Funny Boy

A Novel in Six Stories

Paperback, 328 pages

English language

Published Sept. 28, 1997 by McClelland & Stewart.

ISBN:
978-0-7710-7951-1
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5 stars (2 reviews)

Arjie is funny. The second son of a privileged family in Sri Lanka, he prefers staging make-believe wedding pageants with his female cousins to battling balls with the other boys. When his parents discover his innocent pastime, Arjie is forced to abandon his idyllic childhood games and adopt the rigid rules of an adult world. Bewildered by his incipient sexual awakening, mortified by the bloody Tamil-Sinhalese conflicts that threaten to tear apart his homeland, Arjie painfully grows toward manhood and an understanding of his own different identity.

21 editions

Review of 'Funny Boy ' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

At first, Sena Uncle didn't want to say anything, but Appa pressed him until he finally told them what had happened. He had set out for Kanthi Aunty's house, following the route Ammachi and Appachi had likely taken. Shortly after he left, however, he noticed a crowd up ahead on the road and smoke rising into the air. The traffic in front of him was too congested and, fearing the worst, he had got out of his car and hurried along the pavement. But he got there too late. The mob had set the car on fire with Ammachi and Appachi inside it.

Appa was silent for a while, then he said, "I must go. I have to see what happened." His voice was strange. "No," Amma said in a panicked voice. "You can't go. It's too dangerous." Now, Appa began to shout, "It's my parents for God's sake. It's …

Review of 'Funny Boy' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

At first, Sena Uncle didn't want to say anything, but Appa pressed him until he finally told them what had happened. He had set out for Kanthi Aunty's house, following the route Ammachi and Appachi had likely taken. Shortly after he left, however, he noticed a crowd up ahead on the road and smoke rising into the air. The traffic in front of him was too congested and, fearing the worst, he had got out of his car and hurried along the pavement. But he got there too late. The mob had set the car on fire with Ammachi and Appachi inside it.

Appa was silent for a while, then he said, "I must go. I have to see what happened." His voice was strange. "No," Amma said in a panicked voice. "You can't go. It's too dangerous." Now, Appa began to shout, "It's my parents for God's sake. It's …

Subjects

  • Gay
  • Fiction / Short Stories (single author)
  • Short Stories (single author)
  • Fiction - General