The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Looking at the title of this book, you might be a little put off. In a consumer-oriented world, I know I was. But this isn’t a consumer-oriented book. It contains surprising depth for a teen novel whose main premise is the relationship between the titular character and her dreamboat boyfriend. Astounding though it may be, this is not a romance novel. This is an investigation novel, a mystery novel, and a philosophy novel. If you want the typical teenage fare of sex and drama, I suggest you read A-Best-Selling-Novel-Whose-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned-Because-It-Lacks-Intelligence-And-Literary-Value. You know the one. If not, read on, dear one.

The Disreputable History by E. Lockhart is about a Frankie, a sophomore at an opulent boarding school, who has suddenly gained a gorgeous body and a hot senior boyfriend named Matthew. However, this is the premise, not the story (thank God). While dating Matthew, Frankie is led to believe that he is part of a secret male-only society whose sole purpose is to carry out odd pranks designed to question societal boundaries. When Matthew and his possessive best friend Alpha shut Frankie out of this club, Frankie does some investigating of her own. The novel follows her as she learns about this organization and attempts to be a part of it.

The major themes of this book are feminism, social expectations, and grammar. Throughout the book, Frankie is constantly put down by her peers, male and female, as simply a pretty face with no intelligence behind it. She serves only in a feminine capacity, without any authority or hope of advancement within her social circle. Frankie does not come to grips with this, and tries to find various ways to assert herself, with results that highlight the flaws in the patriarchal society of the higher castes.

Most of the pranks in the Disreputable History in some way accent certain things that are unacceptable to society as a whole, but are never stated. Additionally, Frankie discusses the Suicide Club and their various pranks, indirectly encouraging the readers to be willing to break the mold in ways that are not the common path. By far the most interesting topic mentioned is the panopticon. Before this book, I had not heard of this blueprint. This plan created a prison where the prisoners could be seen at all times by unseen guards, and so they would assume that they were being constantly watched without the guards actually having to do anything. The brilliance of this system is the same in society so that even when a person is alone, one feels watched. The constraints by society are deeper than society itself.

The last theme of grammar I found especially enjoyable. Frankie has created ‘neglected positives’, words that commonly have a prefix and technically do not exist without the prefix. Some examples: In the title, the prefix dis negates the word reputable, giving the word the opposite meaning. Disreputable and reputable are both acceptable words, but in Frankie’s universe, she expands this theory. The word indulge has the opposite of dulge, impetuous has petuous, ignominious has nominious, etc. Once again, this highlights the idea of societal expectations, even in speech patterns.

My main complaint with the Disreputable History is the same as my complaint for most other teen novels- first person. Unless you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Mark Twain, do not use first person. It is so constantly misused (see The-Best-Selling-Novel from above), that it physically bothers me. The only good thing I can say about first person narratives is that at least they aren’t second person. Complaint lodged, this book is still an evening well spent, particularly if you are a pubescent girl fighting against social norms.