A Boy's Own Story traces an unnamed narrator's coming-of-age during the 1950s. With an introduction by Alan Hollinghurst, author of The Line of Beauty.
It was his power that stupefied me and made me regard my knowledge as nothing more than hired cleverness he might choose to show off at a dinner party.
Beset by aloof parents, a cruel sister, and relentless mocking from his peers, the unamed boy struggles with his sexuality, seeking consolation in art and literature, and in his own fantastic imagination as he fills his head with romantic expectations. The result is a book of exquisite poignancy and humour that moves towards a conclusion which will allow the boy to leave behind his childhood forever.
Originally published in 1982 as the first of Edmund White's trilogy of autobiographical novels, A Boy's Own Story became an instant classic for its pioneering portrayal of homosexuality. Lyrical and powerfully evocative, this is an American literary treasure.
'Edmund White has crossed The Catcher in the Rye with De Profundis, J. D. Salinger with Oscar Wilde, to create an extraordinary novel' - New York Times
I hypothesized a lover who'd take me away . . . I expected him to be able to divine my existence and my need, to intuit that in this darkened room in this country house a fourteen-year-old was waiting for him.
In repressive 1950s America, a precocious, imaginative and hopelessly romantic fourteen-year-old finds himself increasingly attracted to men. Alienated from his eccentric parents, his cruel sister and his mocking peers, the unnamed narrator begins to try to 'cure' himself of his desires - embarking on a dark and desperate journey that will ultimately see him leave behind his childhood for ever.
Originally published in 1982 as the first of Edmund White's trilogy of autobiographical novels, A Boy's Own Story became an instant classic for its pioneering portrayal of homosexuality. Lyrical and powerfully evocative, this is an unforgettable portrait of a boy finding himself in a society that refuses to recognize him.
'Edmund White has crossed The Catcher in the Rye with De Profundis, J. D. Salinger with Oscar Wilde, to create an extraordinary novel' New York Times
'Shines with authenticity . . . outstanding' Guardian
The boy's self-portrait shines with authenticity, he is an extraordinary but plausible mixture of sweetness and deviousness . . . White's prose is marvellously sensual while his eye is sharply satiric . . . outstanding
