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A Boy's Own Story
Series: Picador Collection
Brief Description
A Boy's Own Story traces an unnamed narrator's coming-of-age during the 1950s. 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...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreOriginally 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.
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' San Francisco Chronicle Now part of the Picador Collection
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Description
A Boy's Own Story traces an unnamed narrator's coming-of-age during the 1950s.
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 unnamed narrator 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.
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
Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature.
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781035091300
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 22 January 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 178g
Pages: 256
About the Author
Edmund White was born in 1940. He is an American novelist, short-story writer and critic. He has received many awards and distinctions; among these, he is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a member of the faculty of Princeton University's Program in Creative Writing.
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