The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Authors: E. Lockhart
Pages: 352
Publisher: Hyperion (2008)



Review:

“She asked herself: If I were in charge, how could I have done it better?” (p. 86)

Picture an elitist boarding school, full of timeless traditions that exclude a certain percentage of the student body. Include a secret society of students, who exercise their power by doing silly pranks and proving their popularity. Add in a quirky, talented girl who isn’t going to stand for any of it – most particularly her boyfriend’s involvement.

On the surface, the story of Frankie Landau-Banks seems to be a great comedy, with excellent gags and wonderful comedic timing. Nonetheless, you can still find an interesting depth and analysis of certain elements of culture you might never have thought to question previously. The characters are three-dimensional in their own way, and Frankie herself shines through with a strength that I’m sure will someday lead her to change the world.

You know exactly what is going to happen from the very beginning, due to two main factors: expert use of foreshadowing and a misplaced prologue. To me, this stylistic maneuver proves that, as in many situations, what matters isn’t the end result, but how you get there. Expect to learn a few new words, and laugh out loud at the grammar in the story. My personal word of the day is schadenfreude (pleasure obtained from others’ misfortunes), which I am planning on using next chance I get.

Regardless of whether you laugh at the situations presented in the book (I can assure you that I did), you will probably remember at least a few of the ideas presented in it. You might even be interested in reading about the panopticon and wondering how it applies to your own life. Just that makes the book a worthy read (deliberately ignoring the hours of fun you’ll get out of it).