In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage girls all. 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. The novel go ask alice is written by an anonymous author and is based on a diary kept by a conventional teenager who then turns into a suicidal drug addict. Yet it was originally promoted as nonfiction, its still sold as by anonymous and the copy i have has this is alices true story on the cover plus the blurb on the back, the foreword and the psychologists comment at the back everything is still packaged to make out this is nonfiction. Alice alice is the anonymous protagonist her name is an allusion to a jefferson airplane song whose intermittent diary entries narrate go ask alice. Revelations about the books origin have caused much doubt as to its authenticity and factual accounts, and. 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. But it is unfair to maintain that something is a true story when in fact its.
The book was written in 1967 and the song was originally written around 1965. Revelation, for the adult reader, that go ask alice is not, in fact, a real diary but a fictional hoax written by a mormon youth counselor named beatrice sparks whose other books included jays journal the real diary of an anonymous boy who got involved in satanism and died and it happened to nancy the real diary of an anonymous girl who got dateraped, caught aids, and died. The book is said to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who became addicted to drugs. Go ask alice by anonymous banned book but was it real. Epigraph go ask alice is based on an actual diary of a fifteenyear old drug user. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. Since its publishing in 1971, go ask alice has become one of the most challenged and banned books of all time. The book was the diary of the girl, and was pulbished. Its not the kind of book i normally read but i have to admit it did hook me, and once alice started on her downward spiral i raced through it.
Alice and chris are both dissatisfied with the establishment and their own families. Kris from sf, ca this song was not written about the book go ask alice. It has sold over four million copies, was adapted as a tv movie with william shatner, and is still in print over 40 years later. The opening pages have some of the lyrics from this song on it.
A shocking true story for fans of reasons why kindle edition by anonymous. The book purports to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who died of a drug overdose in the late 1960s and is therefore presented as a testimony against drug use. Go ask alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl. The well known disney animation was based on alices. The line in this song, go ask alice, provided the title of a 1971 book published by an anonymous author. Perhaps you can do some charitable work, start a book club, paint, or chat online. The original book, alices adventures in wonderland was written in 1865, whereas go ask alice wasnt written until 1971. Go ask alice has been around for decades, and is even being used as reading material in high schools. Go ask alice is based on an actual diary of a fifteenyear old drug user. Jan 22, 2018 in short, go ask alice is bad in just about every way its possible for a book to be bad, and much has been written to this effect. Beatrice sparks was an american therapist and mormon youth counselor who was known for producing books purporting to be the real diaries of troubled teenagers. Fortunately, alice is a gifted writer, lacing her unhappy vision of the world with poetic, sensitive language.
The books deal with topical issues such as drug abuse, satanism, teenage pregnancy or. She feels very alone and misunderstood, seeking approval from her mother and other people. She is invited to jills party, someone she doesn t know well, where her drink is unknowingly spiked with lsd. R cover art for the 1971 prentice hall first edition. With over a million copies in print, this book has become a classic. Lyrics for white rabbit by jefferson airplane songfacts. Go ask alice is a diary of a teenage middleclass girl. Go ask alice teaches you what can happen when you get into drugs and its hard to stay away from them once you have started and know how easy it is to get ahold of them. Mar 23, 2017 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. Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. Creeping suspicion, as the reader ages past adolescence, that theres something fishy about. Alice begins her diary because she has no one else to talk to, and she spends her energy searching not for drugs, but for someone who understands her. Included are new features, more interaction, better integration with social media, and a widget to have go ask alice. The question and answer section for go ask alice is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay cram. Oct 03, 2016 go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living. People were desperate to find ways to discourage drug use by any means other than the highly ineffective dont do. Created during the height of the drug era, the girl could be anyone from this time who found him or herself seduced by the mindaltering affects of marijuana, lsd, bennies, dexies, and heroin. Alice gets a job working with chris, and the two become best friends. Annabeth from kutztown, pa the movie go ask alice was based on a book published under the same name. 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. Her name is never given, and the diary is suspected to be fictional despite being promoted as true. Yet it was originally promoted as nonfiction, its still sold as by anonymous and the copy i have has this is alice s true story on the cover plus the blurb on the back, the foreword and the psychologists comment at the back. Throughout the whole book, it brought the readers attention by giving us enough details. If you are in an urgent situation, please visit our emergency page to view a. Go ask alice is a 1971 novel by beatrice sparks that bills itself the reallife diary of an anonymous teenage girl.
The book was a diary of a young girl in the 1960s who had a drug addiction and died. An intelligent, sensitive girl with a literary flair, she experiments with drugs and the counterculture to escape from her low selfesteem and consuming loneliness. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks goodreads share book. Even now im not really sure which parts of myself are real and which parts are things ive gotten from books. The main characters of this fiction, young adult story are. The song white rabbit predates the book go ask alice. 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 survey of librarians. Go ask alice by anonymous was a diary of a fifteenyearold girl, named melanie. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach.
The book is also a little stale in that the author beatrice sparks wrote in a way that only an adult can as a tee. Read one or more of these books and compare them to go ask alice. How to go by making a magazine alice in wonderland. A blog all about my book titled, go ask alice anonymous. Go ask alice was written in the 1970s, a decade with a very unique sense of style. Make your own 1970s project to wear or use as decoration. Can see her standing there brewing the drugs from your clear images penned. 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. She was like any other teenager that had a school crush, wanted to be popular, and was always conscious about the way she looked. Cri beatrice sparks was an american therapist and mormon youth counselor who was known for producing books purporting to be the real diaries of troubled teenagers.
Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently. The go ask alice community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The book go ask alice was the reallife diary of a teenage girl. Go ask alice by anonymous if you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. Nov 20, 2003 based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. 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. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. 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 american library association. Why does one have to be consistent with the oxford comma speaking here primarily of creative writing.
The book that defined my teen anxiety turned out to be a lie. What is te climax in the novel go ask alice answers. Its boring to say she over and over again and not boring you is kind of our mission in life. While some of the scenes and language may feel dated, the book still. Joel gave her alice a lot of strength and offered her to go to the funeral. Pdf go ask alice book by beatrice sparks free download. The first edition of the novel was published in 1971, and was written by beatrice sparks. Loved it and sorry laughed a little at the idea of alice. Go ask alice was written as a sort of cautionary tale, antihippieculture propaganda directed at unsuspecting young teens. What reference books are best for iit jee preparation. Go ask alice, by anonymous by alyssa guthrie on prezi. Im not really sure which parts of myself are real and which parts are things ive gotten from books. The books deal with topical issues such as drug abuse, satanism, teenage pregnancy or aids, and are presented as cautionary tales.
The novel is in epistolary format, being comprised entirely of diary entries and as such, was first thought to be an autobiography. The most famous of these literary works was 1971s go ask alice, presented as the diary of an anonymous teen girl who began her career as a stoner at age 15 and died of an overdose just weeks after. An award winning novel by the name of go ask alice did that. 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.
The drugs only create the temporary illusion that she is in touch with nature and people. Alice is an anonymous character and the most we know about her is that she is white, middleclass teenager who struggles to fit. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. Alice acted like she was sick, so she didnt had to go to school. There have been other books that deal with teenagers and drugs, most notably crank by ellen hopkins and smack by melvin burgess. Lines from go ask alice that, in hindsight, should have. Essay about go ask alice by anonymous 837 words bartleby. 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. This is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around. She is jealous of both of her younger siblings, a brother and a sister, believing she is the letdown child. A book report on go ask alice english literature essay. Like a blink of an eye the main character turns towards drugs, sex, and running away. It may well have been very loosely based on one, but were going to go ahead and say even that is unlikely. This is appropriate for all ages, it is good for everyone to know what can happen if you get into drugs, and it can scare young kids away.
Go ask alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due. The book is written in diary form, but the author is anonymous. She is a pretty typical teenage girl in the late 1960sshes mostly concerned with school, boys, her hair, and fitting in okay, thats pretty typical for any decade. Beth returns from camp, but alice finds that beth has changed. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In case you arent familiar with it, its supposedly an anonymous diary found by the parents of a fifteen year old drug user after she. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading go ask alice. Though the story was widely criticized as a complete fabrication and dismissed as propaganda, its message remained powerful.
Reviews of the go ask alice thus far concerning the guide we now have go ask alice opinions customers have never but remaining their own article on the experience, or otherwise not read it yet. Everyone who encounters go ask alice goes through the same four stages. When it comes to relating with fellow humans, there are a number of important factors to keep in mind. Go ask alice save to list other books you might like. Titillated horror, for the young reader, at the books dramatic depictions of drug use. Alice s parents worry about alice s hippie appearance. Grace brought it with her from the great society when she joined up with jefferson airplane in 1966. Jul 03, 2014 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 american library association. Due to its frequent and strong references to sex, heavy drug usage, and teen pregnancy, libraries and schools across the country have banned the novel as it sits at number 23 on the american library association ala 100 most.
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. 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. Get answers to your go ask alice questions like how many pages are in go ask alice. We dont want to burst your bubble, but this book is not an actual diary. Its about a girls experience in the drug culture during the 60s. However, coming from a teenager, this book has convinced me to refrain from trying lsd, etc.
Cyberstargazer i love jefferson airplane go ask alice when she was 10 feet tall you totally rewrote and rocked this song, love the whole cooking without a recipe book theme. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. I am not sure why it is called go ask alice, there is a small encounter with a girl named alice but nothing worthy of naming the book after her although i did momentarily wonder if the alice she seen in the book, was indeed our narrator thinking of herself as another person the book is sad. Go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living. Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. Free download or read online go ask alice pdf epub book. Nevertheless, when you have already see this ebook and youre prepared to produce the results well ask you to spend your time to leave a critique on. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication. The title is from the lyrics to the jefferson airplane song white rabbit. Go ask alice became a cult classic in the 1970s, revealing the inner thoughts of a teen in turmoil and detailing her attempts to pull herself out of her druginduced haze. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years.
Jan 04, 2008 do you know anything about the book go ask alice. The narrator is never named, but were going to go ahead and hop on the bandwagon of people who call her alice based off the title. 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. What happens to alice at one unsavoury party changed her life forever. Go ask alice book by anonymous official publisher page. Presented as a reallife diary published under the name anonymous, it was actually a cautionary tale written by the late beatrice sparks, a therapist and mormon youth counselor. This book is a little disappointing in that it is indeed a work of fiction. In fact, enough books on communication and relationships have been published to fill a library. Go ask alice is written as the diary of a fifteenyearold girls daytoday struggle with drug addiction. Go ask alice was the product of beatrice sparks, an author who has come out. The story starts off like any other book, with a normal day and a normal family.
The go ask alice book of answers is a groundbreaking guide that mines the best material from the eponymous awardwinning web site. But theres one aspect of the book that ive never seen discussed, perhaps because no one else has the text memorized from beginning to end. Through out the history of film, many productions have been made based on best selling novels. What frequently challenged or banned childrens or young adult book or book about banning books should we read in may and june. A list of important facts about anonymouss go ask alice, including setting, climax, protagonists, and antagonists. The diary begins right before alices fifteenth birthday. The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my lifeand. If the book doesnt make strict chronological sense, it does obey emotional logic.
Go ask alice is based on a true story about a teenager who becomes addicted to drugs. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 2 pages and is available in paperback format. I think this book writes in a interesting way while it teaches us a life lesson by expressing in diary form. At the 16th of june, alices grandmother died in her sleep. Jul 22, 2009 try writing a thesis about how this book has fooled people into thinking it was truelife.