Hey all! Anna here. Summer isn’t over yet! You still have a few weeks to pick up some good non-required reading. But which books to pick? Well, why don’t you use this handy graphic I whipped up and see if you can’t find something you’re interested! Still stuck? Send me an email (address in the picture) and I’ll do my best to match you to your perfect book (besides Delirium, of course!)
Lena, still uninfected with the deliria, breaks the fourth wall* to tell us about the past and how it will only hinder future decisions.
I’ll tell you another secret, this one for your own good. You may think the past has something to tell you. You may think that you should listen, should strain to make out its whispers, should bend over backward, stoop down low to hear its voice breathed up from the ground, from the dead places. You may think there’s something in it for you, something to understand or make sense of. But I know the truth: I know from the nights of Coldness. I know the past will drag you backward and down, have you snatching at whispers of wind and the gibberish of trees rubbing together, trying to decipher some code, trying to piece together what was broken. It’s hopeless. The past is nothing but a weight. It will build inside of you like a stone. Take it from me: If you hear the past speaking to you, feel it tugging at your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do—the only thing—is run.
Oliver, Lauren (2011-08-02). Delirium: The Special Edition (pp. 157-158). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
In this quote, Lena is adamant that dwelling on the past will only hurt you and your future. At this point in the novel, she has just learned that Alex is an Invalid, an uncured from the Wilds. Lena tells the reader that “the past is nothing but a weight” because she doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s uncured footsteps.
Is Lena right? Does the past just bog you down? More after the jump.
Note: Here’s the first of my op ed pieces about the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver. All opinion expressed in this article is mine alone and does not reflect the official views of this site, Ms. Oliver, or any affiliated party. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy! xo Anna
Of love, Lena Haloway fears one thing above the rest. It is “the deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.”
Lena never wanted to fall in love. In her world, love is a dangerous even deadly condition, one which must be eradicated in order to shape an orderly, productive society. Lena fully supports this dogma, so much so she even counts down the days until she can undergo the procedure that cures citizens of amor deliria nervosa, the medical term for love.
Of course, as is with all fiction, when would we ever want to see a character get what they want on page one? Literature is best served on top of a heaping pile of conflict. And so, against her wishes and despite her resistance, Lena falls in love with the mysterious and intriguing Alex. And even worse- she finds she’s happy that she’s acquired the deadly deliria.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver proves the old adage that love conquers all. But at what cost? Continue reading
To celebrate the much anticipated release of Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver reads aloud from the thrilling sequel! So everyone, grab your brand new copies of Pandemonium and read along!
Until next time,
I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.
Lena Halloway
One thing I hate about heroine’s in young adult fiction, is that when you first read them, they often come across as very…needy or pushy or cocky. It’s as though they feel the need to prove that the leading female character in a story doesn’t always have to be the ‘damsel in distress’ type which, don’t get me wrong, is great but they push the idea of a strong independent, female character to the point where she becomes impossible to relate to and often kind of preachy.
When I first read Lena, she instantly grabbed my attention due to her vulnerability. She wasn’t a revolutionary character who was breaking the mould of society and setting new boundaries, but rather, just an ordinary young woman who was subject to the same conventions and social norms as everyone else in her world, and had to be pushed into seeing the powers that be, for what they really are, and then making a stand against them.
I think my favourite moment with Lena is when she is at her Evaluation, and she is asked why she likes Romeo and Juliet, and rather than give the answer the Evaluators were expecting (something along the lines of, because it’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of love) she answers simply with, ‘It’s beautiful’. This is the first time the reader is shown the side of Lena that she wants, perhaps even subconsciously, to keep hidden from the world. It is the first time we think, yep, she’s going to defy this dystopian society. It is also the first time Lena says something that is just raw honesty.
The thing about Lena, is that she sees the world in a way that and artist, musician or poet might, she sees the light and dark of the world and thinks them equally beautiful. It just takes a chance meeting with a young boy named Alex to give her the confidence she needs to stand up for what she believes in. The way she grows so naturally throughout the book, rather than in a sudden implausible way, makes her extremely realistic and easy to relate to.
More character analysis’s coming soon! Stay tuned for the analysis on Hanna!
Until next time
I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.
Today is a day to celebrate that which the Cured’s among us can never experience. Love. An emotion to be treasured above all others. What would we be without love? Without passion? Without lust even! The world can never survive as a cured entity, which is why today more than ever we must rise up against all the powers that endeavour to silence true love.
Happy Valentines day oh brave, fierce warriors against all that is Cured!
Tell us your Valentines stories! We’d love to hear them! Email us at thefandomdelirium@gmail.com or comment on this post!
Until next time,
I love you. Remember. They can not take it.
These are the actors that I think would be perfect for roles in Delirium for the film, which is anticipated for production!!
(Note: This would be the cast if you could mix and match the best from the Young Adult/Fantasy world.)
Lena – played by Lily Collins (The Mortal Instruments, The Blind Side)
Hana – played by Dianna Agron (Glee star)
Alex – played by Tom Felton (Harry Potter)
Rachel – Played by Emma Watson (Harry Potter)
Gracie – Played by Savannah Paige Rae (Parenthood)
Jenny – played by Elle Fanning (We Bought a Zoo, Super 8)
Aunt Carol – played by Nicole Kidman (The Golden Compass, Moulin Rouge, The Others)
Lena’s Mother – played by Amy Adams (Enchanted, Doubt)
Anyway, hope you like my picks!
Until next time,
I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.
Hello my dear Uncureds/Invalids,
So, I had a thought, that people may want to discuss/ask questions about the book. For instance, things that you didn’t understand while reading, questions about people’s views on the plot/character’s/writing style or even if you just want to share your opinion on this wonderful series! Anything you’ve ever wanted to say/ask about Delirium, you can say here!!
Write your opinion/question in the comments section of this post or email us at thefandomdelirium@gmail.com and we’ll do our upmost to give you a satisfactory reply/answer!
Get commenting!!!
Until next time,
I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.
Delirium Fandom 