Paper Towns (novel)

Last updated
Paper Towns
Paper Towns covers.jpg
The two [1] first edition covers
Author John Green
LanguageEnglish
Genre Young adult, Mystery
Publisher Dutton Books
Publication date
October 16, 2008
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback, Paperback)
Pages305
ISBN 978-0-525-47818-8
OCLC 202483793
LC Class PZ7.G8233 Pap 2008

Paper Towns is a novel written by John Green, published on October 16, 2008, by Dutton Books. [2] The novel is about the coming-of-age of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his search for Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and childhood crush. During his search, Quentin and his friends Ben, Radar, and Lacey discover information about Margo. [3]

Contents

John Green drew inspiration for this book from his experience and knowledge of "paper towns" during a road journey through South Dakota. [4] It debuted at number five on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books [5] and was awarded the 2009 Edgar Award for best young adult novel. [6] A film adaptation was released on July 24, 2015.

Plot summary

Paper Towns mostly takes place in and around Jefferson Park, a fictional subdivision located in suburban Orlando, Florida and focuses on narrator and protagonist Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, with whom Quentin has always had a romantic fascination. As preadolescents, Quentin and Margo together discovered the corpse of a local man who died of suicide in their neighborhood park. Nine years later, Quentin is an outcast whose best friends are Ben and Radar, while Margo is a popular student—both now seniors at Winter Park High School. A month before their graduation, Margo suddenly reappears in Quentin's life, climbing through his bedroom window as she did during their first meeting. She has devised an eleven-part plan of vengeance on a group of people she feels have hurt her during her time at high school; these people include her cheating boyfriend Jase and peers Lacey and Becca. Margo needs an accomplice and a car to help her, and Quentin accepts. Margo and Quentin successfully complete the tasks, share a romantically ambiguous dance, and return to their homes around dawn.

The next day, Quentin wonders hopefully if Margo will start hanging out with him, but Margo is reported missing by her parents after three days. Quentin, Ben, and Radar soon discover a series of items that Margo has left hidden for Quentin: a picture of Woody Guthrie on Margo's bedroom window shade, Margo's highlighted copy of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself", and a written address in Quentin's bedroom doorjamb. Quentin and his friends follow these clues to find an abandoned mini-mall in Christmas, Florida, that contains evidence of Margo's recent presence. Quentin struggles to analyze all of Margo's clues and leftover materials in the mini-mall. He suspects the clues are meant to lead him to her current whereabouts, though he worries she may have committed suicide.

Based on a note Margo has left referring to "paper towns", Quentin realizes Margo may be hiding or buried in one of the many abandoned housing subdivisions—"pseudovisions" or "paper towns"—around Orlando. He drives to all of the pseudovisions where he feels that she may be hiding, but he cannot find her. On the day of his graduation, Quentin comes across an obscure Internet post, with a comment left on it which Quentin recognizes as Margo's due to its distinctive capitalization, which tells him that Margo has been hiding in a fictitious town in New York State called Agloe (which was created as a copyright trap by mapmakers) and that she plans to leave Agloe immediately after noon on May 29. Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey impulsively skip graduation to drive to Agloe to search for her, rushing to get from Florida to New York before noon on May 29.

In Agloe, they discover Margo is living in an old, dilapidated barn. She is shocked to see them, which angers the group, who expected her to be grateful for their presence. Margo had left those clues only to assure Quentin that she is okay, and did not want to be found. Angry at her lack of gratitude, Radar, Ben, and Lacey leave and spend the night at a motel. Quentin realizes the image he had of Margo was as fake as the one that she had been projecting to everyone else and becomes furious at her for wasting his time. Margo argues that Quentin saved her for egotistical reasons: he wanted to be a knight in shining armor who saved the troubled girl. Ultimately, Quentin accepts that it was unfair for him to expect Margo to live up to his perfect image of her, and he begins to logically overcome his sexual attraction towards her. After their conversation, Margo decides to go to New York City and asks Quentin to accompany her. Quentin wants to stay with her, and they kiss, but he understands his home life and responsibilities prevent him from going. Margo promises to Quentin that she will keep in contact with him.

Characters

Quentin "Q" Jacobsen
The protagonist and narrator of the story. Quentin is the stereotypical rule-follower. He likes things to be neat and simple, making him the complete opposite of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has had a crush on Margo since they were kids, but the distance he kept from her created a perfect image of her in his head that turned out not to be real. His desire to find her after she goes missing drives the events of the story.
Margo Roth Spiegelman
A self-described "pretty girl" who runs away from home only to be pursued by her childhood friend. Spiegelman is assertive but is from a dysfunctional Jewish family, and is one of the most popular girls at her local high school. She has a love for American literature, music, and travel. Her pet dog, Myrna Mountweazel, is a reference to Lillian Virginia Mountweazel, [7] a woman who never existed, but was listed in the 1975 edition of the New Columbia Encyclopedia.
Ben "Bloody Ben" Starling
One of Quentin and Radar's best friends, travels with them and his girlfriend, Lacey. He is in the school band. Ben is the comic relief of the book, providing a much needed humorous energy on the trip.
Marcus "Radar" Lincoln
He is one of Quentin's best friends. He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character from M*A*S*H. [8] To his embarrassment, his parents own the world's largest collection of Black Santas. [9] He is in the school band. He is also the brains of the group. He was very unwilling to follow along with much of the adventures they had, mainly because of his girlfriend, Angela, whom he was very loyal to.
Lacey Pemberton
Lacey is the best and closest friend of Margo. They were friends since kindergarten. She starts dating Ben after breaking up with Chuck Parson. Margo and Lacey have a strange friendship; Margo feels Lacey has always been judgmental of her throughout their relationship by sometimes saying, what Margo sees as, little insults to their difference in body type. After they reunite, Lacey is hurt that she worried so much and traveled all the way from Orlando, just to find that Margo didn't even care that they had found her after looking for so long, thereby straining their friendship. They later reconciled after a phone conversation. [10]

Structure

The novel is written in three parts. Each individual part is named for a specific metaphor used considerably in that section. The titles of sections are "The Strings", "The Grass", and "The Vessel". Each individual chapter within the first two parts is labeled with a number. However, the third part of the novel is divided into smaller sections. Each section refers to the hour of the characters' road trip. [11]

Background

John Green, author of Paper Towns John Green by Gage Skidmore.jpg
John Green, author of Paper Towns

Throughout the novel, the concept of paper towns is mentioned several times. As a former Orlando resident, John Green had seen and heard of many "paper towns". His first experience with a "paper town" occurred during his junior year of college while on a road trip. In South Dakota, he and his friend came across a paper town called Holen. At the end of the novel, John Green states that the story of Agloe presented in the text is mostly true: "Agloe began as a paper town created to protect against copyright infringement. But then people with these old Esso maps kept looking for it, and so someone built a store, making Agloe real." [12]

Reception

Paper Towns received mostly positive reviews. Publishers Weekly said: "The title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and copyright trap towns that appear on maps but don't exist, unintentionally underscores the novel's weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters". It also said the novel is "another teen pleasing read". [13] Kirkus Reviews praised the novel as "a winning combination". [14] School Library Journal said: "Q is a great social outcast main character who sometimes thinks a little too much, but is completely relatable. Though we only really see Margo for the first third of the book, the clues really create her character and give us the feeling she's a complex person. Finding out who Margo is through the things she left behind was a really great way to develop her character." [15]

Rebecca Swain of Orlando Sentinel stated: "Paper Towns has convinced me that jaded adult readers need to start raiding the Teen's section at the bookstore. Green, who grew up in Orlando and uses the city as a backdrop for the story, taps into the cadence of teenage life with sharp and funny writing, but transcends age with deeper insights." [16] Chelsey G.H. Philpot, editorial assistant of The Horn Book Guide, said: "the end breaks your heart, and yet it feels right". [17] Rollie Welch called Paper Towns "Green's best work" up to that point. [18] Michael Cart praised John Green for his symbolism and ability to synthesize imagination and reality; he wrote: "Green ponders the interconnectedness of imagination and perception, of mirrors and windows, of illusion and reality". [19]

Robert Corwin of Arizona State University wrote, "some readers may find the author's use of language and sexual content objectionable." [19] The Cleveland Plain Dealer stated, “Readers will find that the structure and central mystery of Paper Towns echo Green's debut, Looking for Alaska , and Gregory Galloway's 2005 novel, As Simple As Snow," and Kirkus Reviews wrote that Green's novel was “reminiscent" of Galloway's novel. [14]

On June 23, 2014, Paper Towns was removed from the summer reading list for 13-year-olds at Dr John Long Middle School in Pasco County, Florida after a parent complained to a board member that she disapproved of the book's sexual content. The National Coalition Against Censorship responded to the removal by calling for the book to be reinstated to the reading list. In a letter to the district superintendent, the organization wrote: "No sound educational rationale for removing the book has been articulated, nor is it likely that one could be". [20] Consequently, it was restored to the reading list the following month. [21]

Film adaptation

Fox 2000 developed the Paper Towns film with the same team that made The Fault in Our Stars . Jake Schreier directed the film. [22] Nat Wolff, who played a role in the film version of The Fault in Our Stars, starred as Quentin, [23] [24] Cara Delevingne played Margo Roth Spiegelman, [25] [26] and Justice Smith, Austin Abrams, and Halston Sage played Quentin/Q's friends Radar, Ben, and Lacey, respectively. Jaz Sinclair appeared in the film as Angela, Radar's girlfriend. [27] The film was released on July 24, 2015. [28]

Other editions

The paperback edition of the novel was released on September 22, 2009. [29] The book was also released in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing on May 3, 2010. [30]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Spiegelman</span> American cartoonist (born 1948)

Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman, professionally known as Art Spiegelman, is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel Maus. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines Arcade and Raw has been influential, and from 1992 he spent a decade as contributing artist for The New Yorker. He is married to designer and editor Françoise Mouly and is the father of writer Nadja Spiegelman. In September 2022, the National Book Foundation announced that he would receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

<i>Maus</i> Graphic novel by Art Spiegelman

Maus, often published as Maus: A Survivor's Tale, is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman, serialized from 1980 to 1991. It depicts Spiegelman interviewing his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The work employs postmodern techniques, and represents Jews as mice and other Germans and Poles as cats and pigs respectively. Critics have classified Maus as memoir, biography, history, fiction, autobiography, or a mix of genres. In 1992, it became the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Roth</span> English actor (born 1961)

Timothy Simon Roth is a British actor and producer. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the "Brit Pack".

Fictitious or fake entries are deliberately incorrect entries in reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and directories, added by the editors as copyright traps to reveal subsequent plagiarism or copyright infringement. There are more specific terms for particular kinds of fictitious entry, such as Mountweazel, trap street, paper town, phantom settlement, and nihilartikel.

<i>Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary</i> 1972 graphic novel written by Justin Green

Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary is an autobiographical comic by American cartoonist Justin Green, published in 1972. Green takes the persona of Binky Brown to tell of the "compulsive neurosis" with which he struggled in his youth and which he blamed on his strict Roman Catholic upbringing. Green was later diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and came to see his problems in that light.

<i>Orlando</i> (film) 1992 film by Sally Potter

Orlando is a 1992 period fantasy drama film loosely based on Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel Orlando: A Biography, starring Tilda Swinton as Orlando, Billy Zane as Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, and Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth I. It was written and directed by Sally Potter, who also co-wrote the score with David Motion. The film is an international co-production of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Russia.

<i>Raw</i> (comics magazine) Comics anthology edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly

Raw was a comics anthology edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly and published in the United States by Mouly from 1980 to 1991. It was a flagship publication of the 1980s alternative comics movement, serving as a more intellectual counterpoint to Robert Crumb's visceral Weirdo, which followed squarely in the underground tradition of Zap and Arcade. Along with the more genre-oriented Heavy Metal it was also one of the main venues for European comics in the United States in its day.

<i>Looking for Alaska</i> 2005 novel by John Green

Looking for Alaska is a 2005 young adult novel by American author John Green. Based on his time at Indian Springs School, Green wrote the novel as a result of his desire to create meaningful young adult fiction. The characters and events of the plot are grounded in Green's life, while the story itself is fictional.

André Deutsch was a Hungarian-born British publisher who founded an eponymous publishing company in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Green</span> American author and YouTuber (born 1977)

John Michael Green is an American author, YouTuber, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including The Fault in Our Stars (2012), which is one of the best-selling books of all time. Green's rapid rise to fame and idiosyncratic voice are credited with creating a major shift in the young adult fiction market. Green is also well known for his work in online video, most notably his YouTube ventures with his brother Hank Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agloe, New York</span> Fictional place in New York state, USA

Agloe was originally a fictional hamlet in Colchester, Delaware County, New York, United States, that became an actual landmark after mapmakers made up the community as a phantom settlement, an example of a fictitious entry similar to a trap street, added to the map to catch plagiarism.

<i>The 39 Clues</i> Novel series by various authors

The 39 Clues is a series of adventure novels written by a collaboration of authors, including Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Roland Smith, David Baldacci, Jeff Hirsch, Natalie Standiford, C. Alexander London, Sarwat Chadda and Jenny Goebel. It consists of five series, The Clue Hunt, Cahills vs. Vespers, Unstoppable, Doublecross, and Superspecial. They chronicle the adventures of two siblings, Amy and Dan Cahill, who discover that their family has been, and still is, the most influential family in history.

<i>National Treasure</i> (franchise) Film franchise

The National Treasure franchise consists of American historical fiction action-adventures, including two released theatrical films, a prequel book series, and a television series set 20 years after the films. Future installments, notably a third film, have been under consideration for many years. The plot of the films and books centers around the Gates family – treasure hunters who search for and preserve lost valuables from the history of the United States of America – while the TV series references this background and features some common characters.

<i>The Narrative Corpse</i> 1995 comic book

The Narrative Corpse is a chain story, or comic jam, created by 69 all-star cartoonists in the early-to-mid 1990s. A graphic novel compilation of the result was published in 1995.

<i>The Magicians</i> (Grossman novel) 2009 fantasy novel by Lev Grossman

The Magicians is a new adult fantasy novel by the American author Lev Grossman, published in 2009 by Viking Press. It tells the story of Quentin Coldwater, a young man who discovers and attends a secret college of magic in New York. The novel received critical acclaim and was followed by a sequel, The Magician King, in 2011 and a third novel, The Magician's Land, in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">200 South Orange</span> American skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida

200 South Orange, formerly known as the SunTrust Center and Sun Bank Center, is a skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Orlando, Florida. Rising to 441 ft (134.4 m), it is the tallest multi-story building in Orlando and Central Florida outside of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Completed in 1988, it has 35 stories and 30 floors of usable office space. Originally named the Sun Bank Center, the name changed after SunTrust Banks began its series of mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s. It was originally built to serve as the Florida headquarters for SunTrust Banks, but as recently as 2009, SunTrust has vacated over 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) in an effort to downsize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halston Sage</span> American actress (born 1993)

Halston Sage is an American actress. She is known for her television roles, such as Grace on the Nickelodeon series How to Rock (2012), Amber on the NBC series Crisis (2014), Alara Kitan on the Fox series The Orville (2017–2019), and Ainsley Whitly on the Fox television series Prodigal Son (2019–2021). Sage has also appeared in films, playing Lacey in Paper Towns and Kendall in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, both from 2015, and Lindsay in the 2017 film Before I Fall.

<i>Lady of the Forest</i> Book by Jennifer Roberson

Lady of the Forest: A Novel of Sherwood is a 1992 historical fiction novel by American author Jennifer Roberson. A re-telling of the Robin Hood legend from the perspective of twelve characters associated with the legend, the story centers around English noblewoman Lady Marian FitzWalter's encounters with Lord Robert of Locksley and his scheming rival the Sheriff of Nottingham amid the backdrop of Prince John's schemes – he aims to increase his own wealth and power at the expense of post-Conquest England and his brother, King Richard.

<i>Paper Towns</i> (film) 2015 film directed by Jake Schreier

Paper Towns is a 2015 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne, with Halston Sage, Austin Abrams, and Justice Smith in supporting roles. The story follows the search by Quentin "Q" Jacobsen (Wolff) for Margo Roth Spiegelman (Delevingne), his childhood friend and object of affection. In the process, Quentin explores the relationship with his friends, including his compatibility with Margo.

The Magicians trilogy is the common name for a series of fantasy novels written by Lev Grossman, including The Magicians (2009), The Magician King (2011), and The Magician's Land (2014).

References

  1. ↑ Green, John (April 2, 2008). "The Covers of Paper Towns". John Green. Archived from the original on 2014-10-26. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (Oct 24, 2008). "Mandate, Mr.Mudd ready to roll 'Paper'" . Retrieved 14 March 2012.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 305.
  4. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 306.
  5. ↑ "Best Sellers". New York Times. November 2, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Edgar Award Winners" (PDF). Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-27.
  7. ↑ "Not a Word". New Yorker. August 29, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  8. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 12-13.
  9. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 22.
  10. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 49-50.
  11. ↑ "Paper Towns read online free by John Green - Novel22".
  12. ↑ Paper Towns 2008, p. 206.
  13. ↑ "Paper Towns". Publishers Weekly. Dutton. September 8, 2008. p. 51.
  14. 1 2 "Paper Towns". Kirkus Reviews . 1 September 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Paper Towns Review". School Library Journal.
  16. ↑ Swain, Rebecca (October 11, 2008). "Review: Paper Towns by John Green". The Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008.
  17. ↑ Philpot, Chelsey G.H. (July–August 2010). "What Makes a Good YA Road Trip Novel". Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2012.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ↑ Welch, Rollie. "'Paper Town' is author John Green's best work". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  19. 1 2 Corwin, Robert (February 2008). "Paper Towns". Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Retrieved 16 March 2012.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ Tobar, Hector (1 July 2014). "Florida school nixes John Green's 'Paper Towns,' prompts outcry". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Kellogg, Carolyn (29 July 2014). "John Green books come under parental fire again". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  22. ↑ John Green (September 4, 2014). "EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: The Paper Towns movie will be directed by the brilliant @jakeschreier, who previously made "Robot and Frank."". twitter.com. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  23. ↑ Green, John. "Paper Towns will have the same screenwriters (@iamthepuma and @thisisweber), same producers (@wyckgodfrey), same studio, AND @natandalex" . Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  24. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 24, 2014). "Fox 2000 Grabs John Green Novel 'Paper Towns', Reunites 'Fault In Our Stars' Team With Nat Wolff To Star". Deadline. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ Justin Kroll (September 16, 2014). "Cara Delevingne Lands Female Lead in John Green's 'Paper Towns' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  26. ↑ John Green (September 16, 2014). "VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! @Caradelevingne will play Margo Roth Spiegelman in the Paper Towns movie". twitter.com. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  27. ↑ Andrew Sims (October 15, 2014). "'Paper Towns' adds Jaz Sinclair as Radar's girlfriend Angela". hypable.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  28. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Travel Tips (and Paper Towns Movie Updates)". YouTube . 10 March 2015.
  29. ↑ Green, John (2009). Paper Towns (9780142414934): John Green: Books. Penguin. ISBN   978-0142414934.
  30. ↑ "Paper Towns (Book) by John Green (2010)". Waterstones . Retrieved May 5, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.