All the Sad Young Men

The narrator muses on identity, claiming we are all “queer fish,” and warns against easy categories. He turns that thought toward the world of the wealthy, suggesting their lives feel like a fairy‑tale constructed by both rich and poor. The tone is both witty and observant, setting up a portrait of a particular “rich boy” whose story will unfold.

Anson Hunter is the eldest of six children destined to inherit a fifteen‑million‑dollar fortune. Raised in a Manhattan townhouse before moving to a sprawling Connecticut estate, he is tutored by an English governess and learns a crisp, aristocratic manner of speech. From an early age he senses the deference of neighbor boys and begins to equate his wealth with entitlement, a confidence that both opens doors and isolates him. As he heads to Yale, his physical presence and quiet charm mark him as unmistakably privileged, hinting at the inner tensions that will shape his adult life.