An Abundance of Katherines is John Green's first book, about a boy named Colin, a child prodigy, who has only ever dated Katherines. Colin never had many friends because he was child prodigy, so when Katherine I became his first friend and then first girlfriend, she left a mark upon him that would haunt him to the end of high school. Colin, a washed up child prodigy, feels like he can go no further neither taking the last step to "genius" nor finally figuring out the formula of why Katherines keep dating and dumping him gives him fufillment.
John Greene wrote about the psycology of someone who has been ahead of everyone else their entire life, and now can go no further. For someone who views themselves as "superior" this can be a crushing blow. The Katherines are a bit of a symbol for that, in that they always dump him in the end. He can never formulate a relationship that lasts, that goes further. He cannot break free of this cycle, just as he cannot break free of his tarnished glory. However, in the end he breaks the cycle, learning there is more to life than fame or superiority or Katherines.
So, in the end Colin's life is changed by, and he changes the life of, a girl named Lindsey.
Good post. I read this book last year and am currently reading another book by the same author. I agree with what you say about the book. I also always thought that it was sort of sad how he tried to make formulas out of real life situations. It does not work.
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