Almost There

So I got tired of movies and Korean dramas, temporarily at least. The Night Watchman's Journal, was just unbearable. Thank God, my good friend suggested reading instead. The last time I read a fiction was probably before I started my fascination and obsession for movies, and that would be when I was 15. The first book my friend suggested to me was, Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes.

 

Before diving into my analysis, I would say that I really enjoyed it, all throughout. Or maybe its just been so long I gave my brain a really good treat with this kinda food. Basically the story revolves around a boy who is bullied, Peter Houghton. I loved the way Jodi was able to sustain the magnitude of angles she was covering in the novel. She covered the parents of the dead, parents of the permanently injured victims, Peter's parents, Josie's Mom, a little from the defense attorney and less of the prosecutor. What Jodi did not dive into however, is the mind of Peter Houghton. Most readers would want to view the world from the angle of Peter, the main guy. But that wasn't the point of this novel. What Jodi wanted us to feel was not so much the feeling of being bullied, but in every other situation instead. The point of this novel was not to justify Peter's doing, but what would be the reaction if you were in any one of those parties of victims, be it Peter's Mom who was equally traumatized or an innocent bystander who didn't even pick on Peter. I was honestly expecting more to come out of Peter when he was testifying, but Jodi just went as deep as a water strider would, on water for Peter's angle. So generally dividing the main parties involved; 

1. The villain (Peter)

2. The victims (whether dead or alive, including the parents)

3. The pitiful party (Peter's parents & Josie's Mom).

I'll talk about the parts that was poorly delivered first. Josie, for starters. There wasn't enough build up to substantiate the reason as to why Josie had to be the one to shoot Matt Royston (Her boyfriend and the one who picks on Peter). Although I was secretly hoping throughout that she was the one who pulled the trigger somehow. I was kinda smiling when it really turned out to be her. Jodi basically gave me what I wanted like a free gift. We were clear about her suffering to fit it the crowd, and how she loved Matt while still feeling empty on the inside. But I think it needs a little anger, to pull the trigger? or frustration of that sort. What flashed before her eyes, seconds before Peter came in holding a gun into the locker room was images of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, and that included Matt in it. How come all of a sudden, she is able to shoot Matt? 

The discussion as to why Josie shot Matt could go on forever. I read some other reviews saying that, it was because she accepted herself. She was in love with the popularity, not so much in Matt. So shooting Matt symbolizes the acceptance of her self as being Peter-like, unpopular. Whatever the reason, I regard this (kinda like the important part of the story) as poorly delivered because, it was too fast. She definitely did not premeditate the murder of Matt, and took the opportunity of shooting him because he was abusive and dominating, all at the point of Peter's gun rolling to her feet. Basically what I'm trying to say is Jodi did not clearly explain, in the final moments of choice, what led Josie to shoot Matt instead of Peter. If nothing actually ran through her mind that caused her to shoot Matt, then that shot would've been meaningless, equivalent to a psychopath shooting a random civilian. It would hold no meaning. She could have at least quickly flashed the moments she had troubles fitting in, and the parts where Matt made her cry, but being super comfy with Peter instead. There would have been more emotion to the bullet fired. 

 

Next, the impressive parts. Dissociation. Totally pulled that off. I totally didn't see that coming. Jordon (defense attorney) pretty much did a good job. He had hope in a totally hopeless case. Although pleading psychiatric reasoning maybe lame among lawyers, but to me, its always impressive. That's just cause I love psychiatry. Although suggesting that Peter was in a dissociative state the whole 19 minutes did not really hold, but it was a worthy shot, instead of just giving up.

So what Jodi wants is for us to be in party 2 & 3. Not in Peter's shoes. Who would you blame? What will you do? Bullying is more of a society thing, and everybody plays a role. But I'm gonna take the liberty of blaming someone here, just because I can. I would blame his parents. Sorry, but yea. I can't expect kids at his age to Not bully, I cant expect much from the school authorities either. At any time, they could have transferred schools, loved him more, Stopped comparing him with his elder brother. One of the most painful lines that I read in the book was that, when his elder brother died, Peter was the one that his Parents was holding on to. I teared up. Almost cried, almost, but no I didn't. The sad truth is this happens, all the time in real life. Depressed people are loaded with heavier burdens of others, because some people around them are just oblivious to the fact that they already have issues of his own. 

The other thing I loved about this novel is the fact that Jodi is kinda philosophical. She is probably philosophical in her other novels too, but I wouldn't know because this is my first. She slips in philosophy whenever possible. This was done through Peter's dad that was measuring happiness in an equation. Alex's (Josie's Mom) idea of "it still exists if someone is there to remember it". Not forgetting the two Chinese Proverbs that was in the beginning of the two parts. The latter being the more interesting one. "When you start a journey of revenge, start by digging two graves: one for your enemy, and one for yourself.” That's really a nice thought, and true at the same time. There's plenty more ideas about happiness, making mistakes, what should or should not be done that Jodi tries to slip in the novel, but I'll just stop here for now.

Peter's death? Well, that was coming for sure, but how did Jodi deliver it? It was impressive. I mean, I had suicidal ideation for most of my life, I've watched plenty of movies on how to kill a person, or yourself, but never once, swallowing a sock was on my list. I love those death moments, where the best moment of your life flashes. For his death, as he suffocated, it was an alternate version of his bus ride to school, the one he is happy in, and a calming reassurance for Peter, as the voice said, "Almost There." With Peter's death, it is also justified to say that just as revenge, bullying fills two graves.

Last thought for the day, what would I do if I was Peter's parents? I would wanna die. Yes I'm dramatic like that. But first, I'd pull my spouse along, and then stick our heads adjacent to each other and blast a bullet through both our skulls. That's how frustrated I'd feel being parents of mishaps.