Crystal Boys: A Novel"Crystal Boys is the first Chinese novel on gay themes. A-qing, the adolescent hero, comes from an impoverished family. His father casts him out after learning that his son is gay. A-qing drifts into New Park, a gay hangout in Taipei, and begins his life as a hustler. He meets other boys living on the street, also forsaken by their families: Little Jade, who is constantly searching for his unknown father; Mousey, an orphan and petty thief; and Wu Min, a shy and tender kid, who attempts suicide when discarded by a middle-aged man. These four boys become fast friends and are taken under the protection of Chief Yang, a fiftyish gay guru in the Park. The boys begin to build a family of their own. Meanwhile, A-qing meets Dragon Prince, whose passionate and fateful love for Phoenix Boy has become a legend in the Park.. The second part of the novel deals with the Cozy Nest, a gay bar run by Chief Yang, where the boys and other homosexual exiles have found a refuge. The bar is sponsored by Papa Fu, whose young soldier son had shot himself when his homosexuality was exposed. In Taiwan, the gay community is known as the buoliquan, literally 'glass community,' while the individuals are called 'glass boys' or 'crystal boys'"-- |
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Common terms and phrases
A-qing A-xiong arms asked Baby Face Buddy CALIFORNIA/SANTA CRUZ called chest Chief Chief Yang cigarette clothes couple Cozy Nest CRUZ The University crystal boy daddy dark Death Angel door Dragon Prince drink eyes Fairy father filled front Fu's glass Grandpa Guo hair hand harmonica head heart Jade's Jinzhou lane laughed light Lin san Little Jade looked Lord Sheng lotus pond Moon Beauty Mother Mousey mouth night Obasan okay Old Zhou overseas Chinese Pai Hsien-yung Papa Fu park Phoenix Boy picked restaurant Road Sanchong City shirt Shiseido shoulder shouted sighed sitting smile someone Sonny stood suddenly Sun Yat-sen sweat Taipei Taiwan talk Taoyuan tell things told took turned turnip cakes UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA voice walked Wang Kuilong Wanhua wearing Westgate Wu Min Wu Min's Zhang Zhao