Funny Boy

'An extraordinarily powerful, deeply moving novel' Amitav Ghosh

In the world of his large family – affluent Tamils living in Colombo – Arjie is an oddity, a 'funny boy' who prefers dressing as a girl to playing cricket with his brother.

But as Arjie comes to terms with his own homo-sexuality and with the racism of the society in which he lives, Sri Lanka is plunged into civil war as fighting between the army and the Tamil Tigers gradually begins to encroach on the family's comfortable life. Sporadic acts of violence flare into full scale riots and lead, ultimately, to tragedy.

Written in clear, simple prose, Shyam Selvadurai's first novel is masterly in its mingling of the personal and political.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY NEEL MUKHERJEE

„Un roman extraordinar de puternic, profund emotionant” Amitav Ghosh In lumea familiei sale numeroase - tamili bogati care traiesc in Colombo - Arjie este o ciudatenie, un „baiat amuzant” care prefera sa se imbrace ca o fata decat sa joace la cricket cu fratele sau. Dar ca Arjie se impaca cu propria lui homo-sexualitate si cu rasismul societatii in care traieste, Sri Lanka este cufundata in razboi civil, in timp ce luptele dintre armata si Tigrii Tamil incep sa incalce treptat viata confortabila a familiei.