Pub. Date: 3 February 2011 Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Hardcover , 400 pages Age Range
Rating;
- 100 pages to get into the book. Everything before all that is confusing and slow. But if you can bring yourself to trudge through those first 100 pages guys, then you will delve into heck of a treasure
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My Thoughts - Lena, lives in a society where something many of us cherish is believed to be a disease; diagnosed asamor deliria nervosa i.e "Love" It is something she has grown up fearing ever since she can remember. The disease is known to be deadly, and thankfully Lena' birthday is approaching fast, she can't wait to get the procedure done to be cured. Her best friend Hana is slightly different though, she likes the idea of independence, and is even slightly rebellious. When Hana starts to drift away and change Lena feels hurt, but with it feels her curiosity heightening. With time, her best friend is able to give her a glimpse of a world completely forbidden, but so different from their own.
The key to unveiling all for Lena (as cheesy as it may sound) is Alex. Their romance is something that blossoms with time, and although Lena is hugely sceptic, and looks down on Hana at times because of her different way of thinking, it is Alex who shows her the true meaning of life, and due to this she opens herself up to a life full of possibilities, but also danger as well as "love".
Lena, had a mother once; that is until the disease took her and she committed suicide. It's something which has made her fear the disease, and hate her mother for succumbing to it. What Lena with time will find is that, there is so much that is being hidden from her. "The Truth" if unravelled will make her a living target. The truth that society will stop at nothing to ensure; is never revealed.
Delirium, is a thought-provoking read with a sense of a Romeo and Juliet feel to it when it comes to the romantic aspect between Lena and Alex.
A personal highlight for me is, characters you would never imagine liking e.g. ( Lena' older sister) you all of a sudden find yourself hugely sympathising for. Her sister was someone that stayed with me for so long. Something about what happened to her just wouldn't leave me. Her story is just so tragic, and if you really think to much into it, it has the potential to niggle at you for a long time like it did with me.
Delirium without a doubt is written absolutely beautifully; there is no denying Lauren Oliver' talent, in particular, her potent use of language which has the ability to engage readers on an emotional level.
It is a must read, and I most definitely will be looking forward to the two future instalments!
As always, I have tried to ask questions to which I knew you guys would be desperate to know the answers of. I know that I don't do enough interviews on the blog, but I'll be changing that in the near future, so. I guess this is a pretty good time to introduce the author I am interviewing today.
An amazing writer and women that has already left a great mark, and impression among her writing peers as well as her readers; I give you.... Lauren Oliver!
Interview - Lauren Oliver
Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
Oh, definitely to have loved and lost. Especially because, though it sometimes seems inconceivable, you can always love again.
If say a few years from now, love was believed to be a disease and you were to be cured within days, what would you do?
I would probably try to escape to Canada! And then I would make out with my boyfriend a lot. And I would spend a lot of time writing down what I love about love, so that I could be reminded of it after the cure.
Could you share with me a favourite quote, and explain the reason behind it.?
I love the quote: “Aim for truth, and beauty will follow. Aim for beauty, and truth will not necessarily follow.” It’s a quote I learned from a writing teacher, and he was counseling us about the craft of novel-writing, but I think it applies more generally to the best orientation to have to the world.
It seemed more plausible to me. And I do believe a large part of love is sacrifice--except it doesn’t feel like sacrifice, because you’re happy to do it.
I always felt like Hana was the one person who thought outside the box, and not what she was expected to believe by society, until towards the end that is, then I realised that maybe she didn’t think so differently after all, maybe she just loved the idea of being different. Am I wrong or right there?
That’s a really great interpretation, and yes, I think you’re right. She liked being different to a point, and she certainly did like being thought of as different—but ultimately she was reined in by fears and conventions.
Why does Gracie choose not to talk?
Ah. Good question. Perhaps because she feels that the world is not prepared to hear what she has to say. :)
Would you leave the people you love, for the one you are in love with if you had to choose?
No. At least, I don’t think so. I certainly hope I never, ever have to make that choice.
I am one of the odd bloggers who just couldn't get past Sam's initial attitude, and sadly it affected me throughout the book, so, I would like to ask, if you were Juliet would you forgive Sam despite what she did for you in the end?
I’m not sure. Forgiveness is tricky and difficult; it’s so much easier to hang onto anger, pain, and judgment. But forgiveness is tremendously important, and can be freeing. You have to allow people to change; you have to believe in that possibility, I think.
In your opinion, why do girls go for guys like Rob when they have amazing boys like Kent completely in love with them already?
Oh, well, because people feel that if they can wrangle a difficult, standoffish, and kind of obnoxious man into a loving boyfriend it “proves” that they are lovable. Unfortunately, that often doesn’t work. And I also think that particularly in high school, people are attracted to an idea of popularity or social status, as much as they are attracted to the actual person.
I felt like Juliet was such an amazing character, yet we were kept at arms length and never got to truly know her, any particular reason as to why?
Our experience of Juliet is Sam’s experience of her; part of what Sam must come to realize is that Juliet has hidden depth and complexity. She has feelings and a life, parents, siblings. Sam and her friends treat Juliet like a symbol for much of the book. I wanted to leave the reader with precisely the recognition of depth that has not been explored—we have a tendency, to often, to judge people on surface alone.
When we were told of Rachel once being in love it really pulled at me. I found it so incredibly sad *You described her moments with Thomas beautifully* is there a chance that her story may be elaborated on in more detail in the next instalment?
It’s possible! Not in the next installment, necessarily. But I love the world I’ve created and I’m open to the future possibility of doing companion novellas or added materials to explore some of the supporting characters’ stories.
Could you tell me the actual reason behind why Thomas left Rachel despite the both of them being so in love?
Oh! Well, he probably just fell out of love with her. That’s a hard truth about love, too. It doesn’t always ask.
Could you elaborate on what happens during the procedure when you are supposedly cured?
I imagine that they perform alterations to the neuronal connections in the places responsible for mood regulation and perhaps memory.
Both Rachel and Juliet are personally, favourite characters of mine; could you tell me something that readers may not be aware of regarding both characters?
Juliet used to make origami figures of swans. And Rachel sometimes sleep-walks; one time, she found that she had walked all the way to the beach, and waded ankle-deep in water, before she woke up.
I know that Rachel is not able to feel to an extent anymore, but does she truly not ache inside when she see's Thomas with her best friend? *I can't help but hope that there is more to her character.*
She doesn’t. The cure has taken away from her ability to feel that pain. Some would say that that is one of its benefits, undoubtedly.
Sam wanted to save Juliet. That’s all. It was the right thing to do and she realized she could do it. In fact, she realized that only she could do it, and that was the meaning behind the repetition of the last day. I always knew that the book would end this way. It had to, in order for Sam’s growth to be legitimate. She does the right thing despite the fact that it will have no additional positive consequences for her. It’s a pure action.
Don't read the question, if you have not read Before I Fall!
Now that Sam is gone, could to tell me how all her friends are coping, including Juliet and Kent and Lindsey. What happened to them? *I have always been curious*
Well, that is for you to figure out! The world I created was Sam’s world, and Sam’s story—everything that occurs beyond that belongs as much to my readers as it does to me. That’s part of the beauty of a novel—it can reverberate outward, and its characters can resonate with you long after the book is done. You become, in a sense, an author of the story as well.
Lindsey is so ruthless towards Juliet despite knowing she will never retaliate, what in your opinion makes a person like Lindsey turn cruel for such a long period of time without remorse.
What makes a dog turn violent and aggressive? Past pain—fear and insecurity, a sense of never being safe. Often, I think people have the sense that they have two options: either push, or be pushed. And so people like Lindsay begin to push.
Spoiler *Delirium* This has been niggling at me for quite some time, did Hana betray Lena in the end?
No! Hana helped Lena at the end. She finds Alex and tells him about the change to Lena’s procedural date.
If you could go back, would you change anything about either of your books?
Lots of little stuff—phrases and sentence structure, certain paragraphs. But nothing major.
What was the defining moment that made you realise, that you believe in love? :)
Steve Gaynor. 2000. I’m not saying more than that! :)
Thank you so much for joining me Lauren!
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