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sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition
2.0
White's prose and aesthetic intuitions are divine. Too bad the narrative it clothes is, regrettably, boring. I was intrigued by the opening narrative: two boys, one "straight," engage in risque anal sex under the noses of their fathers, in a chapter that reflects on patriarchal relationships and what it means to be a good son. But even this chapter, with its taboo subject matter and deep excavation of a character's psyche, showed signs of White's propensity to veer off on tangents and loosely (too tenuously) connect ideas within a larger narrative. There were moments in this novel, such as his high school affection for the sporty/philosphical Tom, that were interesting and resonant, but most of the time I was put off by White's grandeur, verbosity, and narcissism.
viridiantre's review against another edition
2.0
that's like the ugly version of yukio mishima's confessions of a mask
sam_alex04's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
robert_bugeja's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
barbarzynka's review against another edition
5.0
Powieść autobiograficzna. Bardzo intymny i naturalistyczny portret dorastającego chłopca, który próbując pogodzić swoje wyobrażenia o świecie i ludziach, toczy wewnętrzną walkę o siebie, swoją odrębność i seksualność. Warstwa fabularna nie przytłacza, bo autor skupia się na kilku wydarzeniach z życia młodego człowieka, które w największy sposób ukształtowały jego osobowość i pragnienia. Natomiast jeśli chodzi o warstwę językową powieści, to .... to jest to dzieło sztuki. 4/5 powieści zajmują przemyślenia głównego bohatera, który prowadzi bardzo bogate życie wewnętrzne. Poddaje wnikliwej i ciekawej analizie swoją rodzinę, przyjaciół, znajomych rodziny, kochanków, nauczycieli., religię. i in. Jest wrażliwym erudytą. Napalonym, wrażliwym erudytą. Język jest wręcz poetycki i gdybym miała w zwyczaju zaznaczać w książkach ciekawe fragmenty, tę bym dosłownie pokreśliła. Kopalnia cytatów.
tani's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was often beautiful, but the story-telling was disjointed and did not succeed in drawing me in.
h0llyjvne's review against another edition
2.0
this just wasn't my style of book. i didn't enjoy the writing style as i found it jumpy and it felt a little all over the place. the sex scenes made me uncomfortable - i dont want to read about a 15 year old and a 12 year old having sex. i know it's a part of exploring your sexuality and it is a part of the teenage experience for a large majority but i am an adult so i dunno, it just made me feel a little uncomfortable. not my personal style of book
lauramar93's review against another edition
4.0
It's beautifully-written and tells an interesting story. What else could one ask for?
brnycx's review against another edition
4.0
"but you see, my son, homosexuality isn't just a conflict that needs to be resolved" - his voice picked up those words as thought they were nasty bits of refuse - "homosexuality is also a sin." i think he had no notion how little an effect the word sin had on me. he might just as well have said, "homosexuality is bad juju."
edmund white's (at least semi) autobiographical novel about growing up gay in 1950s america is discordant, ornate, heart-wrenching, and terribly unhappy. the style is poetic and ornate, embellished to such a degree the book feels almost porcelain, beautiful and fragile. while difficult to read in parts, the language is actually a perfect translation of the protagonist-narrator who spins it: edmund-in-the-book is vulnerable and cruel, self-loathing but driven by an inextinguishable desire to survive. he's on the cusp of some sort of self-revelation and acceptance, but - a prisoner of his time and the people within it - never quite manages to get there.
in short, kids are weird and odd and if we just let them know that they are allowed to be different and we don't expect anything else of them, we'd all be a lot happier for it.
edmund white's (at least semi) autobiographical novel about growing up gay in 1950s america is discordant, ornate, heart-wrenching, and terribly unhappy. the style is poetic and ornate, embellished to such a degree the book feels almost porcelain, beautiful and fragile. while difficult to read in parts, the language is actually a perfect translation of the protagonist-narrator who spins it: edmund-in-the-book is vulnerable and cruel, self-loathing but driven by an inextinguishable desire to survive. he's on the cusp of some sort of self-revelation and acceptance, but - a prisoner of his time and the people within it - never quite manages to get there.
in short, kids are weird and odd and if we just let them know that they are allowed to be different and we don't expect anything else of them, we'd all be a lot happier for it.