NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: Aaaaand here’s a perfect example of a book I would have liked as a teen that would not hold up as well to an adult reading. I wanted to like it, and it was well-written, but it was overwrought to the point that it made me cringe. Not to mention that I couldn’t quite believe the characters were really supposed to be 17, considering their lives bore absolutely no resemblance to mine or anyone else I knew at that age (regarding sexuality, drinking and drugs, money, freedom, and general interests). I’m not sure if this is a testimony to how sheltered and nerdy a teen I was, or how different kids are today. Ironically, I liked the movie, which I watched while I was sick and feeling sorry for myself, and it charmed and amused me. (I cannot resist Michael Cera.) That’s what inspired me to check the book out of the library. But not only did I not really like the book, but weirdly, I’m not sure I would have liked the movie if I’d seen it after reading the book, because in retrospect I have issues with a lot of the decisions that were made in adapting the book to the screen (for example, making Nick’s ex-girlfriend a shallow, raging bitch instead of a complex, ambivalent character who is actually a pretty good friend to Norah). In short, my feelings are a bit confused, but I can say with certainty that (sigh) I think I am actually too old to properly enjoy this book, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I recommend just seeing the movie and leaving it at that.