The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is loved by many children and their dads and moms on many continents. The series has been translated into 52 languages and has sold over 200 million copies. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” instills in children a great interest in reading, because it is perceived by them as a kind of collection of cautionary tales.
The main character of the work is Greg Heffley – an ordinary student, who gets into both curiosities and funny stories. His personal diary is filled with funny notes and worldly stories and curious images (they create the author of the book – Jeff Kinney).
What the book is about
This is a book (partly a very funny diary) of Gregory Haffley’s high school student for one calendar year. The boy finds daily adventures on his head. He takes part in a school concert, he decides to enroll in athletes and become the most popular of them, or he considers what kind of outfit he will wear on Halloween. And almost always Greg fears difficulty or failure. The case hasn’t even started yet, and he already fears failure. And he writes about the related experiences in his diary. It’s so funny, especially when accompanied by cheerful illustrations. This work is above all about friendship (even taking into account its unpleasant manifestations, such as envy), about family values, about the need to keep faith in one’s own strength, and about the struggle for truth and personal rights.
The story of the life of an ordinary fifth grader turned out to be very funny and believable. Everything, given the language of the description of events and ending with a comic strip, really resembles a boy of this age. Some moments take you back to childhood, to early adolescence, when you’re still laughing at silly jokes, but already steaming about relationships and status among peers. And then there are the shifting desires and interests. Beautifully described the hero’s experiences with his friend, believable – without the snot and misery, but in a boyish dry, but all understandable and so.
The point of the book
Many people are annoyed by the selfishness of Gregory Haffley, who sees nothing beyond his nose, thereby offending those around him, in particular the long-suffering Rowley, but Jeff Kinney simply tried to convey the feelings of schoolchildren, when the child puts his own interests in the first place.
Book Analysis
Bookstores sell a ton of books that are among the top most popular and most read because of the mass of tiny, but very satisfying and interesting details for the child. That is, publishers are sticking to the “golden mean.” One such printed product is Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Slacker.
The main character in the book is Greg. He looks absolutely nothing like a superhero or some idiot (to practice morals and stereotypes on him). No, Greg is an ordinary, unruly kid with no hint of a crown on his head. And he also has the difficulties of his time: he is shy, a little cowardly, morbid, loves sweets, is into computer games, and is uptight, but he doesn’t mind being famous. Among other things – and keeping a diary is what he needs to get a kind of “document” that confirms his awesomeness at the time when he becomes famous. In short, Greg’s feelings are close and understandable to almost every other child – his weaknesses are not disguised, but brought to the forefront. The young reader is provided with valuable emotional support.
The author of the book himself says that: “All of his childhood sins and faults have gone into the books, and his adult faults are also there. The main theme of the books – the fact that Greg on the background of pride in himself does not grasp the comicality of the situation, does not realize that he puts on display to the world, just as he is. The author admits that he sometimes behaves in the same way.
History of the book’s creation
The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid was intended for an adult audience. The publisher began to urge Kinney to take a different direction: “Lower the bar with an eye toward a children’s audience, you’ll have a dramatically increased chance of success.
As a young man, Jeff Kinney worked in the newsroom as a designer and programmer. This may have contributed to the fact that he then made a personal game site geared toward children.
Growing up as a children’s writer took place in the town of Fort Washington, Washington. Kinney received his undergraduate education at the University of Maryland. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series already includes more than 12 books.
The meaning of the book title
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is the debut in the series and tells the story of Gregory Heffley. From the title it already becomes apparent that the child is weak in character, in high school he experiences his own ups and downs. He is oppressed by relationships, he is aiming for stardom, but the boy is beset by a host of dangers of growing up.
Created in diary format, with many illustrations included in the narrative, the work tells readers the story of a boy’s first year of high school. Greg is short, not at all athletic, and suffers from bullying. He tries to make his life more comfortable, striving for popularity, especially among his peer girls. Greg is often comforted by his best friend Rowley. He is loyal and trustworthy.
But Greg’s relationship with Rowley is unstable. Rowley’s skills make his talents loud, and intrigue and manipulation on Greg’s part jeopardize that friendship. All for the fragile advantages Greg can gain.
Later, after being humiliated by some of Rowley’s teens, Greg stands up for Rowley in front of his peers. Their friendship is renewed. Rowley is awarded the annual title that Greg had previously dreamed of. But the latter does not prevent it, although he tries to warn Rowley not to let the praise make his head spin.
The Problematics of the Book
Keeping diaries is not usually inherent in boys. Or is it? Greg Haffley has to go through school, and he has a hard time living. He’s always called to the blackboard on the most unexpected day. And during recess and after school, he’s bombarded on all sides by big, unpleasant, contemptuous high school students. The girls laugh at him and notice on his face every tiny pimple. No one shares the hardships of his life with Greg: not his parents, not his close friends. Greg’s pal Rowley suddenly becomes popular, Greg also wants fame and tries to take advantage of the situation. But, unwittingly, Greg’s behavior triggers a chain of events that forces their boyhood friendship to be put to the test.
What the book teaches
The book encourages readers to learn to recognize their own mistakes and not to mislead anyone, lest there be bad consequences later. The emphasis in the book is that it is good to be brave and strong.
Explanation of the book’s ending
There is no overarching storyline in the book. There is just a jump from one situation to another. The book is a lot of fun and interesting. It is a charming read for the whole family. This franchise could go on for years to come. After all, this book is essentially just a collection of anecdotes from the life of an American schoolboy, and it’s still pretty good.
Of course, not all children will understand what it is like to be a wimp and a loser, but perhaps there will be those who realize that it is not necessary to hurt such children.
True, there are some characters in the book who are really annoying – Greg’s parents, who are creepy prudes. It’s a shame about Greg, who gets a lot of inhibitions and punishments from his dad and mom. But since he is created a loser, he has to put up with that, too, for greater effect.
All in all, though, the book is pretty good.
