Revisiting a classic: “Forever…” by Judy Blume

In my YA lit class, we talked some about how being a more experienced reader really changes the way you interpret and absorb books. We talked about how books are written for young adults with this in mind, making them conceptually and stylistically different from adult books. It’s also apparent how when your world perspective changes, so does your ability to relate to different situations. Never has this been more apparent to me than in a re-read of Judy Blume’s “Forever…” (don’t forget that ellipses in the title!).

This book was one of my absolute favorites when I was growing up. During my entire relationship with my first boyfriend, this book was my bible. I wanted to be just like Katherine, and my boyfriend was my Michael. Our relationship was going to be just as romantic as theirs. Except for the sex part – I was way too much of a prude to do that. My friends and I giggled for days at the scene where Michael whips it out and calls it Ralph. Actually, that still makes me giggle because, seriously? Ew, dude.

Upon rereading this story as a 30 year old, I’m realizing that Michael? Is kind of a douche. I expected to put the book down and go, “aww, that’s a cute story.” Instead, I’m kind of disturbed that this girl stayed with the douchey guy for so long. For one thing, he asks Katherine if she’s a virgin… on their first date. I would have punched him the face.

And I totally forgot about the part where the friend who is questioning his sexuality ends up having a meltdown, and is sent to the psych ward. Yeah, that’s right. You may have missed that subplot the first time around because you were so busy giggling over Ralph. I know I did. But yes, it happens. Though I’m torn about this subplot, I think I’m mostly praising Ms. Blume for her ingenuity on this account – I can totally see that as something that happened frequently in the 70’s, and actually I can sort of buy that a suburban teenager struggling with his sexuality might have a similar meltdown, even today. I wonder if that was her way of shedding light on that issue without actually having to write an entire soon-to-banned book about it. Thank the literary gods that we’ve come far enough that in today’s YA lit, there actually are a ton of whole books on the subject. Because of that, though, I wonder if it seems dated and out of place to today’s readers. By the same token, I wonder if girls will be as taken with the whole “loss of virginity” narrative as we were. Does this story really hold up when instead, teenage girls can read Twilight or Gossip Girl?

Don’t get me wrong. I have a really hard time saying anything remotely negative about anything Ms. Blume writes. My point is that “Forever,” while once a classic in my teenage mind, just doesn’t really hold up when you’re an adult, the way her other stories do. Don’t worry – I still think Sally J. Freedman is the greatest kid ever, and I still share Margaret’s ambivalence about getting her period. But I am sort of enlightened on why “Forever…” is a book meant for teenagers, not for us, now that we’re grown ups.

Book talk hook: Point out that this is no ordinary romance because of the details.  Mention Ralph.

Blume, Judy (1975). Forever… NY: Simon Pulse. 208 pages.