A PEEK INTO THE TEENAGE OF A WIMPY KID
“If there’s one thing I learned from Rodrick, it’s to set people’s expectations real low so you end up surprising them by practically doing nothing at all.” – Greg Heffley. That might be one of the cringiest realisations you would have ever made. But isn’t that true? Here comes some teenage realisation and observations, from our very own, model teenager, Greg Heffley, The protagonist of the Wimpy kid series. The book is like a daily journal but from the lens of a frustrated teen, who doesn’t understand why everybody doesn’t understand why life isn’t all chill and video games.
A brief about the author – Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney, A graduate of the University of Maryland, started an online version of the Wimpy Kid in 2004 when it became popular. Many readers started demanding an offline print which was published in May of 2007. Since then, 19 editions of the book have come out, and the book is among the top 5 of the most selling books of all time, selling over 240 million copies Worldwide. In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 the series won a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favourite Book.
What’s so good about the wimpy kid?
To be simple, this question holds no one answer. The “Diary of A Wimpy Kid” is a series of diary entries by Greg Heffly, A teen who thinks he is cooler than everybody around him. To make a point, he isn’t similar to the kind of teenager you see in real life. He is a simple, not that rich, uncool normal kinda teenager. His dramas evolve around how one should be cool at school, and his motives behind writing a diary, Oh sorry… A “Journal” is that he would be really successful one day, and then he isn’t gonna waste his time on interviews but would just rather ask journalists to read his journal. He believes in his plan that he is gonna be very successful and famous one day, although doesn’t have any plans or the instinct to take action on them in any sizable amount. He is not very intelligent, and tries his best to get average grades and be cool around girls, by his unsuccessful attempts to impress them. His oversimplified humour and understanding of the world, as every new teenager has, reflect on how he sees the world. He feels dating gets complicated in middle school, as in junior classes, dating was based on how fast you run, but now it’s based on how cool you are. The series is full of satires like this and will make you break a rib or two while laughing at how juvenile and childish his observation seems.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Buy Books Online India)
The series’ overall theme revolves around the mixed emotions of a teenager, now in middle school, and how he learns stuff along the way. But obviously, he never takes any real lessons but just sticks to the most ridiculous explanation he can think of. His family is another piece of satire in itself. His brother, who barely studies, bullies him, and is a classic example of what a spoiled grown-up American teenager looks like. However, the series remains on a very relatable note for its target audience (which is age 10 to 15, however, it has been appreciated by much older audiences as well) because throughout the book, it’s about day-to-day demeanour and misdemeanours of a teenager, and his struggles with studies, friends, family, love life, bullies, social niceties and what not. The simple language of the book also makes it popular among youngsters, as it reflects the struggles of an unintellectual crowd who are not among the best in their groups. With his narrative, you will observe a humorous narrative of teenage superstitions, which to a grownup mind would seem ridiculous and stupid. But when seen from a teenage point of view, they seem more than real.
The 17 books in order of reading are-
- Book 1: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) (Buy Best Seller Books)
- Book 2: Rodrick Rules (2008)
- Book 3: The Last Straw (2009) (Buy Books Online)
- Book 4: Dog Days (2009)
- Book 5: The Ugly Truth (2010)
- Book 6: Cabin Fever (2011) (Buy Books Online India)
- Book 7: The Third Wheel (2012)
- Book 8: Hard Luck (2013)
- Book 9: The Long Haul (2014) (Buy Books Online)
- Book 10: Old School (2015) (Buy Books Online India)
- Book 11: Double Down (2016)
- Book 12: The Getaway (2017) (Buy Books Online India)
- Book 13: The Meltdown (2018)
- Book 14: Wrecking Ball (2019)
- Book 15: The Deep End (2020)
- Book 16: Big Shot (2021) (Buy Books Online)
- Book 17: Diper Overlode (2022)
One more reason why the series is a must-read is that its satirical presentation and sarcastic humour makes it a fascinating light read. Often comedies conclude with comedy in their climax, but the book keeps one entertained throughout. Humour, simple writing, illustrations, and crisp text make the series a good read. When you are sad from a professional or a public failure, I would recommend you pick this up, spend an hour, and your mood will be uplifted very easily. The book is very engaging in its nature and will probably make you forget for an hour or so that there is a real world out there.
