Vernon God Little: Not for Everyone

One of the books being considered for next school year's Campus Reading Program at SJSU is Vernon God Little, a satire of American materialism, conformism, and obsession with the media. It's also a dark comedy involving a school shooting. In my opinion, it's a good book, and a worthwhile read, if you like a certain kind of satire. Still, I don't think it should be chosen for the program.

In general, I'm not quite sure that SJSU should choose a comedy (however dark) for the reading program. Everyone has a different sense of humor, and I'm guessing that Vernon God Little is not everyone's cup of tea. The jokes are often crude, with a sarcastic edge. I don't think that most students would appreciate the satire of VGL, either. Satire is a slippery thing, and it took me 2 years as an English major to kind of get it.

I also think a lot of people would have a hard time relating to the narrator: a dirty-minded 15-year old boy given to frequent profanity. The vulgar language added to the graphic sexual content of the book might be off-putting for some. Sure, in The Kite Runner (last year's choice), Hassan gets raped. But this event was treated more seriously, and with less graphic description.

I imagine that the goal of the SJSU Campus Reading Program is to introduce students to a book they might not otherwise pick up; one that they'll like, that also happens to have redeeming social value and make for a good discussion topic. Vernon God Little can be a good book to pick up in your spare time, when you're in the mood for something with a darker edge. It's funny, and it does have redeeming social value. Still, when in comes to a campus-wide reading program, I think it's best to choose something with a more universal appeal.