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"I thought of what my father had said about turning out "funny." The word "funny" as I understood it meant either humorous or strange, as in the expression, "that's funny." Neither of these fitted the sense in which my father had used the word, for there had been a hint of disgust in his tone." - Shyam Selvadurai.
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I chose Funny Boy as part of #pridemonth to explore and learn more about the LGBTQ community. Written by Shyam Selvadurai, who was born to a Sinhalese mother and a Tamil father, this book feels more intimate because he witnessed the Sri Lankan Civil War himself. Although I had a faint idea about the hostility between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, I was unaware of how horrifying it was back in the '80s. Funny Boy is beyond the story of just the protagonist, as it focuses on a much bigger picture.
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Arjun is like any other teenager living in Colombo who often spends his weekends at his grandparent's house with his cousins. While the rest of the boys played cricket in the hot sun, Arjun huddled with his sisters to play bride-bride. None of the kids found it different for a boy to play with clothes and jewellery. The parents who later found out about Arjun's affinity towards all things feminine, warn him to play with the boys and brandish him from hanging out with the girls. It is then that he hears the term 'funny' being associated with him. Heartbroken by the sudden change in his parent's behaviour, Arjun seeks refuge in his aunt Radha who comes down from The States to get engaged. It is here that the spotlight shifts from Arjun to the political situations in Sri Lanka.
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Radha's love story with a Sinhalese man is the first time that Arjun notices the hatred between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The unconventional friendship that his mother shared with her childhood neighbour goes on to cement the seriousness of the situation. While majority of the story revolves around riots and curfews, explaining the part that the government played, it is only at the very end that the author comes back to Arjun in particular.
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When Arjun falls in love, it is with a boy from his class and for a while it's clear how he struggles to make sense of his sexuality. His desire, disgust and acceptance comes in stages and has been written very well. As the riots increased, his family had to make a choice and it hits hard when the author lists down the severity of the destruction that happened back then. After finishing the novel, I was stunned by the hatred with which people burned down the houses and shops and by setting cars on fire with people inside. Shyam not only has a knack for writing freely but also speaks his mind about politics and feelings in general. What I liked about the book was how easy it was to read about the Civil War, something that was made possible through Arjun's story. However, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed about how only a silver of light was casted on Arjun in particular. Although the story is said from his perspective, I wished to read more about his personal growth. I still recommend this to those who are willing to learn more about the Sri Lankan Civil War.
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Rating - 4/5.