Go ask alice is an honest portrayal of the life of a drug addict. A year later came jays journal, the diary of an adolescent boy who succumbs to satan worship, which similarly credited dr. Toklas truly stirred the pot when she included a recipe for hashish fudge in her memoircumcookbook. The title of the book is the name of the book just like we have our own names, so do books. The novel go ask alice is written by an anonymous author and is based on a diary kept by a conventional teenager who then turns into a suicidal drug addict. To ask other readers questions about go ask alice, please sign up. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. In the abc movie of the week film version of go ask alice, broadcast 24 january 1973, the protagonist is named alice. Born into the prominent huxley family, he graduated from balliol college, oxford with an undergraduate degree in english. Go ask alice anonymous diaries paperback january 1, 2006. In go ask alice there are many illegal substance references throughout the entire book. Go ask alice, written by an anonymous author, is a diary kept by a fifteenyearold drug user. Pressure to use drugs at school intensifies, as the kids harass alice and her family.
Originally sold as the real diary of an actual teenager, go ask alice is the fauxmemoir of a 15yearold girl whose life is dominated by her drug problems, following her experiences from her. I was composing a letter to the middle school librarian who allowed her to check this book out. Essay about go ask alice by anonymous 837 words bartleby. Nov 22, 2014 alice lee, left, accepts birthday wishes from thennewly elected monroe county circuit judge dawn hare, center, and her sister, pulitzer prizewinning author harper lee, in monroeville, ala. This was written for ya readers pretty exclusively. The content of the book go ask alice is dedicated for those living in such darkness. Go ask alice is written as the diary of a fifteenyearold girls daytoday struggle with drug addiction. Then, in 1978, a book called voices, a compilation of stories about troubled teens, was released, with jacket copy attributing it to beatrice sparks, the author who brought you go ask alice. The rise and fall of a generation, ask alice, and derby day, which was nominated for the booker prize and was selected as a washington post best book of the year. For thirtyfive years, the acclaimed, bestselling firstperson account of a teenage girls harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers.
Eloisa amezcua, author of from the inside quietly alice bag, author of violence girl. With over a million copies in print, this book has become a classic. Nowadays ya lit is pretty universalharry potter really opened the doors for people to read childrens books no matter what their agebut in 1971 when our book was written that wasnt really the case. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. Alice met fawn at the store and she invited alice to come over and go swimming in their pool. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age 15 and runs away from home on a journey of selfdestructive escapism. Go ask alice inhaltsangabe charakterisierung englisch.
Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. See more ideas about alice liddell, alice and lewis carroll. Go ask alice is written by an anonymous author essay 1234 words 5 pages. Although anonymous during the mid 1980, beatrice sparks, a teen physiologist, was uncovered to have helped write a good portion of the book.
In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay. Howling hilarity upon rereading the book in this context. Asked in movies what are the release dates for dont ask alice 2012.
Oct 01, 20 go ask alice by beatrice sparks is the diary of an anonymous girl who gets addicted to drugs in general and suffers for it. The author, through this book, doesnt wants his readers to look for advise in it, but to learn about the real world in which some teenagers have to live through. The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my. Read another book that deals with teenagers and drugs, such as crank by ellen hopkins and smack by melvin burgess. With over a million copies in print, go ask alice has become a classic of our time. The novel is in epistolary format, being comprised entirely of diary entries and as such, was first thought to be an autobiography.
In the 150 years since lewis carroll first told the story of wonderland to the reallife alice, alices adventures in wonderland has attracted a number of stunning visual interpretations ranging from salvador dali to yayoi kusama, but none more influential than those arthur rackham september 19, 1867september 6, 1939 created in 1907. Go ask alice was a stark counterpoint to the freewheeling ethos of the early 70s that was ahead of its time, eventually fitting in perfectly with the war on drugs and d. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to return home and stay clean, her pleas to god to. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these. The writer had admitted that the work is not a nonfiction book as as advertised, but this should be fairly obvious just by reading the book.
Walraths book offers a unique, even refreshing, perspective on one of the worlds most perplexing diseases, which now affects more than 12,000 people in vermont and nearly 44 million globally. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. Go ask alice a must read for teens the downey patriot. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book. I begin by reading the title of the book and identifying it is the title. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks, 198208, avon flare edition, mass market paperback in english 1st avon flare printing 77. Sparks, 82, 83 next, another reason go ask alice should be banned is the excessive use of illegal substances.
Go ask alice is based on the actual diary of a fifteenyearold drug user. Go ask alice is a 1971 book generally viewed to have been written by the author beatrice sparks, however the novel was published originally under the pseudonym anonymous. Letters about literature national winners 2017 read. An analysis and recommendation of the book go ask alice. Most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. He and alice get to know each other better, as does her family. The author is a fifteen year old anonymous girl, who wrote a diary. The girl who wrote this diary lived in two different worlds, the real world and a fantasy world. A mothers objection to language in go ask alice so stirred the principal thatwith no time for discussionhe demanded that the books be collected immediately.
I hope you arent offended that, at those times, i opt to put your book aside for one that is working better. Aug 10, 2016 i didnt enjoy this book in the slightest. In the same vein, go ask alice is young adult literature because thats the audience it was specifically geared toward. Yet it was originally promoted as nonfiction, its still sold as by anonymous and the copy i have has this is alices true story on the cover plus the blurb on the back, the foreword and the psychologists comment at the back everything is still packaged to make out this is nonfiction. Once you know what question you want to answer, its time to scour the book for things that will help you answer the question. And sometimes you write a book that just doesnt seem to work for me. Although go ask alice has been credited to an anonymous author since its publication, and was originally promoted as the real, albeit edited, diary of a real teenage girl, over time the book has come to be regarded by researchers as a fake memoir written by beatrice sparks, possibly with the help of one or more coauthors. This fake diary is supposed to act as an antidrug testimonial for any adolescents who may stumble across it, though the language is dated and the author ignorant of most drug culture, there are enough. The book i read go ask alice by an anonymous author is all about problems, conflicts, and how to deal. The books deal with topical issues such as drug abuse, satanism, teenage pregnancy or aids, and are presented as cautionary tales. Alices old piano teacher asked her to be a solist at her outstanding student recital.
Go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. May 29, 2009 go ask alice a must read for teens with more than five million copies sold, go ask alice is a book that many teenagers turn to when they need something to relate to or when they just want to have some sense of experience in the world of sex, drugs and mischief. Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. Its written in first person in traditional diary form. Apr, 2010 ask alice there is something about the girl on the train speeding through kansas that makes her instantly likeable. The author of this book really had no say on whether their name was added or not, because go ask alice is teenagers diary that was put into print, after she had passed away. Alice feels lonely but roger writes her some letters. Go ask alice is also an epistolary work, a narrative constructed by letters in this case, diary entries.
Many of the earliest novels in the english language were epistolarysamuel richardsons pamela, for instanceand go ask alice adapts the style for its modern needs. The teacher, who had used the book before with huge success, was shocked when it was removed in violation of the districts complaint policies and procedures. What happens to alice at one unsavoury party changed her life forever. Heres a whole manual full of puzzles, games, and worksheets related to go ask alice anonymous author. The book and especially the ending shows the harsh reality of drugs and addiction in teenagers. He wrote nearly fifty books both novels and nonfiction worksas well as wideranging essays, narratives, and poems. Go ask alice book by anonymous official publisher page simon. Although go ask alice has been credited to an anonymous author since its publication. An analysis of the book go ask alice by beatrice sparks. The go ask alice book of answers is a groundbreaking guide that mines the best material from the eponymous awardwinning web site. The book was published in multiple languages including english language, consists of 2 pages and is available in paperback format. Aldous leonard huxley 26 july 1894 22 november 1963 was an english writer and philosopher.
Just by reading the book you can surmise that the author has very little knowledge about. Its not a real book but it was just too confusing, many parts were just not entertaining and it seems like it was just made up by someone then printed it with anonymous as the author. What would you say if you were the kid who woke up one day and found that a book was dedicated. The story is presented in the form of a diary kept by the unnamed narrator, and was originally marketed as the writing of a real person.
The book that defined my teen anxiety turned out to be a lie. Pdf go ask alice book by beatrice sparks free download. Sep 05, 2016 if you want to go beyond the standard reading guide, a great place to find conversation starters is by searching for interviews with the book s author. I read the author s name and explain what the author does. Free download or read online go ask alice pdf epub book. In 1971, a striking work of purported nonfiction was published, go ask alice.
We dont know the troubled teenage girls name but we follow her rapid descent into her life as an addict. Its an added unexpected ending you knew was coming,but you were not expecting to happen the way it did. First published in 1971, go ask alice is a controversial book involving teenage addiction. Go ask alice is a diary written by a 15yearold girl who tells a story of what it. Alice meets a freshman at the university library, joel. The main character was a girl, and her name was not mentioned.
Beatrice sparks, a therapist and author who went on to write numerous other books purporting to be real diaries of troubled teenagers. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the. Diary entries of the book go ask alice 1003 words 123. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks as anonymous banned books. The drug use written throughout the book is not appropriate for middle school or elementary, but should be permitted for high school level. For example, when my book club read orphan train by christina baker kline i found this interview with the author, and it sparked some great conversation there are spoilers in there.
The first edition of this novel was published in 1971, and was written by beatrice sparks. This is all to say that i essentially have go ask alice memorized. This passage from the book go ask alice was when alice first decided to quit using drugs and to stay clean. How arthur rackhams 1907 drawings for alice in wonderland.
All picture source titles are hyperlinked to the pages that they appear on this site. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. Dear life is a collection as rich and surprising as any in alice munros deep career. She is a pretty typical teenage girl in the late 1960sshes mostly concerned with school, boys, her hair, and fitting in okay, thats pretty typical for any decade when her fathers new job causes her family to move across the country, alice is thrust into a new school at a time when she is at best sensitive. First paperback edition march 1998 go ask alice taken from white rabbit, written by grace slick. Go ask alice by anonymous about the book she doesnt want to get hooked on drugs. Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. Frankie thomas is the author of the showrunner, which received special mention in the 20 pushcart prize. Go ask alice is a supposed diary of a young girl caught up in the wild life of drug abuse in the late 1960s. Rage to hollywood stage, a chicana punk story jennifer baker, editor of the short story anthology everyday people. Its a good message about keeping away from drugs, but it went far into detail for someone to just write.
You can find out more about project monarch and project mannequin by reading cathy obriens book trance formation of america and. This story follows the typical template for the say no to drugs genre of liturature. The color of life rosebud benoni, author of turn around, brxght xyxs xochitljulisa bermejo, author of posada. Go ask alice in 1971 a book was published under the name of go ask alice, with no author or editor. Books similar to still alice meet your next favorite book. Go ask alice snatched from students national coalition. Go ask alice is a reference to a jefferson airplane song called white rabbit, which alludes to rampant hallucinogenic drug use in lewis carrolls alice in wonderland.
The diary begins right before alices fifteenth birthday. Go ask alice has been around for decades, and is even being used as reading material in high schools. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. In general, its a book that has strikes much pit or worry on the lives impending to maturity. But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feelbeautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. Some people maintain that alice in wonderland can only have been written by an author with considerable hallucinogenic mushroom experience under their belt. Go ask alice goodreads meet your next favorite book. Beatrice sparks was an american therapist and mormon youth counselor who was known for producing books purporting to be the real diaries of troubled teenagers. When i bought you, diary, i was going to write religiously in you every day, but. Assuming the book is a real diary, alice is presented to us as she really was, with observations and experiences both dramatic and insignificant, as her life unfolds naturally. An award winning novel by the name of go ask alice did that. I thought that this book was very interesting because it was true. Overall go ask alice is a really fantastic bookdiary.
Dont worry if you dont know what you want to say yetright now youre just collecting ideas and material and letting it all percolate. A book report on go ask alice english literature essay. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the. National post alice munro has always been the poet of the unexpected passion that comes seemingly out nowhere and changes a characters life. Then write an essay comparing and contrasting the book to go ask alice. His most recent books are kept, bright young people.
But those of you old enough to remember the latter portion of the 70s might remember that beatrice sparks, the editor of go ask alice, also edited a bunch of other alarmist books aimed at teens, all supposedly taken from teenagers diaries. The author narrates the story of a teenage girl suffering from drug abuse. Taylor is a novelist, critic, and biographer whose orwell won the whitbread prize for biography. Her mother is stolen awayby a figure who claims to come from the hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmothers stories are set. I think this book writes in a interesting way while it teaches us a life lesson by expressing in diary form. Originally published in 1971, the book provides an empathetic description of one 15yearold girls descent into a life of drugs that still resonates in today. Go ask alice by anonymous a teen plunges into a downward spiral of addiction in this classic cautionary tale.
Both chris and alice decide to go to san francisco thinking that moving to a different place is going to help them with quitting their addiction and habits towards drugs, alcohol, and. She starts to take drugs with fifteen years because of her friends and group pressure. This study guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of go ask alice. Throughout the whole book, it brought the readers attention by giving us enough details. Or maybe you saw the 1973 madefortv movie based on it costarring star treks william shatner. Go ask alice the justice league fighting for justice. If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimers disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. Through out the history of film, many productions have been made based on best selling novels. From sex and relationships to alcohol and drugs to fitness and nutrition, this comprehensive handbook is the first of its kind to provide muchneeded information for young adults who cannot get reliable or anonymous. Created during the height of the drug era, the girl could be anyone from this time who found him or herself seduced by the mindaltering affects of marijuana, lsd, bennies, dexies, and heroin.
Her name is alice and she is an orphan, brought up by an uncle and aunt and now going to live with a different uncle and aunt who, she is assured, will offer her better prospects. Really just out of no where she mentions adults dont need to write in diaries and. Kindergarten lesson a my name is alice betterlesson. This mysterious russian fictionalized drug memoir spurred me to rethink my pastand write a new kind of. Go ask alice independent reading project a honors english. Who is the protagonist of the novel go ask alice answers. But author, im not writing this open letter because i want to think about the bad times. It has an array of problems that involve the youths.