Let's eat Grandpa!

Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison

Narrator:  John Elder Robison
Source: Audible
Finished: 4/8/13
Rating: 8 out of 10
Publisher: Books on Tape
Length: 9 hours 16 minutes
Pages: 302
Published: 2007

Synopsis (from Publishers Weekly):  Robison’s thoughtful and thoroughly memorable account of living with Asperger’s syndrome is assured of media attention (and sales) due in part to his brother Augusten Burroughs’s brief but fascinating description of Robison in Running with Scissors. But Robison’s story is much more fully detailed in this moving memoir, beginning with his painful childhood, his abusive alcoholic father and his mentally disturbed mother. In the end, Robison succeeds in his goal of helping those who are struggling to grow up or live with Asperger’s to see how it is not a disease but a way of being that needs no cure except understanding and encouragement from others.

Overall Impression: Once again, a book has shown why memoir really is my favorite genre of writing. There’s just something about reading the personal journey of someone that makes me love, well, being human. We’re all so different and we all have our stories to tell. We are so lucky when people like Robison work up the courage and the time and energy to write out their stories — I learned so much from his memoir. Several people I’m close to (including my SIL and one of my bridesmaids) have worked with autistic children, so my interest in the autism spectrum was already piqued. I also read Born on a Blue Day a while back, which was fascinating. Look Me in the Eye just extended my curiosity, and definitely had me grinning — there were a lot of funny, touching moments in the book. It also made me look more deeply at the way I may treat people who I find, well, socially awkward. I think it gave me more grace.

Positives: This is an essential read for anyone with or anyone who knows someone with Asperger’s (which, if I recall, was removed as classification? I need to look more into it.). I think he gives a lot of credit to the “weird kids” out there, who don’t fit in with crowd very easily, and really pushes to let kids explore what interests them.

Negatives: I wish there had been some more explanation about what happened to his parents between the first part of his life and the latter. This may have been covered more in Running with Scissors, but I had a hard time connecting his early parents from the parents later in the book.

Narration: Like most authors who read their own memoirs, he nailed it. He knew exactly how he wanted to sound, and then sounded that way.

Other books I’ve read by John Elder Robison: none

Other books I’ve listened to narrated by John Elder Robison: none

Other blogger opinions:

My Books. My Life.: “I thought the book would focus mostly on Asperger’s and how it affected his life, but instead it was just a memoir about someone who happened to have Asperger’s.”

The Book Lady’s Blog: “It is a wonderful resource for anyone who knows, lives with, or works with someone who has an autism-spectrum disorder, and it is a great for those curious minds that just want to hear another perspective.”

The Almost Perfectionist: “…I’m so glad I read this book to understand this man better and hopefully use his life story (thus far) as a resource to understand my son.”