An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green (2006)

Colin Singleton is a high school graduate for only a day when his girlfriend, Katherine, dumps him. Wallowing in self-pity, Colin becomes obsessed with what went wrong. But rather than concentrating on his own character, he channels his energy into constructing a formula that will predict what people will be dumpers and dumpees. Perhaps he’s concerned because he’s just been dumped for the 19^th time, all by girls named Katherine.

The protagonist doesn’t have too much time to retreat into himself before his Lebanese sidekick, Hassan, appears and proposes a road trip. The two confer with skeptical parents and are quickly off in Colin’s car. They have no idea where they’re headed, but it’s not too long before they stop to visit the gravesite of a famous figure in world history. There, in a small Tennessee town, they meet Lindsey, a tour guide at the facility and her mother, Hollis, owner of the local factory.

As with Green’s hugely successful Looking for Alaska, the author creates highly developed and likable main characters. Hassan is everything that Colin is not: crudely spoken, unmotivated and ready for adventure. The young Singleton has always pushed himself to live up to his promise as a prodigy. Filling his head with useless trivia and extensive knowledge of obscure languages, it’s little wonder that he has never stopped to ask himself why he will only see girls named Katherine. Hassan is there to tell him when his digressions are boring, when he’s taking his obsessions too far and when he needs to break out of his comfort zone and take a chance.

While the book is told in the third-person point of view, Green’s narration echoes the thinking patterns of his main character. Through the course of the book there are dozens of footnotes, often with random tidbits of the kind that occupy his protagonist’s head. Rounding out the short book is an appendix of notes and formulas that expound upon Colin’s life and work.

This book is highly recommended for young adults, although adult readers will also appreciate this irreverent, cerebral and funny story.