Autism book: The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

[Irkoutsk]

I've started read this book for my English class since I'm back to college for a technic in farming. This book seem really good and I think maybe you should read it but I read it in English class because English is not my first language.

 

[Ylva]

Boone is said to have AS, but reading it makes it obvious that he has more severe autism.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I've actually seen a theater version of this book. It was unique, to say the least.

 

[Spiller]

I read this a while ago, it's a brilliant book and I was very touched by it, but Boone definitely has severe autism rather than AS.
I'd love to see the play too.

 

[SameStars]

It was assigned-reading in high school for me with a test, like 'how many red cars for a Good Day?'. I did like the book, even if the character rather neatly ticked off (almost?) every symptom. But I understood that this was just one, albeit fictional, example of ASD.
I didn't know there was a play. Seems interesting.

 

[Progster]

It was assigned-reading in high school for me with a test, like 'how many red cars for a Good Day?'. I did like the book, even if the character rather neatly ticked off (almost?) every symptom. But I understood that this was just one, albeit fictional, example of ASD.
I didn't know there was a play. Seems interesting.

I like his car counting, and I can relate to it, because when I was a teenager I was obsessed at one point with spotting car makes and counted how many Volkswagens or Citroens I could spot

I agree that his symptoms are a lot more severe than those normally seen on a person with AS.

 

[Datura]

I've read the book and found it both interesting and touching. I really think the author nailed the voice of the protagonist of a narrator. You can really perceive things the way he does.

 

[Ylva]

I love how casually he states that he curls up and starts moaning. As far as I remember, the narrative was in the present tense, too, so it's just him reacting in a way he finds natural, it's not a big deal to him.

 

[Datura]

I also love how when asked to use descriptive details to make his writing more interesting he fixates on details most people would find arbitrary, like the colour of a new character's shoes.

 

[royinpink]

Yeah, I loved the book even though it is, as others have mentioned, a more severe case. It's also a great book for ESL, given the simple sentence structure and literal meaning.

Has anyone read Marcelo in the Real World? I found this to be more like AS...although the protagonist shies away from that, like he 'copes too well' to have AS whereas I would think just the opposite.

Is there some perception by the general public that to 'really' have AS, you have to be severely disabled that I am missing? Or are authors just hedging to avoid backlash from parents of children with more severe autism? Or...what?

 

[pushpin]

I read this many years ago and really enjoyed it!

 

[KinksFan]

I was curious about this book when it first came out, so I bought myself a copy. I like how the story is told in first person and it describes the beliefs and rituals of the main character. I agree with many of you that the problems that the boy has seem to be too severe for AS.

 

[JDartistic]

Everyone here is saying autism isn't the same as AS & that it's much worse...

I'm autistic & find these remarks a little sad, like maybe I'm much worse off than you.

I know that's not your intention but just so you know...made me feel depressed, like I'm severely disabled or something.

Anyway I'll read the book. Sounds like I may relate well. Hope it has a happy ending.

 

[Spiller]

Everyone here is saying autism isn't the same as AS & that it's much worse...

I'm autistic & find these remarks a little sad, like maybe I'm much worse off than you.

I know that's not your intention but just so you know...made me feel depressed, like I'm severely disabled or something.

Anyway I'll read the book. Sounds like I may relate well. Hope it has a happy ending.

Hey JDartistic, I'm sorry if my comment upset you, I meant no discrimination and you're absolutely right, I should have been more specific and said that Boone seems to be more a low functioning Autistic. I personally see no difference between Autism and Aspergers at the high functioning end amongst all the people I've met

 

[Ylva]

Everyone here is saying autism isn't the same as AS & that it's much worse...

If anyone has said it is objectively "worse", then they are full of ****. All I've heard us say is that this character's symptoms are too severe to just be Asperger's.

 

[Ylva]

On second thought, Boone is probably psychopathic.

 

[Ylva]

On third thought, he is probably just so numb from abuse and gaslighting that he can't feel anything. He would still have emotions, he just wouldn't be paying attention to them.

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

This book may have been my first clue--which I utterly missed--that I had more in common with the main character than I thought. A lot of what the main character did made perfect sense--and the reactions of others seemed weird. And yeah, autism is different, and it seems to have more layers or options that aspiedom does, at least as I experience it. It seems to be the reasoning that helped drive the DSM-V in the direction of lumping them together.

I loved the book, and I recall a reasonable and happy ending--not sentimental, but good in a real-feeling way.