The Book - Go Ask Alice (1973) Discussion

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] chengedmund2000 18 years ago

Ive read the book, which is strange because I never read books, and I was captivated by the story; i cried at the end and felt extremely empty. Its sad how a girls life ended so young. I watched the telemovie, and ill tell you that the book is so much better and detailed. the movie only runs 70 mins with an unrecognisable william shatner (star trek), but Jamie Lee Jackson, who played Alice, did it very well.

Im currently writing a ninety minute feature length treatment for Alice, as I believe I could kickass this tele movie- make it more intense, surreal, emotional, unforgettable. Any Hollywood producers out there want to produce the script? CALL ME!! Crash just got best picture, and its motivation was the pain and agony shared by all the different characters in the movie after a car crash.

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[–] Marieke_van_Lith 18 years ago

I've read the book 30 times.
I know it by heart, I've memorized it and yet I'm reading it again.
I love it...

Charlize Theron --> Monstrously Good!

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[–] BoomShakaLocke 18 years ago

Just inside the book, on the left where one finds the publisher's information is the following:

"This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental."

It is listed as being filed under the following:

[1. Drug Abuse--Fiction. 2. Diaries--Fiction]

How it is presented on the cover, the use of question marks, the "editors" comments--these are clearly all devices to help create the illusion of a real diary. Its true nature is right inside the cover, where most readers never bother to look. It is there the title is even credited to "White Rabbit".

Lastly, those who read the book repeatedly probably remember there being an actual Alice (not the alleged nameless author) mentioned in the 1st diary, a girl met on the streets ("The I talked to Alice, who I met just sitting stoned on the curb. She didn't know whether she was running away from something or to something, but she admitted that deep in her heart she wanted to go home."). Not having seen the film, I'm wondering how the diary-writer became Alice (wouldn't Beatrice have been a better name?).

"I like my cheese in the ounces. When they start weighing as much as a Fiat, I get worried."

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[–] Matt_079 18 years ago

I agree 100% with you, BoomShakaLocke.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] appypollyloggies 18 years ago

I haven't seen the movie or play, but I love the book. Such a tragic story, whether its real or not.

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[–] Marieke_van_Lith 18 years ago

I've seen the movie now and I didn't like the way they used the book.
A lot of important things were left out.

The whole San Fran experience was left out. Etc etc etc.

I rather read the book a million times more then watch the movie again.

Charlize Theron --> Monstrously Good!

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[–] creature_productions 18 years ago

The book is a great read, and you really feel torn apart when you read it, but I kind of lost some of that feeling after I found out it was fake.

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[–] nihilistwonder 17 years ago

Nowadays, a real-life "Alice" might have a blog on LiveJournal, or MySpace, or something, and then ALL the cool emo girlies would want to be like her.

Re the book itself--- it's a "composite" of many true stories--- No doubt Sparks & Co. hashed through every available article and case history of REAL WASP teen-girl druggies and selected every-worst-case scenario which they inflicted upon their protagonist. (Incredible to think one person could survive so much abuse, then conk out just when her life's finally straightening out, but there IS horrible irony in real life too, y'know.)

Who cares about the fiction vs. fact debate, if GAA served the purpose of keeping even one white suburban girl from getting high and kept her living to become a frazzled career woman, then a soccer mom in an SUV, then through the midst of a menopausal crisis and facing cancer/divorce/sandwich generation problems? Well, it was all worth it then, wasn't it? WASN'T IT?

"Shake me up, Judy!"

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] knightwing2000 17 years ago

Most Mormons do NOT send their children to shock tharapy to "fix" their homosexual children, dear. This is an exaggeration, possibly fueled by the movie 'Later Days', possibly fueled by people who know nothing about the religion, and possibly due to a variety of other reasons. There are other religious groups that are as likely or more likely to consider such course of action, and there are many people across many diverse religious factions who would never consider shock therapy as a course of action. Many religions have their zelots, and it would be irresponsible to judge a group of people (particularly a group as large as a world-wide religion) by a zelot, especially if that zelot made their living by passing elaborate machinations as a true story more than once.

However, I will agree with you that I don't care for her. I enjoyed Go Ask Alice, but as a work of fiction, not a true account of a drug ravaged girl of age fifteen. I would have hoped she would have claimed the work for what it was, and not as a gateway to a self-righteous, moralistic, woe-is-the-world series of proportedly true events in diary form aimed at shunning anything she didn't like. But doesn't chagrining Mormons (or any religious group for that matter) for Beatrice Sparks' feelings commit the same crime we are indirectly accusing her of? All I ask is that we judge persons, not people.

I'll climb off my soapbox now. Thanks for letting me rant. =)

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] kelsey-blake 17 years ago

Ok, I've been reading a lot of the posts and for all of you who think this book can't be real for the references to her highs, I know people who have been on pot or other drugs. One of my closest friends was on pot and he described it almost exactly the same as the book does. Now for that to be, either the author had to really use the diary or she had to have done pot herself. There is almost no other way for her to describe a pot high like that.

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[–] cababesacramento 17 years ago

Reading some posts here ... I believed 'Go Ask Alice' was a true story when I read it in high school (eons ago). As an adult I understand that it is fiction. I don't think I realized that the 'author' used language that a normal (drug afflicted or not) teenager wouldn't use.

I'm not ashamed to admit I read the book believing it was non-fiction; then now (well a few years ago when I finally read about it) that is is really fiction.

KB- your friend described his experience to you? Did you write it down? That's how you write a description in the first person. You take another person experience and substitute 'John' for 'me'. Amazing itsn't it.

The movie is 'loosely' based on the book of fiction. Mostly because the 'author' of the book is unnamed and is not Alice. So the main teenager in the movie is Alice.

The book may or may not have been named so because of the drug referencing song. Could be ... it is a drug referencing book.

Wonder why anyone hasn't related all this to 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore', claiming it's the rest of "Alice's" story ...

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[–] Name_taken1990 17 years ago

what i don't understand is where everyone is getting their information on that the book is fiction...i do believe that a 15 year old on drugs could use amazing vocab as she did and can remember what happened...as for the he said she said thing...i'm 16 and i've never been one for the he said she said...or even gossip for that matter...i have friends such as "alice" who are majorly on drugs but still write constienly...i've even seen ppl write on anyhting they can get their hands on when they just need to write...it was also mentioned that she read a lot...people who tend to read alot do have a larger vocab and like to write (i'm not saying this for all people) but majority seem to...i think everyone who has posted and is for the fiction factor are to closed minded and TRY to think of all the possible ways the book was not actually written by a real drug addicted teen who had a love for writing

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[–] reallyshortpeoplerule 17 years ago

For me personally it doesn't matter if the book is real or not. It's a horrible book that I could barely read without laughing at the stupidity of such a human being. And you know there may be people like that that do exist but if they are that stupid and careless then they deserve what they get. Whoever inflicts such pain on themselves and their family deserves to be alone with their stupidity and their drugs.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] joeann_21 16 years ago

I read the book and watched the movie many moons ago, but I certainly didn't feel that it was totally her fault and I did feel sorry for her. People get caught up in drug abuse, not realizing how they can become dependent and hooked on these and subsequently how their whole world will revolve around being high.

Whether this particular story was fiction or a non-fictional account, it still is the real deal.

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[–] Switchfootx65 16 years ago

The book was amazing, I loved it!

If Hilary become President ...
¡Adiós los Chupadores!
--

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[–] so_original 16 years ago

I've read the book twice, and I don't think it matters if its real or not.

People can believe what they want to believe,
Thinking it was a real girl's diary makes it more shocking and interesting.

However, even if its not, it's still a very well written book.
And they definitely made it sound and feel realistic,
with the teenage girl's two relapses
and her doing just about anything at times to get a fix.
And yeah, the drug highs and everything are explained in detail.
But the girl did mention she was a bookworm and pretty smart.
So I imagine it wouldn't be hard for her to be so articulate.

Either way, this is something young adults should definitely read.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] horrorchick5 15 years ago

i read the book yesterday and it was amazing and sad. i am a fast reader so do you guys know any books like go ask alice.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] andromache3 10 years ago

Just read any book written by Beatrice Sparks. It astounds me that people still think this book is real. She's written a lot of books apparently based on actual diaries, which are all fictional. Enjoy the books but remember they are pure fiction. That's what annoys a lot of people, the fact that the diary in Go Ask Alice was marketed as a true story, when it wasn't.

This link to amazon has a list of books by Beatrice Sparks, all very similar to Go Ask Alice. Hope you enjoy them.
http://www.amazon.com/Beatrice-Sparks/e/B000AQ50OU

Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.

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[–] 17 years ago

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