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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
~"FUNNY BOY" by Shyam Selvadurai is narrated as six tales Arjie's life.
~ Selvadurai manages to touch a number of subject in each tale like the curious mind of our teenage protagonist Arjie, the plight of the Tamils in the communal riots of SriLanka, the tension between the Tamils and Sinhalese etc.
~In "PIGS DON'T FLY" Arjie, is deemed as a Funny Boy because he prefers playing BRIDE games with his girl cousins instead of cricket like the other boys of his age do.
~The second tale is where the situation of Sri Lanka in the period is brought to light and the third tale is a horrifying account that proves it.
FUNNY BOY was a rather entertaining yet insightful read and I cannot recommend it enough.
~ Selvadurai manages to touch a number of subject in each tale like the curious mind of our teenage protagonist Arjie, the plight of the Tamils in the communal riots of SriLanka, the tension between the Tamils and Sinhalese etc.
~In "PIGS DON'T FLY" Arjie, is deemed as a Funny Boy because he prefers playing BRIDE games with his girl cousins instead of cricket like the other boys of his age do.
~The second tale is where the situation of Sri Lanka in the period is brought to light and the third tale is a horrifying account that proves it.
FUNNY BOY was a rather entertaining yet insightful read and I cannot recommend it enough.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Heldere proza en een erg sterk verhaal. Benadrukt het parallel tussen interne en politieke tegenstrijdigheden. Zet de lezer aan het denken over wat we zien als goed en fout.
I read this one for a class. I liked it alright. Review to come.
Around the World Reading Challenge: SRI LANKA
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This book focuses on Arjie, a young boy in 1980s Sri Lanka who's discovering his sexuality and how "funny" he's considered in a very heteronormative society. The book takes place during the growing tensions and conflict, and eventual deadly riots, between the Tamil and Sinhalese people. I thought it made for a super fascinating backdrop and I really appreciated getting to learn a bit more about this time in Sri Lankan history. We learn alongside Arjie as he starts growing up and understanding the actions and deeper meaning behind those actions of the adults around him. I thought the build was great, though the ending did feel somewhat rushed and abrupt. We get to see the build up between Arjie and his first relationship with another boy, but then suddenly we're skipping to the end and are being told that they've been together a lot without actually seeing it. I wish the last 20% or so had been a lot more fleshed out, as a *lot* is happening in the story politically, which I enjoyed, but the author ends up sacrificing the personal story to convey the impacts of the political stuff, and it ultimately felt a little rushed/unsatisfying. I still really enjoyed it overall, though, and would recommend!
===
This book focuses on Arjie, a young boy in 1980s Sri Lanka who's discovering his sexuality and how "funny" he's considered in a very heteronormative society. The book takes place during the growing tensions and conflict, and eventual deadly riots, between the Tamil and Sinhalese people. I thought it made for a super fascinating backdrop and I really appreciated getting to learn a bit more about this time in Sri Lankan history. We learn alongside Arjie as he starts growing up and understanding the actions and deeper meaning behind those actions of the adults around him. I thought the build was great, though the ending did feel somewhat rushed and abrupt. We get to see the build up between Arjie and his first relationship with another boy, but then suddenly we're skipping to the end and are being told that they've been together a lot without actually seeing it. I wish the last 20% or so had been a lot more fleshed out, as a *lot* is happening in the story politically, which I enjoyed, but the author ends up sacrificing the personal story to convey the impacts of the political stuff, and it ultimately felt a little rushed/unsatisfying. I still really enjoyed it overall, though, and would recommend!
This is one of the best books I have ever read and I would highly recommend it to every single human being on this earth.
Funny Boy is the story of a queer Sri Lankan kid. The novel is what you'd expect told in a brilliant and easy-to-read way: bullying, femme adoration, an affair, a queer awakening, tender scenes, and a very accessible telling of the oppression and violence against Tamil people in Sri Lanka. I didn't, and still don't, have a great understanding of Sri Lankan history and I learned a bit, while being able to bask in THAT GAY SHIT.