Why So Delirious?: A Review of Delirium
Delirium, the first book in the Delirium trilogy, is a dystopian and romance novel written by Lauren Oliver.
How willing would you be to do something considered wrong if you knew in your heart that it was the right thing to do? How much of your life would you risk? Love is illegal, but will that stop her? Seventeen year old Lena Haloway is anticipating her eighteenth birthday. That’s when she can finally get the mandatory procedure to cure her from the disease that is love. Her life following the procedure will be controlled and unspectacular to say the least, and that’s how she wants it.
In the months prior to her procedure, Lena is in the middle of an evaluation (which is not going well) when a herd of cows bursts through the doors. The prank was pulled by the invalids- those of whom the procedure didn’t work or who refused to undergo it. During the fiasco, Lena makes eye contact with a boy in the balcony of the observation room. They later meet again and fall in love, despite the laws and the society in which they live. This mysterious boy teaches Lena about love and life outside of their isolated city of Portland, Maine.
These realizations lead Lena and Alex to plan something drastic, something so daring that Lena’s life will be changed forever. Not everything goes as planned, and the book ends on a major cliffhanger, setting the stage for its sequel.
In recent years, more of the protagonists in dystopian novels have been female. Is this coincidence or by design? One factor that makes a novel or movie dystopian is the protagonist feeling trapped within their society. Is it possible that authors choose females as their main characters because, in our society, they appear more likely to feel this way?
Lauren Oliver offers a romantic and thrilling adventure through Delirium that is sure to make the reader gasp, cry, and even throw the book in frustration. A definite must read for those looking to view their own lives in a new way.
Chelsey Wells, a fan of the Delirium series, gives her opinion on a few insightful questions relating to the book.
Interview with a Delirious Fan
What do you think was Lauren Oliver’s inspiration to write this trilogy?
“I believe that her inspiration had to have come from a personal experience regarding love and emotion, and how they’re viewed within society versus how she views them herself.”
Why do you think Love is seen as a disease in the novel?
“Because the city seems like they enjoy control and love isn’t something you control unless you can destroy it completely.”
Why do you think the protagonist/main character is a girl?
“I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or not, but girls are shown as the more emotional type, the type that focuses on love a lot more. So, it would be easier to drive home the message that this supposed cure is life destroying.”
Would you be a citizen or an invalid if you were in this book?
“An invalid. I don't see sense in suppressing normal emotions, whether they’re wild or not.”
What do you think the key is in order to destroy the prejudice that the city’s citizens have against love?
“To just completely eliminate the cure and lead by ex that love is a good thing whereas suppressing your emotions is the true evil. Naturally, this would be led by the Invalids.”
Through Delirium, readers can learn what their lives would entail if they lived in the society presented in the book, and they might possibly realize the lengths they would go to in order to follow their hearts.
