The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy by Robert Leleux Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.79 You Save: $19.16 (80%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.87 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy
Book Review: Unsatisfied reader
Summary: 1 Stars
Unfortunately, I gave this book as a gift before I read it myself, based on a glowing review in The New York Times. Boy, was I wrong on this one. This is the worst example of what has become a growing trend of precocious gay boy memoirs that began with David Sedaris's essays, flourished with Augusten Burrough's book-length works Running with Scissors and Dry, turned amusing with Josh Kilmer-Purcell's I Am Not Myself These Days, and now thuds to ground with this entry. Someone should slap awake the editor at St. Martin's Press who acquired this memoir because the characters are vapid and the plot -- about a young gay man who feels abandoned by his father when he divorces his mother and seeks restitution and reconciliation in the form of money for college -- is too vengeful to be a positive role model for other gay teenagers. In fact, it's hard for me to be sympathetic at all towards Leleux because he writes about wanting to drop out of high school and avoid college when things don't go his way because his father won't pay his tuition. Leleux tries to be humorous and witty, but his character in the book comes off as a spoiled, bitter, know-it-all with a mean sense of entitlement. David Sedaris, in his essays, is something of a detached journalist, even as he is describing his own foibles. Burroughs becomes sympathetic because he writes as a confused young man and sketches out the plausible scenario that his parents might be clinically or mentally unstable. And Kilmer-Purcell has an outrageous drag queen story to tell. In this memoir, the young Leleux comes off as arrogant, conceited, and self-centered. You never feel any warmth from him or for him, and even on the rare occasion he has something sorta nice to about someone else, you feel he is saying it more about himself. Leleux is not Capote. Never will be. He's too shallow. For full disclosure, however, my friend who received this book from me as a gift liked it. In fact, he read it twice. Go figure.Book Review: Funny, Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
As a fan of memoir (the genre) I must say that I was surprised and excited to read one written with humor AND style. Leleux's story, though obviously painful, reads like a great comic novel and had me in stitches from the first chapter. Beyond that, his writing seems special in a way that I can't really put my finger on--other than to say that his descriptions of the people, places and events in his life are much more artfully and intuitively written than anything I've seen since Truman Capote. I was saddened to finish the book, actually, because I felt like I was saying goodbye to great new friends. I can't wait to see who they pick to portray the characters in the movie (because I'm sure there will be one!) but I fear that I won't like them as much as the actual people!Book Review: The Boredom of a Routine Childhood
Summary: 1 Stars
Am I missing something here? His gaydom is almost a stereotype (getting his hair done and eating cucumber sandwiches with the ladies at Neiman Marcus every Saturday). His parents divorce when he is 16...not 4 or 5..16! Get a job and stop whining. Every person in the world is now capable of writing a memoir. BoringBook Review: GREAT FUN!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a blast--total, rollicking fun. If you're searching for a lovely person to spend an afternoon with, try Robert Leleux!!!Book Review: Promising Debut
Summary: 4 Stars
Leleux is a very chatty and friendly writer, so much so that you kind of feel like he actually is your friend and this book is a letter written just for you. The first half of it mostly centers around the shenanigans of his mother, who once lied about hemmoraghing from her vagina in order to trick him into taking her to a plastic surgeon. It's all pretty light and even reminded me of Carrie Fisher at times. Things take a turn when the author recounts his days at a Lutheran high school, and a truly evil teacher who torments him after she finds out he's gay. It's a harrowing account, but he gets through it. He even manages to close the book by finding some sense of closure with his estranged father. Very entertaining--please write again soon, Robert.