James Frankie Thomas’s Idlewild is a darkly funny story of two adults
looking back on their intense teenage friendship, in a queer, trans,
and early-Internet twist on the Manhattan prep school novel.
Idlewild is a tiny, artsy Quaker high school in lower Manhattan.
Students call their teachers by their first names, there are no grades,
and every day begins with 20 minutes of contemplative silence in the
Meetinghouse. It is during one of those meetings that an airplane hits
the Twin Towers.
For two Idlewild outcasts, 9/11 serves as the first day of an intense,
18-month friendship. Fay is prickly, aloof, and obsessed with gay men;
Nell is shy, sensitive, and obsessed with Fay. The two of them bond
fiercely and spend all their waking hours giddily parsing their
environment for homoerotic subtext.
Then, during rehearsals for the fall play, they notice two sexually
ambiguous boys who are potential candidates for their exclusive Invert
Society. The pairs become mirrors of one another and drive each other
to make choices that they’ll regret for the rest of their lives.
Looking back on these events as adults, the estranged Fay and Nell
trace that fateful school year, recalling backstage theater department
intrigue, antiwar demonstrations, smutty fanfic written over AIM and a
shared dial-up connection―and the spectacular cascade of mistakes,
miscommunications, and betrayals that would ultimately tear the two of
them apart.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
It’s a complex book on complex themes, and the author did a great job.
Fri, 25 Oct 2024 | Review
by: Martin B.
It’s a complex book on complex themes, and the author did a great job.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes (0) |
No (0)
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
