Boxy an Star
Encyclopedia
Boxy an Star is the first novel by English author Daren King
. It was shortlisted for the 1999 Guardian First Book Award
and longlisted for the Booker Prize. The book is notable for its unusual futuristic vernacular style, reminiscent of works such as A Clockwork Orange
or The Book of Dave
.
After a party at Boxy's flat, at which Bole and Star consume a large number of Boxy's spangles and Es and confuse a duvet with a bag of drugs, they go to visit Star's friend Prim and have afternoon tea. Invited to stay the night, the pair later awake and, forgetting where they are, become frightened and decide to escape, encountering Prim's boyfriend Gary on the way who they think is a 'Mephisto Conjurer' due to his 'smoking stick'.
Daren King
Laurence Daren King is an award-winning contemporary English novelist. His debut novel, Boxy an Star, was shortlisted for the 1999 Guardian First Book Award and longlisted for the 1999 Booker Prize. He won first prize in the Nestle Children's Book Prize in 2006...
. It was shortlisted for the 1999 Guardian First Book Award
Guardian First Book Award
Guardian First Book Award, issued before 1999 as Guardian Fiction Prize or Guardian Fiction Award, is awarded to new writing in fiction and non-fiction.-History:...
and longlisted for the Booker Prize. The book is notable for its unusual futuristic vernacular style, reminiscent of works such as A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
or The Book of Dave
The Book of Dave
- Content :The Book of Dave tells the story of an angry and mentally-ill London taxi driver named Dave Rudman, who writes and has printed on metal a book of his rantings against women and thoughts on custody rights for fathers. These stem from his anger with his ex-wife, Michelle, who he believes...
.
Plot summary
Boxy an Star tells the story of the relationship between two young lovers, 'Bole' (Thomas Boler) and 'Star' (Stacey Brain), Bole being the narrator of the story. The 'Boxy' in the title is the couple's friend and drug dealer.After a party at Boxy's flat, at which Bole and Star consume a large number of Boxy's spangles and Es and confuse a duvet with a bag of drugs, they go to visit Star's friend Prim and have afternoon tea. Invited to stay the night, the pair later awake and, forgetting where they are, become frightened and decide to escape, encountering Prim's boyfriend Gary on the way who they think is a 'Mephisto Conjurer' due to his 'smoking stick'.
Characters
- Thomas "Bole" Boler — the main character and the novel's narrator.
- Stacy "Star" Brain — Tom's girlfriend.
Minor characters
- Prim - a posh bohemian alcoholic. Referred to only as Prim in Boxy an Star but by the full name Primula Spatula in the prequel Tom Boler.