The Amazing Absorbing Boy

An interesting read, seeing Toronto through the eyes of a teenager from Trinidad. I liked the contrasts between the two cultures, and the insights into the language and life of Mayaro, Trinidad. The story references comic book heroes constantly and it does feel like a series of comic-strip stories about Samuel's experiences: superficial at first glance, but affording deeper glimpses into the main character's feelings about the loss of his mother and the loss and rediscovery of his father. There's a lot in the book about the strange split existences of immigrants and the way they have to construct new lives, layering their new experiences over their old ones, learning a new set of rules.

In tiny, dilapidated Mayaro, Trinidad, Samuel has spent much of his sixteen years speculating about the splendid life his father is leading in Canada. But when his mother dies and his father sends for him, Samuel learns that the splendors he imagined are just that: imaginary. Faced with a surly parent who has no interest in his present or his future, who seems to do nothing all day and who subsists on a disability pension in subsidized housing, Samuel realizes that he must adapt to this perplexing new environment and make his way unaided. Toronto becomes his big adventure: a training ground for the life that lies ahead. Maharaj's perceptive observations of this "other" Canada, seen from an outsider's perspective, are entertaining, often show more hilarious, and always compelling. The Amazing Absorbing Boy is destined to become a classic of immigrant literature. show less

A teenager living in Trinidad, Samuel, is sent to Toronto to live with his father after the death of his mother. Samuel's father has not had much contact with his family and proves to be uncommunicative with his son. They live in an apartment in Regent Park. Samuel is left alone and doesn't see his father for days, so he sets out to discover the city. This beautifully written book shows how Samuel meets a wide variety of people- immigrants trying to find their way-and observes the events that bring people together in the city at the coffee shops, the library, demonstrations at city hall and the poetry readings at the Art Bar. Samuel holds a number of jobs and eventually finds a real place for himself in Canadian society, helped by his show more visiting uncle and aunt. The characters are both funny and sad as the author's keen imagination creates the most marvellous and colourful cast in this novel. The descriptions of Trinidad and Toronto are clever and the situations have a ring of truth to them. There are so many threads to this novel- Samuel's devotion to super hero comics and how they shaped his growth and his befriending of so many interesting people in both Trinidad and Toronto. I really liked this author's voice and work. show less

The sum total of Absorbing Boy is not nearly as memorable as it should be. Despite some sterling writing - I particularly love the 'chimera fella' who works in the library and complains, "Everything has changed. Now the entire staff is beholden to lists. Horrible memoirs bursting with frivolous grief. I feel sometimes as if I am a custodian of misery" - Maharaj's tale never really connects. Hardly any character lasts more than a chapter or two, and the overall episodic nature of the storytelling halts any forward momentum in Samuel's bildungsroman.

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It started out strong with great character development. Once the main character reached Canada it went down hill from there. It turned into a show and tell rather than an interesting narrative. I abandoned the book about half way through when I started to skim large parts.