who says wise things and introduces him to sex and drugs. AND there's philosophy.
(It's probably not a bad suggestion for teens in that phase where they're all about figuring out the meaning of life and death. Everyone else is just going to be annoyed.)
Except, even without all the philosophy, it wasn't that great of a novel. Really not at a tuna fish level. There's one of those excessively quirky free spirit girlfriends who says wise things and introduces him to sex and drugs. AND there's philosophy.
(It's probably not a bad suggestion for teens in that phase where they're all about figuring out the meaning of life and death. Everyone else is just going to be annoyed.)
March 28, 2011
Sehr dicht geschrieben und man bekommt extrem viel, über das man eine Weile nachzudenken hat. Dazu kommt eine Auswahl von Philosophen. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen und ich weiß mindestens drei Leute, an die ich das Buch weiterverschenken werde. Allerdings ist es mir nach wie vor ein Rätsel, warum die Leute in der Buchhandlung dieses Buch unter "Fantasy" einsortiert hatten. Es ist zwar eher auf ein jugendlicher(es) Publikum ausgerichtet, hat aber mit Fantasy so überhaupt gar nichts zu tun.
February 8, 2011
This is one of the more stirring YA novels I've read. In it, 17-year-old Will aches to come to terms with his mother's death, the meaning of life, and the vulnerability experienced through love. Beautifully written, I agree with others who have commented that it shows this novel was written by an author with a background in poetry.
December 7, 2014
The idea behind this book was good. However, it skipped around a lot and was confusing. Also, the plot was very dry and boring. I finished it, but only because I thought it might get interesting later on. It deteriorated from what I thought was going to be an interesting, philosophical fiction book into a basic romance novel.
October 17, 2024
Young adult novel, will make a good movie
November 19, 2021
a story about grief, love and finding one’s self all over again. i like the book and even though there wasn’t a proper closure from all the other minor characters, im glad that at least will, his family and taryn came to some sort of a conclusion. I LOVED THE ENDING THOUGH.
throughout the three days of reading, i was confident that by the end of the book, i would give it a rating of four stars and that came true which is something im very happy and proud about. i knew will would turn out okay in the end but i guess the story was mostly a case of ‘focus on the journey, not the destination’.
i wouldn’t reread it? not because it’s bad or anything, it’s just that it was very much a linear storyline. and though i did enjoy my time reading and never once ran into any problems or parts that frustrated me, it’s also not a book that can draw me in the second time.
good book though! it’s the perfect length, maybe a bit choppy here and there but i don’t mind. i think it just goes back to the idea that after his mother’s death, he’s introduced to so many new things and people and because of this, he tries to find his path and beliefs in the world. but at the end, it all converges to a single path of acceptance and renewal. what am i even saying?
throughout the three days of reading, i was confident that by the end of the book, i would give it a rating of four stars and that came true which is something im very happy and proud about. i knew will would turn out okay in the end but i guess the story was mostly a case of ‘focus on the journey, not the destination’.
i wouldn’t reread it? not because it’s bad or anything, it’s just that it was very much a linear storyline. and though i did enjoy my time reading and never once ran into any problems or parts that frustrated me, it’s also not a book that can draw me in the second time.
good book though! it’s the perfect length, maybe a bit choppy here and there but i don’t mind. i think it just goes back to the idea that after his mother’s death, he’s introduced to so many new things and people and because of this, he tries to find his path and beliefs in the world. but at the end, it all converges to a single path of acceptance and renewal. what am i even saying?
May 9, 2025
"But isn't it dangerous loving someone when you know they're going to die?"
"Of course, but what choice have we got?"
The sudden personality shift,
the irritability and rage,
the obsession with looking for signs,
the quest for books on grief and philosophy,
the endless questions,
the loss of zest for life,
the crushing weightedness of the heart,
the attempts at keeping the memories alive,
the fear of adding more people to love and eventually lose...
the all-too-familiar bleakness and agony of grief were captured succinctly in this book. Universally personal (excuse the oxymoron) is Will's processing of his mom's untimely loss. One in four* people in this world can relate. Simple plot and a quick read, but it served well as a cathartic tool.
(*based on the loose estimate that 1 in 4 people has already experienced grief.)
"Of course, but what choice have we got?"
The sudden personality shift,
the irritability and rage,
the obsession with looking for signs,
the quest for books on grief and philosophy,
the endless questions,
the loss of zest for life,
the crushing weightedness of the heart,
the attempts at keeping the memories alive,
the fear of adding more people to love and eventually lose...
the all-too-familiar bleakness and agony of grief were captured succinctly in this book. Universally personal (excuse the oxymoron) is Will's processing of his mom's untimely loss. One in four* people in this world can relate. Simple plot and a quick read, but it served well as a cathartic tool.
(*based on the loose estimate that 1 in 4 people has already experienced grief.)
October 5, 2021
Was a book that I read during intermediate that really helped me grow and I’ve sort of remembered throughout getting older? Reading a book heavily embedded with philosophy and existentialism when I was 12 was sort of crazy as the book focused on heavy themes such as loss, love, meaning but honestly I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t read it so shout out to all the kids that never left the library
December 11, 2012
Diese Geschichte setzt genau zu dem Zeitpunkt ein, zu dem Wills Mutter stirbt. Der Leser ist nicht dabei, denn er folgt ausschließlich Will, denn es wird immer aus seiner Perspektive erzählt. So wird eben auch aus seiner Sicht erzählt, dass er nichts gespürt hat, als seine Mutter plötzlich aus dem Leben gerissen wurde.
Natürlich steht nun die Frage offen: Wie soll ein Jugendlicher in diesem Moment weiterleben. Der Verlust schmerzt so sehr, dass Will ihn körperlich spürt. Aus dieser Grundkonstellation muss sich natürlich ein sehr nachdenkliches Buch ergeben, das den Leser ganz schnell in eine melancholische Stimmung versetzt, denn es gelingt nur allzu leicht mit dem Protagonisten mitzufühlen.
Der Schreibstil ist der Sprache des jungen Mannes angepasst. Jugendlich, nachdenklich und es schwingt etwas verzweifeltes darin mit, wenn dem Leser nur Gedankenfetzen und sehr kurze Absätze präsentiert werden. Es gibt viele weise Sätze in diesem Buch, die nicht nur aus Zitaten bestehen, sondern uns auch als Wills Gedanken und Wills Notizen präsentiert werden. Nicht nur, aber gerade auch Menschen, Jugendliche, die einen Verlust erlitten haben, werden sicher hier eine Möglichkeit erhalten neue Kraft und neuen Mut zu schöpfen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, dass der Moralapostel mit erhobenen Zeigefinger hinter ihnen steht.
Denn Will schwankt zwischen zwei Extremen. Einerseits stellt er die existenziellen Fragen nach dem Sinn des Lebens, dem Sinn des Seins und sucht die Antworten auch bei den großen Philosophen. Aus diesem Grund gibt es auch von diesen diverse Zitate, die oft nicht auf Anhieb zu verstehen sind. Für sie muss man sich auf jeden Fall Zeit lassen. Andererseits macht Will viel Unsinn, um zu spüren, das er noch lebt. So spielt auch Sexualität und der Umgang mit Sexualität eine große Rolle, während über der gesamten Szenerie die Frage schwebt, wie er weiterleben soll.
Zusätzlich spielt auch die restliche Familie, also Wills Vater und sein Bruder eine Rolle. Beide gehen sie ganz anders mit dem Verlust um als der Protagonist und dies erschwert für ihn natürlich die Situation zusätzlich.
Dies ist nicht nur eine Geschichte über den Tod und über den Verlust, den jeder Todesfall in das Leben der Zurückgebliebenen reißt. Nein, es ist eben eine Geschichte auch über das Leben und über die Liebe. Auf wenigen Seiten werden viele Gefühle nicht nur angesprochen, sondern auch im Leser geweckt. So geht das Geschehen ans Herz und teilweise muss sich sicher der eine oder andere auch eine Träne wegwischen.
Natürlich kann es am Ende kein klassisches Happy End geben, denn Wills Mutter ist schließlich immer noch tot, aber es ist ein versöhnliches Ende eines sehr nachdenklichen Buches. Innerhalb weniger Stunden sind die 250 Seiten für den geübten Leser beendet. Danach konnte ich nicht sofort in eine neue Geschichte eintauchen, denn vorher wollte diese verarbeitet werden.
Fazit: Eine Geschichte über Tod und Verlust, aber auch über Leben und lieben. Der Protagonist schwankt zwischen Extremen und sucht zwischen Philosophen und der eigenen Sexualität nach dem Sinn des Lebens. Von dieser Geschichte wird der Leser sofort in den Bann geschlagen und kann mit diesem Jungen fühlen, der viel zu früh seine Mutter verliert. Definitiv lesenswert.
Natürlich steht nun die Frage offen: Wie soll ein Jugendlicher in diesem Moment weiterleben. Der Verlust schmerzt so sehr, dass Will ihn körperlich spürt. Aus dieser Grundkonstellation muss sich natürlich ein sehr nachdenkliches Buch ergeben, das den Leser ganz schnell in eine melancholische Stimmung versetzt, denn es gelingt nur allzu leicht mit dem Protagonisten mitzufühlen.
Der Schreibstil ist der Sprache des jungen Mannes angepasst. Jugendlich, nachdenklich und es schwingt etwas verzweifeltes darin mit, wenn dem Leser nur Gedankenfetzen und sehr kurze Absätze präsentiert werden. Es gibt viele weise Sätze in diesem Buch, die nicht nur aus Zitaten bestehen, sondern uns auch als Wills Gedanken und Wills Notizen präsentiert werden. Nicht nur, aber gerade auch Menschen, Jugendliche, die einen Verlust erlitten haben, werden sicher hier eine Möglichkeit erhalten neue Kraft und neuen Mut zu schöpfen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, dass der Moralapostel mit erhobenen Zeigefinger hinter ihnen steht.
Denn Will schwankt zwischen zwei Extremen. Einerseits stellt er die existenziellen Fragen nach dem Sinn des Lebens, dem Sinn des Seins und sucht die Antworten auch bei den großen Philosophen. Aus diesem Grund gibt es auch von diesen diverse Zitate, die oft nicht auf Anhieb zu verstehen sind. Für sie muss man sich auf jeden Fall Zeit lassen. Andererseits macht Will viel Unsinn, um zu spüren, das er noch lebt. So spielt auch Sexualität und der Umgang mit Sexualität eine große Rolle, während über der gesamten Szenerie die Frage schwebt, wie er weiterleben soll.
Zusätzlich spielt auch die restliche Familie, also Wills Vater und sein Bruder eine Rolle. Beide gehen sie ganz anders mit dem Verlust um als der Protagonist und dies erschwert für ihn natürlich die Situation zusätzlich.
Dies ist nicht nur eine Geschichte über den Tod und über den Verlust, den jeder Todesfall in das Leben der Zurückgebliebenen reißt. Nein, es ist eben eine Geschichte auch über das Leben und über die Liebe. Auf wenigen Seiten werden viele Gefühle nicht nur angesprochen, sondern auch im Leser geweckt. So geht das Geschehen ans Herz und teilweise muss sich sicher der eine oder andere auch eine Träne wegwischen.
Natürlich kann es am Ende kein klassisches Happy End geben, denn Wills Mutter ist schließlich immer noch tot, aber es ist ein versöhnliches Ende eines sehr nachdenklichen Buches. Innerhalb weniger Stunden sind die 250 Seiten für den geübten Leser beendet. Danach konnte ich nicht sofort in eine neue Geschichte eintauchen, denn vorher wollte diese verarbeitet werden.
Fazit: Eine Geschichte über Tod und Verlust, aber auch über Leben und lieben. Der Protagonist schwankt zwischen Extremen und sucht zwischen Philosophen und der eigenen Sexualität nach dem Sinn des Lebens. Von dieser Geschichte wird der Leser sofort in den Bann geschlagen und kann mit diesem Jungen fühlen, der viel zu früh seine Mutter verliert. Definitiv lesenswert.
April 28, 2011
Will never called his mom "mother" until after she died. But three days later, it's "my mother" this and "my mother" that. Maybe it's less painful than calling her "Mom". Now that she's dead and all.
Now that she's dead and all, Will is painfully confronted with the fact of her--and his own--mortality. What's it mean to die? To live? Will finds new love just days after, and throws himself into the search for answers. In philosophy, Western and Eastern, in love, in other people. In the woods outside of Melbourne. He can feel himself changing on his search, but is this good? Or is it bad?
Will Ellis has left home to find answers, and he is lost.
Reading this book reminds me of something a friend told me regarding Grendel : The book isn't great, but the thinking is. That's a bit how I felt about The Beginner's Guide to Living. I like the ideas; I love the ideas. The philosophy. The search. It's a character-driven, though-driven book--there's not a whole lot of action in the traditional sense. A philosophical journey.
Or, if you want to reduce it to a few short sentences:
Boy's mother dies. Boy gets screwed (in more ways than one). Boy talks about philosophy.
I'm not sure how I felt about the character of Will. He's a pretty good protagonist, I suppose. I didn't always agree with him, but perhaps that's a good thing. The whole romance between Will and Taryn seemed a little odd at first--I mean, he meets her at his mother's funeral--but eventually it levels out until it's simply natural. Will and Taryn disagree and they come from completely different backgrounds, but they just... fit. Two pieces of a puzzle. It's a little strange timing, but it's an interesting relationship to read about, and Will's in no mood to be all sappy and crap.
The relationship is really interesting, I think, because the characters are all so real. Most of them are completely normal people. Taryn's family is a little, erm, different. (I absolutely adore her sister.) It's a bit like looking in through a glass, even though it's a first-person narrative. I suppose that's Lia Hills' skill, separating Will from the world in a particularly unique and effective way.
If a parent (or other adult) challenging the book in the public library system picked it up, they could make a strong argument. It's got a fair bit of sex and drugs. I had no idea there was so much sex in Melbourne, Australia. But really, it's so much more than a love story. It's a life story. It's about a kid trying to find his way through life, and yeah, he screws up. A lot. Constantly. But he learns. And it's got a lot of brilliant ideas that I personally believe everyone should have exposure to, just because, well, I believe in the benefits of thinking in the strange and philosophical ways that Will is exposed to.
Read it for the thinking. Read it for the philosophy. Or read it for a good love story. It's not fast-paced. It's not plot-driven. But it's some brilliant ideas, and certainly something to chew on.
Now that she's dead and all, Will is painfully confronted with the fact of her--and his own--mortality. What's it mean to die? To live? Will finds new love just days after, and throws himself into the search for answers. In philosophy, Western and Eastern, in love, in other people. In the woods outside of Melbourne. He can feel himself changing on his search, but is this good? Or is it bad?
Will Ellis has left home to find answers, and he is lost.
Reading this book reminds me of something a friend told me regarding Grendel : The book isn't great, but the thinking is. That's a bit how I felt about The Beginner's Guide to Living. I like the ideas; I love the ideas. The philosophy. The search. It's a character-driven, though-driven book--there's not a whole lot of action in the traditional sense. A philosophical journey.
Or, if you want to reduce it to a few short sentences:
Boy's mother dies. Boy gets screwed (in more ways than one). Boy talks about philosophy.
I'm not sure how I felt about the character of Will. He's a pretty good protagonist, I suppose. I didn't always agree with him, but perhaps that's a good thing. The whole romance between Will and Taryn seemed a little odd at first--I mean, he meets her at his mother's funeral--but eventually it levels out until it's simply natural. Will and Taryn disagree and they come from completely different backgrounds, but they just... fit. Two pieces of a puzzle. It's a little strange timing, but it's an interesting relationship to read about, and Will's in no mood to be all sappy and crap.
The relationship is really interesting, I think, because the characters are all so real. Most of them are completely normal people. Taryn's family is a little, erm, different. (I absolutely adore her sister.) It's a bit like looking in through a glass, even though it's a first-person narrative. I suppose that's Lia Hills' skill, separating Will from the world in a particularly unique and effective way.
If a parent (or other adult) challenging the book in the public library system picked it up, they could make a strong argument. It's got a fair bit of sex and drugs. I had no idea there was so much sex in Melbourne, Australia. But really, it's so much more than a love story. It's a life story. It's about a kid trying to find his way through life, and yeah, he screws up. A lot. Constantly. But he learns. And it's got a lot of brilliant ideas that I personally believe everyone should have exposure to, just because, well, I believe in the benefits of thinking in the strange and philosophical ways that Will is exposed to.
Read it for the thinking. Read it for the philosophy. Or read it for a good love story. It's not fast-paced. It's not plot-driven. But it's some brilliant ideas, and certainly something to chew on.
February 16, 2013
Originally published at Paperback Princess to view in it's entirety pls click here.
As some of my readers may have noticed, I normally create my own synopsis for my reviews. However, I'm struggling to keep up with reviewing the books I've read as it takes me forever to write my own synopsis. I've seen many reviewers using the Publisher's synopsis so I'm going to take this route and see how it goes. Let me know which you all think is better. I wanted to make special mention once again to Lisa from Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me for being my Blogger Fairy Godmother...Thanks Lisa!
The Beginner's Guide to Living" is a powerful and plot driven book, that must become a permanent in my book collection. There are few single books (not part of a series) that I feel worth buying.
This is a story of Will, a 17 year old boy in his journey to finding his reasons for living and understanding life, death, grief and love. The story begins with Will telling us his thoughts, what he was listening to, and things he remembered from that day... the day his Mother died. Will in his confused and angry state, begins to search for the meaning of life and death through philosophical books so the readers are immersed into these wonderful quotes and the revelation each of it brought.
"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven."
John Milton
"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."
George Sand
"Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represents a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be."
Anton Chekhov
"The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity."
Sogyal Rinpoche
The writing technique was amazing! Hills wrote what was currently happening as well as putting in memories from his life before his Mother died. It's like how we live our lives, we do things and sometimes as we do something we recall a memory from the past...this was how this book was written. I would imagine that it's hard for Authors to write books like these, with some sort of continuity and for it not to get confusing but Hills did this splendidly. I can only think of another Author that has done this well, Melina Marchetta, in the "Jellicoe Road".
This book is an amazing debut novel, one that will be in your thoughts way after you have turned the last page. It is a thought provoking and very emotional story and the words within are poignant and lyrical.
As some of my readers may have noticed, I normally create my own synopsis for my reviews. However, I'm struggling to keep up with reviewing the books I've read as it takes me forever to write my own synopsis. I've seen many reviewers using the Publisher's synopsis so I'm going to take this route and see how it goes. Let me know which you all think is better. I wanted to make special mention once again to Lisa from Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me for being my Blogger Fairy Godmother...Thanks Lisa!
The Beginner's Guide to Living" is a powerful and plot driven book, that must become a permanent in my book collection. There are few single books (not part of a series) that I feel worth buying.
This is a story of Will, a 17 year old boy in his journey to finding his reasons for living and understanding life, death, grief and love. The story begins with Will telling us his thoughts, what he was listening to, and things he remembered from that day... the day his Mother died. Will in his confused and angry state, begins to search for the meaning of life and death through philosophical books so the readers are immersed into these wonderful quotes and the revelation each of it brought.
"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven."
John Milton
"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."
George Sand
"Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represents a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be."
Anton Chekhov
"The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity."
Sogyal Rinpoche
The writing technique was amazing! Hills wrote what was currently happening as well as putting in memories from his life before his Mother died. It's like how we live our lives, we do things and sometimes as we do something we recall a memory from the past...this was how this book was written. I would imagine that it's hard for Authors to write books like these, with some sort of continuity and for it not to get confusing but Hills did this splendidly. I can only think of another Author that has done this well, Melina Marchetta, in the "Jellicoe Road".
This book is an amazing debut novel, one that will be in your thoughts way after you have turned the last page. It is a thought provoking and very emotional story and the words within are poignant and lyrical.
February 12, 2017
The Beginner’s Guide to Living is a book that you may not appreciate until you finish reading it and have a chance to sit back and reflect. While I was in the process of reading, I wasn’t impressed. There are a few passages that just seem weird, as if there is no real purpose for their inclusion. There’s a moment in the book, for example, when Will is taking a bath and farts in the tub. What the heck is that about? Why did the author feel the need to mention it? Again, super weird.
Luckily, Hills compensates for these occasional odd moments. There’s a wealth of wisdom and insight to be found on these pages, and a couple of lines are so heartbreaking that they just stopped me in my tracks. For example, there is a point in the novel when Will asks his dad what he feels is the worst thing about the death of Will’s mom. His dad answers simply, “That I didn’t die first.” After I read this, I was so overcome with emotion that I had to put the book down for a minute or two.
There are also some observations and statements that struck me as incredibly profound. Will is full of grief and rage and despair, and his life is nearly unbearable; making it through a single day without his mother seems impossible, let alone the rest of his life. Taryn is one of the only people who can reach him through the haze of grief, and Will observes, “The fact that I love her makes it possible to exist.” This sentence may be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read.
One thing that didn’t appeal to me, at least initially, is the fact that the book’s structure seems very loose. I wasn’t able to discern much of a story arc, at least in terms of major action. Will mostly just writes in his journal, meditates, reads and questions, and while these things are all well and good, they’re not what I think of as the components of a solid plot.
This really bothered me at first, but my opinion changed after I reached the last page and took a moment to really think about what I’d read: a story about how losing someone sets you adrift. In the real world, there is no rhyme or reason to grief, no clearly defined path from Point A, devastation, to Point B, healing. It makes sense, then, that there isn’t an easily identifiable plot to The Beginner’s Guide to Living. The structure mirrors the reality of the grieving process, blind and aimless and desperate. It’s actually kind of brilliant that Hills wrote the book this way, and I have a greater appreciation for it as a result.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
Luckily, Hills compensates for these occasional odd moments. There’s a wealth of wisdom and insight to be found on these pages, and a couple of lines are so heartbreaking that they just stopped me in my tracks. For example, there is a point in the novel when Will asks his dad what he feels is the worst thing about the death of Will’s mom. His dad answers simply, “That I didn’t die first.” After I read this, I was so overcome with emotion that I had to put the book down for a minute or two.
There are also some observations and statements that struck me as incredibly profound. Will is full of grief and rage and despair, and his life is nearly unbearable; making it through a single day without his mother seems impossible, let alone the rest of his life. Taryn is one of the only people who can reach him through the haze of grief, and Will observes, “The fact that I love her makes it possible to exist.” This sentence may be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read.
One thing that didn’t appeal to me, at least initially, is the fact that the book’s structure seems very loose. I wasn’t able to discern much of a story arc, at least in terms of major action. Will mostly just writes in his journal, meditates, reads and questions, and while these things are all well and good, they’re not what I think of as the components of a solid plot.
This really bothered me at first, but my opinion changed after I reached the last page and took a moment to really think about what I’d read: a story about how losing someone sets you adrift. In the real world, there is no rhyme or reason to grief, no clearly defined path from Point A, devastation, to Point B, healing. It makes sense, then, that there isn’t an easily identifiable plot to The Beginner’s Guide to Living. The structure mirrors the reality of the grieving process, blind and aimless and desperate. It’s actually kind of brilliant that Hills wrote the book this way, and I have a greater appreciation for it as a result.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
February 9, 2017
“One should plan for spiritual enlightenment. At least bring a flashlight.”
3/5 Stars
(German review below)
Will's mum just died. And no one has ever bothered to tell him how to deal with all of this.
So he tries to get some answers on his own - and he falls in love, on his mum's funeral.
This surely isn't how to deal with someone's death, or is it?
The thing about this book is that the main character does not know what he wants - and the story does not this as well. It's an up and down without a real direction, which works just fine in the beginning. But it doesn't work at the end.
The beginning is fine, even though it's nothing too special. It's sad. It's humorous. It's relatable.
But after the first two thirds of this book, it just gets ridiculous.
Will loses the rest of his self-control, and just... let's say, he makes a lot of poor and unlikely choices. That's something I could forgive in the beginning; I mean, he just lost his mother. But like this it's just disappointing.
Overall, it's an okay read. There are some very nice passages, but the end ruins a lot.
~
Wills Mutter ist tot. Und keiner hat sich die Mühe gemacht, ihm doch mal im Voraus zu erzählen, wie man da jetzt eigentlich mit umgehen soll. Also versucht er, selbst Antworten auf seine Fragen zu finden – und er verliebt sich, ausgerechnet auf der Beerdigung seiner Mutter. Das ist doch sicherlich nicht, wie es sein sollte, oder?
Ich bin mit ziemlich hohen Erwartungen an dieses Buch herangegangen und wahrscheinlich ist das auch einer der Hauptgründe, warum es mir nicht soooo gut gefallen hat.
Das Problem ist die Unentschlossenheit des Hauptcharakters Will. Natürlich ist das auch der Sinn der Sache, immerhin geht es darum, dass Will den Tod seiner Mutter irgendwie zu verarbeiten versucht. Am Anfang funktioniert das Buch deswegen auch ganz gut. Nur zum Ende hin werden die Handlungen echt... fragwürdig.
Das Buch ist ganz witzig, ganz interessant, und man kann sich gut in die Charaktere hineinversetzen. Aber eben nur bis zu einem gewissen Punkt. Es ist ganz gut, aber eben nicht mehr.
Und nach gut zwei Dritteln der Handlung wird es einfach lächerlich. Will hat die Schnauze voll, er trifft eine Menge schlechter Entscheidungen, und... nunja. Am Anfang des Buches wäre das vielleicht noch verzeihbar gewesen, aber so ist es irgendwie einfach nur enttäuschend.
Insgesamt ist das Buch ganz passabel. Es gibt einige wirklich nette Stellen, aber leider geht es nie über ganz nett hinaus.
Read
March 14, 2011Thank you to Tye Cattanach for sending this my way!!
Having written a book about a boy who deals a lot with grief myself, I was really intrigued (and okay a little intimidated) to see how Lia Hills approached the subject…and I couldn’t have been more engrossed by the story. I finished this book in two sittings (FAST for me, ok). Maybe I am a sucker for ~boys in pain~, but I found myself directly inside Will’s head (and sometimes his pants), trying to piece together some meaning out of his mother’s death.
Meaning begins to take shape for Will through cleverly-inserted philosophical quotes he comes upon throughout the book. I’ve always leaned toward the Existentialists when it comes to philosophy, but I never felt like the author was trying to push any one opinion or outlook on life down my throat. Will and I interpreted the lines as they came, and I’m not sure either of us came out with a definitive answer in the end…but isn’t that often the point in philosophy?
The other thing I loved about Will’s journey was how he came to change perspective about his mother’s death based on his interactions with other people…even the times when he seemed to keep making all the wrong choices, you could see that he was adding up his experiences, taking tally, and searching for something greater than oblivion.
THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO LIVING had me questioning everything I thought might be right for Will from the beginning, and opened my mind up to the choices and alternatives he was presented with along the way. I love when a book forces me to look at things differently, to reconsider my preconceived ideas about the paths characters should take.
This book was a gem that I highly recommend, and I’d like to thank Tye Cattanach once again for sending it my way!!!
Having written a book about a boy who deals a lot with grief myself, I was really intrigued (and okay a little intimidated) to see how Lia Hills approached the subject…and I couldn’t have been more engrossed by the story. I finished this book in two sittings (FAST for me, ok). Maybe I am a sucker for ~boys in pain~, but I found myself directly inside Will’s head (and sometimes his pants), trying to piece together some meaning out of his mother’s death.
Meaning begins to take shape for Will through cleverly-inserted philosophical quotes he comes upon throughout the book. I’ve always leaned toward the Existentialists when it comes to philosophy, but I never felt like the author was trying to push any one opinion or outlook on life down my throat. Will and I interpreted the lines as they came, and I’m not sure either of us came out with a definitive answer in the end…but isn’t that often the point in philosophy?
The other thing I loved about Will’s journey was how he came to change perspective about his mother’s death based on his interactions with other people…even the times when he seemed to keep making all the wrong choices, you could see that he was adding up his experiences, taking tally, and searching for something greater than oblivion.
THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO LIVING had me questioning everything I thought might be right for Will from the beginning, and opened my mind up to the choices and alternatives he was presented with along the way. I love when a book forces me to look at things differently, to reconsider my preconceived ideas about the paths characters should take.
This book was a gem that I highly recommend, and I’d like to thank Tye Cattanach once again for sending it my way!!!
May 9, 2025
After first dozen pages I was charmed. What a deep and touching insight into soul of adolescent boy who just lost his mother in a car accident.
Next pages cooled me down.
Grief. A very difficult time, very individualised, making the grieving person difficult for people around.
I had some taste of it in J. Barnes' book - The levels of life. Last part of it is a relation of author's grief after loss of his wife. A very significant part of it was a feeling of anger or at least disappointment towards all surrounding people.
And it was Julian Barnes, mature and extremely cultured person.
So what about a 17 y.o. boy?
Terrible! I got really fed up with it.
The author makes lots of effort to confront the main character with various thoughts and ideas about life and death - ancient Greek philosophers, European thinkers of XIX and XX century, Buddhists, sufis etc.
Thoughts and ideas? Rather one-liners.
As it is was not enough there is also introduction to sex and drugs. And more.
As for me too much of it.
One aspect totally ignored is Christian religion. Allain de Botton in his book - Religion for the Atheists - admits that religion offers tried ways to deal with guilt, sorrow, grief.
Parents of the main character, Will, baptised their son in Roman Catholic church. There is mention of another Catholic baptism. But all of this is absolutely superficial. Looks like some absurd ceremony to have opportunity to post some photos in Facebook.
And this impression prevailed - person living very superficial life tries to find some quick solution to the real problem.
One thing puzzled me - I found the book in the Teenagers section of the library. Definitely the title justifies such classification, but I find this title strongly misguiding.
Next pages cooled me down.
Grief. A very difficult time, very individualised, making the grieving person difficult for people around.
I had some taste of it in J. Barnes' book - The levels of life. Last part of it is a relation of author's grief after loss of his wife. A very significant part of it was a feeling of anger or at least disappointment towards all surrounding people.
And it was Julian Barnes, mature and extremely cultured person.
So what about a 17 y.o. boy?
Terrible! I got really fed up with it.
The author makes lots of effort to confront the main character with various thoughts and ideas about life and death - ancient Greek philosophers, European thinkers of XIX and XX century, Buddhists, sufis etc.
Thoughts and ideas? Rather one-liners.
As it is was not enough there is also introduction to sex and drugs. And more.
As for me too much of it.
One aspect totally ignored is Christian religion. Allain de Botton in his book - Religion for the Atheists - admits that religion offers tried ways to deal with guilt, sorrow, grief.
Parents of the main character, Will, baptised their son in Roman Catholic church. There is mention of another Catholic baptism. But all of this is absolutely superficial. Looks like some absurd ceremony to have opportunity to post some photos in Facebook.
And this impression prevailed - person living very superficial life tries to find some quick solution to the real problem.
One thing puzzled me - I found the book in the Teenagers section of the library. Definitely the title justifies such classification, but I find this title strongly misguiding.
September 23, 2020
Wills Mutter stirbt nach einem tragischen Verkehrsunfall.
Auf der Beerdigung ringt er um Fassung und ist geschockt, dass er es fertig bringt, sich in so einer Situation zu verlieben.
Er ist vollkommen überfordert mit seinem Schicksal und sucht nach Halt im Leben und der Wahrheit über Leben und Tod. Während sein Vater und sein Bruder die Trauer auf ihre ganz eigene Art verarbeiten, stürzt sich Will in seine Beziehung zu Taryn. Sein Alltag gerät auf der Suche nach dem Sinn seiner Existenz mächtig ins Schleudern.
Lia Hills hat mit "Leben ist auch keine Lösung" einen cleveren Roman geschrieben, der sich als unerwartet philosophisch entpuppt. Die eingeschobenen Gedankengänge von großen Philosophen sind nicht nur interessant, sie haben auch einen gewissen Lerneffekt. Sonst habe ich so meine Probleme mit philosophischen Büchern. Lia Hills verpackt die großen Fragen der Philosophie aber geschickt in kleine, leicht verdauliche Portionen, die auch für Laien gut nachvollziehbar sind.
Die Rückblenden durch Wills Erinnerung an seine Mutter machen den Roman sehr lebendig. Die Autorin vermag es gut, Wills Gefühlswelt darzustellen. Das berührt immer wieder das Herz und man ist quasi mittendrin in Wills Kampf, sein Leben wieder auf die Reihe zu bekommen. Aber der Roman ist nicht nur aufwühlend. Er ist einfach charmant geschrieben und bringt einen oft zum Schmunzeln.
Für mich ist dieses Buch bisher die Überraschung des Jahres.
Auf der Beerdigung ringt er um Fassung und ist geschockt, dass er es fertig bringt, sich in so einer Situation zu verlieben.
Er ist vollkommen überfordert mit seinem Schicksal und sucht nach Halt im Leben und der Wahrheit über Leben und Tod. Während sein Vater und sein Bruder die Trauer auf ihre ganz eigene Art verarbeiten, stürzt sich Will in seine Beziehung zu Taryn. Sein Alltag gerät auf der Suche nach dem Sinn seiner Existenz mächtig ins Schleudern.
Lia Hills hat mit "Leben ist auch keine Lösung" einen cleveren Roman geschrieben, der sich als unerwartet philosophisch entpuppt. Die eingeschobenen Gedankengänge von großen Philosophen sind nicht nur interessant, sie haben auch einen gewissen Lerneffekt. Sonst habe ich so meine Probleme mit philosophischen Büchern. Lia Hills verpackt die großen Fragen der Philosophie aber geschickt in kleine, leicht verdauliche Portionen, die auch für Laien gut nachvollziehbar sind.
Die Rückblenden durch Wills Erinnerung an seine Mutter machen den Roman sehr lebendig. Die Autorin vermag es gut, Wills Gefühlswelt darzustellen. Das berührt immer wieder das Herz und man ist quasi mittendrin in Wills Kampf, sein Leben wieder auf die Reihe zu bekommen. Aber der Roman ist nicht nur aufwühlend. Er ist einfach charmant geschrieben und bringt einen oft zum Schmunzeln.
Für mich ist dieses Buch bisher die Überraschung des Jahres.
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April 7, 2014The beginners guide to living really isn't a guide let alone one for beginners. This book basically shows you all the things you shouldn't do such as several drugs to escape your problems, befriend strangers and take drugs they give you, have sex with a girl you only just met and become a graffiti artist by way of cheap spray paint. Will, our main character has lots of unresolved personal issues that resurface at the moment his mothers death seems to sink in. He meets this girl named taryn at his mothers funeral and they quickly become a thing. She becomes his whole world for a bit until he starts to get into middle eastern religious habits and begins both meditation and staring at taryns sisters boobs. Will was really hard to relate to, and not because he did ll the things he did, but because his emotions were all over the place all the time, I never really got to know his true charter because he was so influenced by each character he came in contact with through the story. When he met taryn he acted like taryn, when he met this girl named Cherry he acted like Cherry. Will was most definitely going through some identity crisis, but that fact that randomly everything works out okay for him after him taking all these drugs and almost getting this girl pregnant is actually crazy, Lia Hills needs to go read " The Perks of being a Wall Flower" by Stephen Chbosky and take notes while doing so. This book gets no starts because it would be better if it wasn't written.
February 10, 2011
Poweful stuff. I loved how the philosophy aspect of it carried throught the wzhole thing even when it was divided into parts. Though Lia said that if Will were to write a book the 2 parts would be about death and love respectively, if there were 4 parts, it would be different. Personally, Part 1 was about death. 2 about love. 3 about drugs. And 4 about Will finding himself\resolution. Overall, really good. It was interesting how people he met ha suffered a death or other tragedy. Cherry's character was also interesting, but she was totally vanquished after Will's graffiti phase. Like Will Grayson, Will Grayson, there were a lot of little sayings that I wanted to write down. This book really made me thinkk and reread some of the stuff to really get it. I like how the cause of his mom's doctor visit is left hanging, although it's hinted at that she has breast cancer. Taryn's almost pregnancy was scary, but really, I'm glad it wasn't true. It was interesting how we only got to know that one other sister-1\4 of the other ppl in the family besides Taryn. Hill's characterization of Mother was kind of sparse, but I liked her way of doing it. This book reminded me of Humanities (philosophy class) and that reminds me that today, Nello was telling me how we used to read papers upside down to annoy Mrs. Snell. I don't remember that.
April 11, 2011
When Will’s mother is killed by a drunk driver, he finds himself angry and lost and questioning the meaning of life. His father has disappeared into work and alcohol. His brother has returned home to live, but is only present in body and frequent absences make that even rare. Will seeks answers in books of philosophical writings, meditation, sex, and drugs, and he falls in love for the first time. He soon discovers that none of that is very satisfying or comforting.
This is a wonderfully written first novel from an Australian writer. Will’s constant searching for answers is believable and heart-wrenching. The story is scattered throughout with Will’s journal writing, his questions, his photos, and his dreams and memories. Some readers are sure to lose patience with Will and his constant introspection. The story is heavily interspersed with philosophy and poetry; something sure to turn off some readers. But, for the right reader, this is a gem. Will tries everything to cope with his mother’s death, even to the point of toying with suicide. By the end, he realizes that life often does not provide answers, but that we all must just muddle through the best we can. For the right reader this will be the right book. Because of the detailed sex and drug use,this is for a more mature teen or adult.
This is a wonderfully written first novel from an Australian writer. Will’s constant searching for answers is believable and heart-wrenching. The story is scattered throughout with Will’s journal writing, his questions, his photos, and his dreams and memories. Some readers are sure to lose patience with Will and his constant introspection. The story is heavily interspersed with philosophy and poetry; something sure to turn off some readers. But, for the right reader, this is a gem. Will tries everything to cope with his mother’s death, even to the point of toying with suicide. By the end, he realizes that life often does not provide answers, but that we all must just muddle through the best we can. For the right reader this will be the right book. Because of the detailed sex and drug use,this is for a more mature teen or adult.
March 21, 2011
will's mother has just been killed by a drunk driver, and life no longer makes any sense. he, his brother adam, and their father are all grieving in different ways. will embarks on a personal search for meaning by reading philosophy, falling in love, and experimenting with drugs, nature, vandalism, and religion. he develops the film left in his mother's camera to see the last photos she took. but there don't seem to be any answers.
i wanted to love this book, but i just liked it. it had so many wonderful components- lovely writing, accessible philosophy, australian setting, a little romance.
but the character of taryn really bugged me.
will: "i am so depressed. my mother has died."
taryn: "hello! i am a pretty girl who wants to have sex with you."
will: "i love you."
sure, there are complications from their relationship, but she just seemed like a warm body with no personality. there was no chemistry.
still, all the philosophy stuff was cool. i would recommend this.
i wanted to love this book, but i just liked it. it had so many wonderful components- lovely writing, accessible philosophy, australian setting, a little romance.
but the character of taryn really bugged me.
will: "i am so depressed. my mother has died."
taryn: "hello! i am a pretty girl who wants to have sex with you."
will: "i love you."
sure, there are complications from their relationship, but she just seemed like a warm body with no personality. there was no chemistry.
still, all the philosophy stuff was cool. i would recommend this.
July 19, 2010
This book was nominated in the NZ Post Children's Book awards, but it is set in Australia. It's about a 17 year old boy whose mom dies unexpectedly and the first few month of he and his dad and brother coping with her death. I wanted to read it because my mom died when I was 15 and I was surrounded my grieving males that were difficult to understand. I think this book gives reasonably good insight into what the experience of losing a parent in your teen years feels like. I related to and enjoyed his search through eastern and western philosophy to try to get a grip on what it means to be alive. It was a bit heavy with metaphors and the girl he meets and starts dating seemed wise beyond her years (too much so to be believed), but overall a really nice read.
June 26, 2012
What a cool book! At the library, I usually pick out a book to balance the heavy-duty Toni Morrison/Amy Bloom/Edgar Allan Poe book I'm reading. This week, "Beginners Guide" was that book. It was sad, but not in a bawl-your-eyes-out kind of way. Will's dynamic, intresting, and realistic charecter makes the book worthwhile. A plot twist in the end makes you even more attached to Will.
Taryn is an awesome charecter. In a few books that I've read, the After Death girlfriend can be irritating and mean. Taryn, however, managed to take care of herself the whole way through, even while allowing Will to grieve and make bad decisions.
And what girl doesn't like a deep-thinking, sexy guy?
Definitely reccomend.
Taryn is an awesome charecter. In a few books that I've read, the After Death girlfriend can be irritating and mean. Taryn, however, managed to take care of herself the whole way through, even while allowing Will to grieve and make bad decisions.
And what girl doesn't like a deep-thinking, sexy guy?
Definitely reccomend.
June 14, 2011
It is very difficult for me to not like a book. This book achieved that. Perhaps it is because I'm not spiritually intuned or something, but I just could not see the point in this book. There was no riveting climax as I kept expecting there to be. There was no anything. The writing style wasn't good, and neither was the purpose. I guess I kept anticipating something that didn't exist. I pushed on to the end because I was hoping it would grow more interesting. It didn't.
The one thing I may have picked up from this book is an interest in philosophy, so I suppose there's a small bonus. I don't reccommend this book to any teenager. Ever.
The one thing I may have picked up from this book is an interest in philosophy, so I suppose there's a small bonus. I don't reccommend this book to any teenager. Ever.
March 6, 2012
There are some books that are very plot-driven and some that are very character-driven. I really think of this book as more of a character study than anything. Which is good, because the main character is very well thought out.
I've never lost anyone I was incredibly close to, and I find myself lucky for that. With this novel, though, you don't have to be in the same space at the MC to really feel his pain and longing for answers.
Though I don't think this book is for everyone (because there is sex, a bit of violence, and drugs involved), I highly recommend it to anyone who's not afraid of tapping into the gritty and uncomfortable.
I've never lost anyone I was incredibly close to, and I find myself lucky for that. With this novel, though, you don't have to be in the same space at the MC to really feel his pain and longing for answers.
Though I don't think this book is for everyone (because there is sex, a bit of violence, and drugs involved), I highly recommend it to anyone who's not afraid of tapping into the gritty and uncomfortable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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