Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - Book Review

It is one of the bestselling series of illustrated books of this decade; so much so that it was adapted into a movie lately. Even though this illustrated book series is directed towards kids, it is equally redeemed by adults, like myself, who still admire comics and illustrated books in general.  

The protagonist of the series, also the Wimpy kid, is a boy named Greg Hefley who desperately wants to portray himself as the ‘cool kid’ but somehow ends up in a pitfall. He constantly hangs out with his ‘not so cool’ best friend, Rowley, who somehow ends up achieving all the things that Greg is running after. 

The writing is simple but manages to make you chuckle every now and then as the author narrates Greg’s shenanigans in the first person. The book is rather a journal that Greg writes as his memoirs and for the others to read once he becomes famous.

The drawings in the book are quirky and elevate your reading experience in every instance.  As the book advances, Greg narrates his day-to-day middle school chronicles. He is also constantly troubled by his older brother, Rodrick who basically pranks Greg every now and then.

The book touches a significant ‘cheese incident’ that redefines Greg’s and Rowley’s relationship, with a hint of a lesson there. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a quick, light-hearted read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I would, however, not recommend it for kids aged 8 to 12 because of the undesirable character portrayal of the kid and usage of mild variations of words unsuitable for kids.

But looking at it from an adult perspective, you can fairly romanticize your personal middle school encounters and how you dealt with them. In a wider sense, you can decipher the hazards of being a child and growing up and understand the importance of childhood friends.