90 Second Video Review
Text Review
Diary of a Wimpy Kid , published on the first of April 2007 by Jeff Kinney is the first book in a series of the same name. The series follows the misadventures of Greg Heffley, a protagonist who's comedic misfortunes polish the allure of this book. The series consists of the following books (in ascending order):
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Rodrick Rules
- The Last Straw
- Dog Days
- The Ugly Truth
- Cabin Fever
- The Third Wheel
- Hard Luck
- The Long Haul
On top of this, there are also 2 other books that are related, but not part of this series. They are:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is
a satirical comedy, and despite its simple external appearance and its numerous Laugh Out Loud gags, it has deeper themes that make it easy to relate to for all ages. The book is light hearted, making it very versatile, and allowing it to fulfil a large variety of roles. It also allows Greg Heffley, the protagonist, to showcase a diverse character, and one that is instantly likable and relatable.
The author Jeff Kinney has done an excellent job with Greg, and the choices he has made regarding Greg's character throughout the book truly shows a good deal of foresight and creativity. This is apparent even in Greg's position within the family, as the second of three children. His placement as the middle child allows for an interesting outlook on his character, as he isn't given the freedom that his older brother, Rodrick, is entitled to, however he doesn't get away with his mistakes like his younger brother Manny is able to do. This is just one example of how humor is cleverly and realistically threaded through the course of the book.
While I won't reveal too much of the story, I will briefly provide a short summary of the plot,
is
a satirical comedy, and despite its simple external appearance and its numerous Laugh Out Loud gags, it has deeper themes that make it easy to relate to for all ages. The book is light hearted, making it very versatile, and allowing it to fulfil a large variety of roles. It also allows Greg Heffley, the protagonist, to showcase a diverse character, and one that is instantly likable and relatable.The author Jeff Kinney has done an excellent job with Greg, and the choices he has made regarding Greg's character throughout the book truly shows a good deal of foresight and creativity. This is apparent even in Greg's position within the family, as the second of three children. His placement as the middle child allows for an interesting outlook on his character, as he isn't given the freedom that his older brother, Rodrick, is entitled to, however he doesn't get away with his mistakes like his younger brother Manny is able to do. This is just one example of how humor is cleverly and realistically threaded through the course of the book.
While I won't reveal too much of the story, I will briefly provide a short summary of the plot,
- The book starts off describing Greg Heffley's various misadventures and problems in middle school, where undersized weaklings are squeezed in with smelly, burly gorillas (older kids). After he goes over several, admittedly rather compelling reasons why Middle School is the 'dumbest idea ever invented.' His best friend Rowley Jefferson is introduced, and is a key figure throughout the rest of the novel.
- Problems arise with some of the local older kids during Halloween, and the movie's climaxe is reached in a hilarious yet serious confrontation in which Greg escapes through quite an ingenious and daring solution.
- Everything comes to a head, when Rowley is forced to endure the most brutal middle school punishment imaginable (read the book to find out what it is!), however Greg steps in, and solves the problem, showing an innate goodness that probably wouldn't usually be associated with Greg.
The books strengths are very prominent and noticeable, demonstrating an admirable flair in Kinney's writing. As previously mentioned, humor plays a pivotal role in the book and is cleverly threaded in throughout its course. Greg is an easy to relate to protagonist, and families all around the world should easy be able to find a 'Greg,' among them. This instantly strengthens the book, as readers are able to connect more easily with a likable, genuine protagonist like Greg. The idea itself is also quite original, creating a new niche which has spawned dozens of books and movies like it since. There's certainly a lot going for Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
However, Diary of a Wimpy Kid does have its flaws, and they too, make their presence known. While Greg himself is a likable character, and while the environment is relatable, the situations themselves are sometimes a bit too over the top. I'll try to give you an example without revealing the plot:
At the end of the story, there are no teachers around even though all the students are gathered in one place.
There are multiple instances like this where things simply don't add up, and these are flaws that is present throughout the story. And while the plot itself is original, its quite discontinuous and its easy to lose track of where the story is going, perhaps as a result of Diary of a Wimpy Kid trying to be so many different things to so many different people. The style is a bit too discursive to give itself the credit that it would otherwise deserve.
So whats the final verdict? 4/5 Bulbs. While Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written with an unmistakable style, it isn't perfect. However it is worth a place on your bookshelf. The book caters to a wide audience, and is perfect for getting kids to read, to laugh at Greg's failings in situations that you have seen countless times before, or even to walk down memory lane, and relive middle school once again.
We'd recommend this as a worthwhile buy at the discounted price you will find by clicking on this link!
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Authors Note:
Hi there, Thanks for reading this far. If you like this article, and my style of writing, I'd be much obliged if you'd recommend this to you family or friends, and share this throughout your preferred social media platforms. It helps me out, and allows me to produce great writing! If there are any mistakes, or if you have any feedback, please drop a comment below, and I'll reply as soon as I can. Until next time, bye!
However, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
does have its flaws, and they too, make their presence known. While Greg himself is a likable character, and while the environment is relatable, the situations themselves are sometimes a bit too over the top. I'll try to give you an example without revealing the plot:At the end of the story, there are no teachers around even though all the students are gathered in one place.
There are multiple instances like this where things simply don't add up, and these are flaws that is present throughout the story. And while the plot itself is original, its quite discontinuous and its easy to lose track of where the story is going, perhaps as a result of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
trying to be so many different things to so many different people. The style is a bit too discursive to give itself the credit that it would otherwise deserve.So whats the final verdict? 4/5 Bulbs. While Diary of a Wimpy Kid
is written with an unmistakable style, it isn't perfect. However it is worth a place on your bookshelf. The book caters to a wide audience, and is perfect for getting kids to read, to laugh at Greg's failings in situations that you have seen countless times before, or even to walk down memory lane, and relive middle school once again.We'd recommend this as a worthwhile buy at the discounted price you will find by clicking on this link
!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors Note:
Hi there, Thanks for reading this far. If you like this article, and my style of writing, I'd be much obliged if you'd recommend this to you family or friends, and share this throughout your preferred social media platforms. It helps me out, and allows me to produce great writing! If there are any mistakes, or if you have any feedback, please drop a comment below, and I'll reply as soon as I can. Until next time, bye!
