Are You There God? It's Me Margaret: Judy Blume

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This is another one of my fastest reads!! I didn’t think I would finish it quite so soon but it took me just about an hour to finish Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.” What a marvelous book! Its 150 pages belie the depth and insight that shine from it. Margaret is a pre-teen, a few months shy of her 12th birthday when the book begins. It chronicles the last semester of her sixth grade and all the changes that happen to her during the time.

Blume’s observations of the mind of a soon-to-be teenager are spot on. The worries, the doubts and the issues that bother an average girl of that age are excellently conveyed. Blume makes it look deceptively simple but there is a lot more to the book than meets the eye. It’s no surprise that it was banned from most school libraries when it came out in 1970s America, which was still pretty orthodox and conservative.

Through Margaret we see the poignant stage that a girl her age is in. She is a child who wants to be an adult but is yet to become a teenager. Her hormones are in constant flux and it’s that period in life when boys suddenly become very interesting. And it’s a status symbol to have an expanding list of boys whom you like. Blume also explores different aspects of religious beliefs. Margaret, like her parents, says that she does not follow a particular religion. But every time she is in doubt or under pressure, she talks to God. And it can range from simple wonderment –

“Are you there, God? It’s me Margaret. I can’t wait until two o’ clock, God. That’s when our dance starts. Do you think I will get Philip Leroy for a partner?”

to more serious queries –

“Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I hate to remind you, God… I mean, I know you’re busy. But it’s already December and I’m not growing. At least I don’t see any real difference. Isn’t it time, God?”

As part of her school project, Margaret sets out to find out her own belief systems, and this is another brilliant aspect of Blume’s writing. She puts across a very complex age when every small thing means a world – from deciding to wear socks to going to dances – through the dialogue of a 12 year old.

Blume also portrays the touching bond between Margaret and her grandmother who is truly her best friend. This struck a personal chord with me as I too was extremely close to my grandmother and I was smiling through many a passage where grandmother and granddaughter tell each other confidences.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and most importantly I loved its reach. Although it's set in the 1970s, it is a book for all times. It is classified as Young Adult but it makes great reading for even a comparatively doddering adult like me. I have perhaps not done justice to the book in my review. But then, it cannot be pinned down in this space, its nuances can only be experienced.


Verdict: Brilliant work and a must read

Rating: 5/5