In response to this problematic attempt, Craig's mother urged him to create maps of imaginary places instead of reproductions of existing maps. His family lived in a small, unimpressive apartment, and Craig himself gravitated to maps and art at one point, he attempted to draw his own map of Manhattan, but found the attempt itself frustrating and upsetting. Minerva's prompting, he attempts (with limited success) to reflect on his childhood.Ĭraig then explains what his life was like when he was only four years old. Craig also reverts to some of the personal terminology he has developed for his mental conditions: he has sources of support called Anchors, unsettling forces called Tentacles, and a possibility of renewal called the Shift. Life is mostly nightmarish to him, although he does enjoy simple tasks such as urinating. Craig explains that he has had trouble sleeping.
The narrative then transitions to a meeting between Craig and his therapist, Dr. Craig briefly envisions the possibility of a life without responsibility, then hides out in Aaron's bathroom, overcome with a sense of social anxiety and personal insecurity.
Craig quickly transitions from these ideas to observations of the more specific scene that begins "Part 1: Where I'm At." Craig is hanging out at his friend Aaron's place Craig's friend Ronny and Aaron's girlfriend Nia are also present. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story.In the opening sequence of It's Kind of a Funny Story, the novel's fifteen year-old narrator, Craig Gilner, is weighing thoughts of suicide. Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping-until, one night, he nearly kills himself.Ĭraig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. That's when things start to get crazy.Īt his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids he's just average, and maybe not even that. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future.
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