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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.
nathansiu's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zach_l's review against another edition
2.0
This novel didn't do it for me. I know it was groundbreaking and considered a gay classic, but the writing is so pretentious and adult it's hard to remember it's supposed to be the story of an adolescent. It's very short but feels very long. Reviewers seem mixed on the ending, but I think it is the most interesting, meaningful part.
iantaylor's review against another edition
2.0
Dull, predatory, pretentious, and unrealistic are a few of the words that come to mind after finishing A Boy's Own Story. While you could argue that this book was eloquently written, I think it would be more accurate to say it was excessively overwritten.
andrewaackroyd's review against another edition
5.0
Nostalgic, tragic, erotic, and beautiful. An important (if slightly dated) account of a boy's coming-of-age during the '50s.