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Edmund White
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A Boy's Own Story: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Edmund White (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 430 ratings
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“An extraordinary novel” about growing up gay in the 1950s American Midwest (The New York Times Book Review).

Critically lauded upon its initial publication in 1982 for its pioneering depiction of homosexuality, A Boy’s Own Story is a moving tale about coming-of-age in midcentury America.

With searing clarity and unabashed wit, Edmund White’s unnamed protagonist yearns for what he knows to be shameful. He navigates an uneasy relationship with his father, confounds first loves, and faces disdain from his peers at school. In the embrace of another, he discovers the sincere and clumsy pleasures of adolescent sexuality. But for boys in the 1950s, these desires were unthinkable. Looking back on his experiences, the narrator notes, “I see now that what I wanted was to be loved by men and to love them back but not to be a homosexual.”

From a winner of the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, this trailblazing autobiographical story of one boy’s youth is a moving, tender, and heartbreaking portrait of what it means to grow up.
 
Previous page
  1. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  2. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  3. Publication date
    December 23, 2014
  4. Language
    English
  5. File size
    3051 KB
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Edmund White has crossed J. D. Salinger with Oscar Wilde to create an extraordinary novel.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Every so often a novel comes along that is so ambitious in its intention and so confident of its voice that it reminds us what a singular and potent thing a novel can be. One of these is A Boy’s Own Story.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“With A Boy’s Own Story American literature is larger by one classic novel.” —The Washington Post Book World

From the Inside Flap

An instant classic upon its original publication, A Boy's Own Story is the first of Edmund White's highly acclaimed trilogy of autobiographical novels that brilliantly evoke a young man's coming of age and document American gay life through the last forty years.

The nameless narrator in this deeply affecting work reminisces about growing up in the 1950s with emotionally aloof, divorced parents, an unrelenting sister, and the schoolmates who taunt him. He finds consolation in literature and his fantastic imagination. Eager to cultivate intimate, enduring friendships, he becomes aware of his yearning to be loved by men, and struggles with the guilt and shame of accepting who he is. Written with lyrical delicacy and extraordinary power, A Boy's Own Story is a triumph.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00P0AYP24
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (December 23, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 23, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3051 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 210 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 430 ratings

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Edmund White

Edmund White

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
430 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dane
5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
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White’s autobiographical work was a breakthrough for the time it was written and still resonates today.
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Jessica Sullivan
4.0 out of 5 stars ... is full of nostalgia and the yearning to be comfortable with oneself
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2018
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This groundbreaking novel about a gay teenage boy coming of age in the 1950s is full of nostalgia and the yearning to be comfortable with oneself. The narrator recalls snippets of his formative years in which he struggles with his sexuality and the sense of shame that accompanies his then-forbidden desires. The writing is elegant and the story is an important one to tell, though I found certain sections to be far more affecting and compelling than others. This was an uneven read for me, though I'm glad I read it.
11 people found this helpful
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Frasquito
3.0 out of 5 stars A tiring read
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2021
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This is not one of White's best works. It is tiring to read because of all of the unnecessary descriptions of characters as well as their surroundings. There is an over abundance of metaphors which delay the narrative and detract from the sense that it is the reminiscence of a preteen and then a teenager. In my opinion, the novel is too wordy--one longs for the end.
6 people found this helpful
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D. S. Heersink
5.0 out of 5 stars Eloquent, Elegant, Incisive, Provocative
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2005
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What exquisite and marvelous prose! White has mastered the English language in an artful, florid, and elegant manner exceeding the great Nabokov himself. This novel, my first, but by no means last, to read, is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story about an upper-crust, well-educated, youth in the years of his gay discovery. Common to many a gay youth, a distant, unapproving father, a surrogate, unengaged step-mother, and a self-absorbed, fickle mother are found emotionally wanting. Coming of age with hormones raging, sexual exploration searches for an outlet of its expression. Attracted to his own gender, he finds satisfaction, but remains conflicted. White soughs the seeds and watches the growth of almost every gay man's deepest yearnings. It's a soft, yet vibrant tale. Poetic, yet visceral. Masterful writing. Highly recommended.
12 people found this helpful
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Nathaniel R. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful as it is - rather
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2016
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This is a splendid book. When I first read it, years ago, I was stunned - it was so close to my own experience, but reconsidered and reviewed from another person's deeply honest perspective. Read it.

But this is not about the book, wonderful as it is - rather, it is about Amazon's habit in its "Look Inside" function, of presenting all the front material, the table of contents, a snippet of actual text, and then the entire index. In this case, Amazon has seen fit to include Alan Gurganis' very good introduction - but NOT ONE WORD of the actual text! Please, Amazon - get some actual human being to take an actual look at the "Look Inside" material!!!
23 people found this helpful
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Mark M.
4.0 out of 5 stars as I've heard great things about it
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2018
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I'm very curious to read this, as I've heard great things about it. However, it did take over 7 days to arrive, and the tracking # was ultimately as effective as a horse on roller skates.
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LuvJazzCantPlayIt
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting descriptive prose filled with great observations
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017
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The descriptive prose has made me sit over several nights reveling in its' lucidity. How I wish I could write like that! This is a type of Kerouac, it just flows, but you want to re-read passages because they so perfectly describe the scenes. The humanity comes through. I had to look up words on occasion, and that means it has informed my life in some greater way, which is what literature is supposed to do, right?
16 people found this helpful
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Yoong
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013
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This is one of the most boring books I've read. the author flirts about and gets diverted from the main topic. I had a difficult time getting into the book. I gave up after the first 50 pages.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I liked the book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2023
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Good book
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leonardo
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice
Reviewed in Brazil on November 24, 2018
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I read this at the beach and it was very nice.
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Hauser
5.0 out of 5 stars touching personal rendition of growing up gay...
Reviewed in France on September 4, 2018
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Beautifully written, honest and touching...
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Bigio_bio
4.0 out of 5 stars Altri tempi... ma i tempi sono poi così cambiati?
Reviewed in Italy on August 7, 2018
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Il racconto in prima persona dell'infanzia e adolescenza di un ragazzino che cerca di trovare un equilibrio con la sua omosessualità. Una storia lontana dai nostri tempi, ma i conflitti interiori poi non sono così diversi. I rapporti con i genitori e la sorella sono quello che più di ogni altra cosa hanno turbato il divenire del giovane autore.
Non è un testo semplice (in lingua originale) e la narrazione spesso è altalenante, e passa da un epoca all'altra nella vita del ragazzo. Sono certo che questo romanzo possa suscitare sentimenti contrastanti.
Io ho provato a leggerlo con gli occhi di un bambino, di un ragazzo, che lotta per trovare il suo spazio nel mondo. Ho provato empatia ed ho trovato tanti temi, al di la' di quello dell'omosessualità, che sono cruccio nella vita di ogni bambino e ragazzo.
One person found this helpful
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PEI Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Of course, its EXCELLENT!
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2013
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Definitely a classic, a must-read for anyone interested in this genre. The story is easy-to-follow and the detail provides you a vivid picture of this boy's experience coming out and experimenting with himself and others.
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