Lack of sophistication., 11. Mai 2004

The novel "Big Mouth and Ugly Girl" which was written by Joyce Carol Oates in 2002 is about a boy named Matt Donaghy who has been accused of threatening to carry out a massacre at his High School. The accusations of the school, the students, police and even the media make him a nervous wreck. There is just one person speaking up and putting in a good word for him: Ursula Riggs, known as ugly and unpopular with others. Both never had something to do with each other but the more Matt gets in trouble the more they develop a close relationship.

From the first pages on the novel is very gripping. Fortunately Oates avoids starting with long descriptions of different circumstances which often bore the readers. Right from the start both protagonists - the charismatic Matt and the poor ugly Ursula - become very likeable. In the first half of the book you read from two perspectives, later both actions blend into each other. Firstly you get to know a lot about the two particular headstrong juniors and their backgrounds. Although the plot does not seem to be interesting the novel rarely becomes boring because Oates manages to entertain her readers with her eloquent and colloquial style of writing. You really feel pity and sympathy for Matt's and Ursula's situations.

Nevertheless the novel is not really challenging. The language of Oates is very funny and entertaining but that is it. After reading the novel you automatically feel like it was written for teenagers - I would go so far as to claim that even children would understand what this book is about. After approximately hundred pages you feel like already knowing how the story will end. And indeed - I was not surprised about the ending because I expected exactly that and I am surely not the only one.

Maybe the only interesting aspect about this book is the development of Matt because you really see how such unjust accuses can destroy a boy's life. The situation also depicts how fearful the American society is about school massacres after all the real incidents in the last months and years. But even that is already known and so there isn't anything you were not informed about before. Other aspects which Oates writes about are things like friendship, love, family affairs and especially teenagers in puberty who are developing and fighting against typical problems. The latter mostly refers to young people who represent the role of social misfits. Do not expect revolutionary ideas.

In the end I would say the novel "Big Mouth and Ugly Girl" is a book worth reading as long as you want to be entertained for a few hours. If you expect something like a book filled with pretentious surprises, brilliant characters, a story you have not heard about before or a bombastic excitement you will surely be disappointed. Compare this novel to a tasty candy: While eating you will like it, after swallowing you will forget about it.

      Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, 15. Januar 2004

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl written by J. C.Oates sounds quite interesting, when our English teacher told us to read this novel.Reading thrrough the first two chapters, I'm very disappointed, because of her style of writing. The style was unvaried and boring. Although wishing that the most interesting scene will appear in the following chapters I become more and more disappointed. I have to force myself to read till the end of the book. Moreover, the novel does not contain any scene, in which I can say: WHAO, THAT'S IT or IT'S COOL WRITTEN ! I would not recommend the book to you, but if you still interested in reading this book, you can do this of course, I wish you will have much pleasure while reading it. :-)