by Rakesh Satyal
review by Udayan
There are certain essential components to every gay coming of age story- there is the gender bender teenager who’s bullied at school, a judging father, a bewildered mother and a fantasy world that acts as a refuge for the harassed soul. A writer may not circumvent these clichés but can definitely give the plot a unique touch that’ll make it a story never told before. Rakesh Satyal deftly does the same in this charmer of a book, with its delectable prose and riveting storyline.
The novel chronicles a few months in the life of 12 year old Kiran- only son of Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati. Caught between pushy parents, bullying in school and ostracizing by fellow Indian kids in his community, he’s a lost boy. The fact that he loves to play with dolls, uses his mother’s make-up and takes the annual talent show at school way too seriously doesn’t help matters. And so he creates a fantasy world of his own- a world where he’s not merely a mortal- but an incarnation of Krishna- the blue skinned Hindu god he’s fascinated with. So much so, that he tries to revolve his own life around what he imagines Krishna’s world would be. He starts playing the flute, consumes copious amounts of butter and starts experimenting with his nascent sexuality.
But his fantasy world is not enough to keep him from reality. His eccentricities worry his parents, and the talk he has with his father in the car makes one understand how hard things must be for an immigrant father who has certain dreams for his only son. The tenderness that exists between the mother and child is brought out beautifully on more than one occasion. His relationship with his English teacher Mrs. Goldberg is both childlike and mature. Kiran comes with his own flaws though. His prejudices towards some of his class mates and his sense of superiority over his peers, however, only make the character more human and endearing.
The book also gives an interesting peek into the private lives of immigrant Indians – the role of women in the family, the cultural threads that bind the community together, and their hopes and aspirations.
Kiran, meanwhile thinks of his talent show act as his big coming out- both of his flamboyant self, and of his divinity. His planned ballet based on Krishna is an immensely creative and exciting performance that keeps the reader hooked till the climax.
Sometimes the narration is a bit unconvincing – a tad too philosophical for a 12 year old kid. But overall this book is a winner. Based in the early nineties when it was finally becoming easier for gay kids to be more open about their true selves, it gives the reader a deeply emotional peek into the mind of an outcast. ‘The Blue Boy’ is definitely a great addition to both American-Indian and gay genres.
