Lately, I've been reading a lot of books in addition to the trashy magazines like People that I also like to read. The one I just finished - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - is one of the most engrossing I've picked up in ages. I started it Friday and had to finish it tonight it was so good. Fortunately, it was a fairly quick read narrated by a 15-year-old autistic boy in England. In some ways, it felt very much like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 with the talk of A levels and him not understanding the terrible things going on with his parents and such. The main difference being Adrian is funny because he doesn't get it and Christopher isn't funny for not getting it. Still, a really great read.What I found so striking was how difficult it was for the parents to understand what's going on in Christopher's mind when in some ways it seems to logical. I was also struck by how hard it would be for the parents to not be able to hug or even hold hands with him because he can't stand it. There were also some good twists and turns in this one that I totally didn't see coming, making it all the more riveting.
After I finished it tonight, I did make a point to go into Andy's room and rub his head, feeling grateful that he lets me. I was actually lamenting to myself just today that he doesn't let me hold him the way he used to so tonight I was just glad for the good thing I've got.
I read it too and was fascinated by the mechanisms that Christopher and his father worked out, like the touching of hands with fingers spread, since they can't hug. In the end it's uplifting because Christopher overcomes so much in order to pass the test, not to mention finding his mother, etc. But I also the unyielding logic that he holds himself to at great odds with the violent emotional fits he falls into when his life gets out of synch. Thank god for normal kids, huh?
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