It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Author	Ned Vizzini
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Teen Novel, Comedy
Publisher	Hyperion
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	448 pp

It's Kind of a Funny Story is a novel by American author Ned Vizzini. It follows a depressed young man who becomes suicidal and checks himself into a psychiatric hospital. The book was inspired by Vizzini's own brief hospitalization for depression in November 2004, as described in the book's endnotes.

Synopsis

Craig, the narrator, is 15, and lives with his family in an upper-middle class Brooklyn neighborhood. He just started attending a very gifted, superior high school, for which he has studied very hard to gain admission. Now he is overwhelmed by the academic pressures there. He has poor appetite, purges his stomach, and sleeps poorly due to stressful nighttime thoughts which he calls "cycling." His best friend has introduced him to smoking pot at the friend's home; Craig, who is shy and nerdy and has never dated, is also jealous that this friend goes out with the girl who he is in love with. Craig sees counselors and is taking medication, but feels improved and decides to stop medicating, but shortly afterward considers suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Instead of jumping, he admits himself to a psychiatric hospital very nearby. The staff take his treasured cell phone away. Craig meets many interesting patients there; some are quite friendly, while others are reclusive or delusional, and he gets accustomed to the laid-back daily routine. His appetite returns. His parents, sister, and the school principal are supportive, and realize that depression is very commonplace and nothing to be ashamed of. They are proud that he had sought help on his own. Craig bonds with another hospital patient his age who is also depressed, attends a gifted school, and had scarred her face with scissors. One day, he starts drawing maps, something at which he is greatly talented, but had not done since he was a small boy. The other patients are amazed at his work, his counselor suggests that he transfer to an art school, and he feels like a burden has been lifted from his shoulders. He also greatly helps two other patients through small favors he did for them. After just one week, Craig is discharged, as is his new girlfriend, and he returns home determined to enjoy life.

Film

The film version from Focus Features will be directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden of Half Nelson, and star Keir Gilchrist as Craig, with Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Zoe Kravitz and Lauren Graham.

External links

• The author's homepage