The Gospel According to Larry

I know it might seem lame but I couldn't help it. This is my favorite book report I did last year. I really got a kick out of it. I'd talk (type) about it more but I think I pretty much covered everything in the book report itself, so, without further ado, The Gospel According to Larry!

The Gospel According to Larry
By: Janet Tashjian

There are many examples of symbolism in The Gospel According to Larry. One of the most prominent symbols is the name of Josh Swensen’s alter-ego, Larry. Larry is symbolic because it’s about the most un-biblical name that Josh can think of, which is precisely why Josh chose it. Larry symbolizes Josh’s want to go against the grain of society. Another symbol is the logo that Josh comes up with. This logo which is on the web-site that Josh created is a peace sign. Inside the peace sign is a dove with a olive branch in it’s mouth, a world, a floppy disk, and a plug. This shows that Josh thinks that if he can get rid of name recognition and consumerism that the world will be a peaceful, happier place. It also shows that he believes that the Internet is the way to promote his idea of world peace. The make-up counter at Bloomingdale’s symbolizes Josh’s mother because she spent a lot of her time there. This is also where Larry goes to feel closer to his mother.

The very first chapter of The Gospel According to Larry is full of foreshadowing. In it, the author, Janet Tashjian explains how a boy came to her with a story. He asks her to read it so he can get “the truth” about Larry out. This foreshadows that somehow the boy, Josh, is connected to Larry, an Internet “prophet.” Since Josh is by himself and tells Janet that he will contact her, it implies that he’s on the run and that something bad happens since Josh is connected to Larry. When I read this part I did pick up on the foreshadowing. It made me sad because I knew that the story wouldn’t end very happily.

Some flashbacks were also involved in this story. One particular flashback talked about Josh’s memories of his mother. This was important to this story because it shows how Josh’s life was before his mother died. It also shows how he was a regular kid with a mom that guided him. Once she died he became more reclusive and withdrew from everyone. He became more reserved, which drove him to create Larry. This enabled him to voice his opinions without anyone knowing.

(Note to Mrs. Palmer: I know that this isn’t a required part of this book report and I don’t care if I get points docked off but I have to voice my honest to goodness opinion.) Janet Tashjian creates a believable tale about how a boy came to her with a story. I mean, we live in an age of computers where almost anything could happen. I found this aspect of the story very interesting and enjoyable. I probably would’ve even recommended this book to others if it weren’t for one extremely large flaw that is pretty much the basis of the whole story. Ms. Tashjian is trying to preach to us. Even worse, it doesn’t stop there. She preaches about how everyone should believe in anti-commercialism. I hate commercialism as much as the next person, I even agree with SOME of the ideas she presents in her book. Yes, I do think that a lot of models/actresses are anorexic whether they admit to it or not and yes, it is ridiculous how into brand names our society has gotten. Nevertheless, the way she preaches and the extent of her preaching make it sound like she is also against the economy. I’m sorry, (wait a sec, I’m NOT sorry) in any case, I just CANNOT read an anti-economy book in good conscience. I guess what I’m saying is, Ms. Tashjian, I thought that your story was an interesting concept but I would have actually enjoyed it if it hadn’t been bashing the economy. Oh yeah, and next time, don’t shove a message down our throats. Thanks. (Another note to Mrs. Palmer: Thanks for letting me rant like this. I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I’ll stop now.)