Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

“You're different. And I'm different too. Different is good. But different is hard. Believe me, I know.”  

― Matthew Quick, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by, to let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was - that I couldn't stick around - and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault. 

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol. Maybe one day he'll believe that being different is okay, important even. But not today. 

To say that Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is extraordinary would be an understatement. It's truly exceptional; to the point where I had to put the book down and think, oh my god. In multiple ways it is similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower as well as Thirteen Reasons Why, which are both very good books if I do say so myself. Suffice to say, this book is hauntingly beautiful, raw, and truly heart-breaking. 

The first person narration through Leonard in the book was honest - in the best way possible. The style was blunt, and the format gave emphasis on Leonard's unbecoming state of mind. This includes the footnotes, his interpretation of people and certain situations as well as his one-worded thoughts on pages. The letters from the future were no doubt confusing and frustrating to me at the start, but they ended up leaving me in tears. 

As for the character Leonard Peacock, I knew from the get go that this kid was brilliant beyond his years. His thoughts and the way he perceives the world captivated me, moved me; that he can be so pessimistic yet hopeful in the most primal way that we know. You can tell just by his analysis on the world that this kid was exceptionally intelligent, as well as remarkably mature. He sees the world as it is, and yet he doesn't, because he doesn't want the pain to be real, so that maybe his future wouldn't be as dark as it seems. 

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the student-teacher relationship between Leonard and Herr Silverman, his Holocaust teacher. I especially love Herr Silverman's Holocaust lessons because they inspire you to think in a way that most classes do not. And then the was Walt, Leonard's neighbor whom I found charmingly authentic, one-of-a-kind. Their friendship was strange, and yet it felt unscripted, like something magical had happened purely on accident. 

And as for Herr Silverman, he is definitely one of my favorite characters yet. He knew from the moment that Leonard gave him his gift that something was wrong. He was paying attention to Leonard. He cared. That was the one thing that mattered most in the book. He cared for Leonard when no one else did. He gave Leonard the consolation he needed when he was desperately alone. That was so important, and I wish more teachers were like Herr Silverman. He is stunning in his unexpected depth that I truly loved. His character spoke of such genuine kindness I didn't think humanity was capable of providing. 

What I love most about this book was that it focuses on thought-provoking subjects that made me think really hard about the flaws in society and how everyday we wake up to do the same things over and over again without truly realizing that our lives are being wasted away. It made me sad to think that people like Leonard went around unnoticed and unloved by the world, it honestly did. The only unfavorable aspect was that the story ended rather abruptly, but I understand why it did. This book made me cry unlike any other book before. Bravo. 

Leonard Peacock's story is one that I will never forget, and I will never forget Leonard Peacock. I truly believe that this is a book that everyone must read, at least once in their lives, if only to realize that one might seem fine on the surface, only to be carrying a sadness so deep it cannot be lifted, and realize that they might just be capable of saving someone's life. 

As to anyone out there who is sad or lonely or depressed or just feeling utterly worthless, "Your life is going to get so much better. I promise you that. Just hold on as best as you can - and believe in the future." -Herr Silverman. 

FIRST THEY IGNORE YOU,

THEN THEY LAUGH AT YOU,

THEN THEY FIGHT YOU,

THEN YOU WIN.

                                     

                                           "How do you know you win?"

                                            "Because I keep fighting."  

Yours, 

Marisa