The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up - Hardcover

Tobias, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375501118 ISBN 13: 9780375501111

Publisher: Random House, 1998

Synopsis

Twenty-five years ago, the bestselling financial writer Andrew Tobias wrote a classic coming-of-age memoir called The Best Little Boy in the World.  He had to write it under a pseudonym, John Reid, because the book was about a cultural taboo--homosexuality--and Tobias was not ready to discuss the subject even with is parents.  That book has entertained and educated over a million readers and has never gone out of print.  Now Tobias has returned to tell the next part of his personal story, and the story of a civil rights movement, in this witty and affirming memoir, The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up.

America has come a long way since the early seventies and so has Andrew Tobias.  What hasn't changed is the author's sense of humor and his gift for telling stories.  Here, the tales range from the personal (accounts of heartbreak and love) to the political (coming out to the president of the United States and a crowd of eight hundred others at a time when it was less fashionable to be out than it is now).

Tobias describes the distance traveled from infatuation to love, from adventure to commitment, from confusion to self-awareness.  The result is a heartfelt and frequently hilarious coming-of-middle-age-story, told with candor, charm, and the kind of wisdom that can only come from the experience of having grown up in exciting times and a changing world.  "This book is the story of that change, at least from my small window on it," Tobias writes, "and a thank-you note to those--very possibly including you--who through their goodwill and open minds have helped change it."  

About this title

Review

In 1973 Andrew Tobias published The Best Little Boy in the World under the pseudonym John Reid in order to avoid telling people (including his parents) that he was gay. Since then, he's gone on to become a bestselling finance writer (The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need) and columnist for Worth magazine. "Much of my life," writes Tobias, "the context of this book notwithstanding, has had little to do with being gay...." This may seem like an odd statement to find in the sequel to one of the major gay memoirs of the late 20th century. Yet it's also perhaps the point: as Tobias has "grown up" and fully accepted his sexuality, it has become so natural to him that were it not for other people's attitudes there would be almost no reason to call attention to it.

In this memoir, Tobias avoids discussing his sexuality in detail, and apologizes for even the occasional indirect remarks he makes to get around talking about sex. Instead, he covers his emotional relationships and the significant advances for gays and lesbians in American society that he has both witnessed and experienced since 1973. He writes in a charming, conversational style, frequently following digressions and then forcing himself back on track. Tobias is lavish in his praise of those he admires, including Bill and Hillary Clinton (who have "done more than anyone in the history of the world for gay and lesbian people"), and tries to see the good in those with whom he profoundly disagrees. The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up is a thoughtful, self-assured memoir that shows that one way to start making the world a better place is to become at peace with oneself. --Ron Hogan

From the Publisher

Random House editor Jon Karp: Twenty five years ago, Andrew Tobias wrote a book that was so taboo that he couldn't even tell his parents about it. He wrote it under a pseudonym, John Reid--the real name of the Lone Ranger. It was the story of how Tobias came to terms with being gay.

That book was called THE BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD, and even today it continues to be one of the first books people read when they are coming out. For many, this book has been a life-changing reading experience, and Tobias has the letters to prove it.

It has taken Andrew Tobias 13 years to write what he considers to be his most important book. This is a personal story, but it is also the story of a generation, and how it coincided with the rise of a new civil rights movement. Tobias found himself caught up in the swirl of that movement, and one of the most moving parts of this book occurs when he comes out to the President of the United States and 1,200 others at Renaissance Weekend. On the lighter side, there's also the time he finds himself at the urinal next to Sam Nunn, who led the fight against gays in the military.

Primarily, though, this is Tobias's story, and like any good coming of age story, it is a heartfelt account of how he grew and what he learned, from the ages of 25 to 50. It's about the distance traveled from infatuation to love, from adventure to commitment, from curiosity to self-awareness. And it's written with the same kind of self-effacing wit and intelligence and conscience that made his previous book, MY VAST FORTUNE, such a hit with reviewers and readers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0375501118
• ISBN 13: 9780375501111
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 268