The Gospel According to Larry: A Young Adult Novel for Adults

Young adult novels have a reputation for being less than profound; focusing on the concerns specific to teenagers and usually not done in a particularly creative way. Oh sure, every once in a while a young adult novel breaks through to the mainstream, with probably Harry Potter being the single most successful one in recent years. It’s kind of hard to remember now, but at the time the first few Harry Potter books were released, they were indeed found only in the young adult section. Now, of course, they practically have their own section.

A much better example of the young adult novel that should have become popular is Janet Tashjian's The Gospel According to Larry. Tashjian’s novel is revolutionary in a way that Harry Potter can never hope to be, despite all the book banning and book burning it has generated. One of the primary purposes of young adult novels is that they are intended to teach values as well as tell a good story. The Gospel According to Larry is revolutionary young adult novel precisely because it questions so many of the values that other novels—mainstream adult novels as well as young adult novels—hold so dear.

The titular protagonist, Larry, is a character who should be deeply admired. For every young kid who dresses up as Harry Potter or Hermione, in an ideal world there would be ten kids who attempt to follow the lead Larry has set for them. The Gospel According to Larry fits in well with the growing anticonsumer movement that is taking the world by storm, whether literally with the rioting at WTO meetings or more subtly by kids refusing to wear brand name clothing. Tashjian has Larry become an icon of anticonsumerism, creating a web site which soon becomes a worldwide sensation. (There is an actual web site where you can learn more about Larry and his cause.) Larry’s web site soon becomes a bond fide sensation to the point where it is noticed by Bono of the band U2, who is so taken with the unknown anticonsumer leader that he organizes a free benefit concert along the lines of Live Aid.