Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks is an epistolary work, meaning that is structured as a series of entries such as letters or in this case, a diary. Go ask alice has been around for decades, and is even being used as reading material in high schools. The book go ask alice was the reallife diary of a teenage girl. In go ask alice, the diary is written by a teenage girl over a twoyear period and chronicles her experiences with drugsmainly marijuana, acid, and speed.
My plan was to read this for banned book week, and although i did not finish it during the week i meant to, i did finish it. Lyrics for white rabbit by jefferson airplane songfacts. An award winning novel by the name of go ask alice did that. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited. The diary begins right before alices fifteenth birthday. As powerful and as timely today as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks go ask alice. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks, 198208, avon flare edition, mass market paperback in english 1st avon flare printing 77. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. Go ask alice, a real diary in print for four decades. 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.
Go ask alice, written by an anonymous author, is a diary kept by a fifteenyearold drug user. 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. This passage from the book go ask alice was when alice first decided to quit using drugs and to stay clean. Slicks mindexpanding white rabbit lyrics and credited to anonymous, the book seemed specially. But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feel beautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. Go ask alice was an edited version of alice s diary, which she kept so she would have someone to talk to. But when she attends a party and drinks a soda laced with lsd, she begins a drawnout addiction to drugs that slowly but brutally takes over her life. A study from the university of pittsburgh presented at the 2011 iconference. First published in 1971, go ask alice is a controversial book involving teenage addiction. I moved through the pages rapt, feeling sophisticated in my new. Thoughts on go ask alice banned books week youtube. Radio default, go ask alice, live aradio, live set, 2015 addeddate 20150612 10.
Now, its the controversy about the creation of the diary that has captured our attention. Essay about go ask alice by anonymous 837 words bartleby. Go ask alice is an amazing story that is passed on a real persons diary. She probably took some by accident since it didnt really make sense how she was doing really well and then all of a sudden shes dead. Though go ask alice is a classic, its not a good book. In honor of banned books week, jo asked a few of us booktubers to pick a banned book and make a video on it. A book report on go ask alice english literature essay. Sparks, 82, 83 next, another reason go ask alice should be banned is the excessive use of illegal substances. Go ask alice is small, 224 under size pages and written in diary format so is a quick read. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. I first heard of go ask alice when still in school in the 1980s. In a 1995 village voice column for banned books week, nat hentoff described it as an.
Go ask alice a real diary timeline timetoast timelines. Go ask alice by anonymous if you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. The most controversial books of all time readers digest. 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. The list go ask alice has been one of the most frequently challenged books, according to the american library associations frequently challenged books of the 21st century list, since its publication in 1971, for content relating to drugs, sexual explicitness, offensive language, and inappropriate themes for the target age group frequently challenged 1. In go ask alice there are many illegal substance references throughout the entire book. On the first page, the white rabbit appears, leading alice on her adventure. Go ask alice, by anonymous beatrice sparks beatrice sparks, who died. Principal in tiverton middle school confiscated the book from a class while reading. Go ask alice, published in 1971, was the fictional account of a young womans spiral into drug abuse, written in an unsparing diary format. The novel is in epistolary format, being comprised entirely of diary entries and as such, was first thought to be an autobiography. This is almost the only happy thing in alices life. 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 indoctrination into the world of drugs to just before her death from an overdose.
The go ask alice book of answers is a groundbreaking guide that mines the best material from the eponymous awardwinning web site. Considering this book is a multigenerational classic, you seldom see early copies in hardcover, and rarely in collectible condition in. They dont really explain the whole thing, but alices death is drug related. 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.
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. Go ask alice a lot of teenagers take drugs and run away some never make it back. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. Alice asks her mother for help, sewing a dress together for a christmas party to which shes been invited. In the controversial book, two teenaged friends spiral. For example, our doomed teen goes on for more than four pages about. This book is wellknown due to its explicit details and heavy drug use, which all occurred in a young girls life. Get answers to your go ask alice questions like how many pages are in go ask alice. 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. 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. Through out the history of film, many productions have been made based on best selling novels. Alice hoped to be like her mother some day and wondered if her mother ever struggled with the same romantic and identity issues when she was young. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication. Im an advocate for banned stories that teach difficult lessons the easier way, and go ask alice definitely falls into this category.
How to go by making a magazine alice in wonderland. She thinks someday shed like to get married and raise a family. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay. The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my lifeand. Go ask alice was published, it was what was within the contents of the pages. The anonymous diarist in the 1971 book go ask alice is just a normal 15yearold girl dealing with crushes, friendships, a new move and body image. Go ask alice by anonymous and a great selection of. The poor girl in this story gets hooked on acid, which is possible to do, i know people who have been there before, and trys so. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the. Authentic, tragic tale of teen drug addiction a classic. Publication date 2015 topics radio default, go ask alice, live aradio, live set. Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. My very go ahead principal read it to the whole school in assembly over the course of a couple of weeks.
Go ask alice, written originally in 1971 is still relevant today. I chose go ask alice and it is certainly the strangest book ive read this 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. D espite the popularity of go ask alice, the mystery of the diarists identity has never been truly solved, and none of her relatives have ever come forward to claim a share of the royalties.
As anonymous herself says, the diary is her one consistent best friend. 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 save her, her trust and love for her family, and her ultimate failure. Go ask alice, a diary of a teenage girl who fell into drug use and committed suicide, is the most frequently censored book in high school libraries, according to a. Go ask alice by anonymous banned book but was it real. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage indepth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. This is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around.
Stolen books and jewelry, rocks through our front window, abusive late. The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. The drug use written throughout the book is not appropriate for middle school or elementary, but should be permitted for high school level. A riveting firstperson tale of addiction, in the tradition of go ask alice and jays journal. The book that defined my teen anxiety turned out to be a lie. The opening pages have some of the lyrics from this song on it.
In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage girls all. 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. Bookbanners like to take go ask alice out of libraries because they. Go ask alice about this book she doesnt want to get hooked on drugs. The book was the diary of the girl, and was pulbished. The reader has to be mature, but the book should not be shot down because some people are too immature to read it. 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. The smothers brothers comedy hour made up in blackface, causing a big controversy. Book banners like to take go ask alice out of libraries because they. Is it any wonder that i went to college six hundred miles away from pittsburgh. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. The book should give the reader an impression of the dangers of drugusing. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to. Its about a girls experience in the drug culture during the 60s.
With over a million copies in print, this book has become a classic. The line in this song, go ask alice, provided the title of a 1971 book. 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. 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. There is an alice in the book go ask alice, but shes a minor character mentioned in only one paragraph. My favourite part of the book, is the part where alice met joel and she felt in love with him. It was a brave decision on her part, but the text always stayed with me. Well, im about 12 page into this book and i already hate alice. Annabeth from kutztown, pa the movie go ask alice was based on a book published under the same name. The song white rabbit predates the book go ask alice. If youre looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our weekly recommendation thread, suggested reading page, or ask in rsuggestmeabook.
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