![]() ![]() ![]() It becomes increasingly obvious that Alex’s relationship with the world is almost as alien as his son’s. It is only as the novel develops that he is redeemed and finally becomes a likeable character with whom I felt empathy. As it is Jody becomes rather stereotyped and typecast.įurthermore, Alex’s initial self-pitying, self-absorbed litany (admittedly often self-depreciating and funny) does at times become tiring. Firstly, it restricts the novel to the character of Alex and although we see Sam and Jody through his eyes, I would have enjoyed a direct view of their world through their eyes. The book is told solely through Alex’s first person point of view and I personally felt this is flawed on two levels. The trauma of bringing him up – described early on as ‘he (Sam) was like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas – small, funny but at the flick of a mental switch, easily capable of extreme and demented violence’ – has reached crises point with his mother, Jody and his father, Alex living apart in a trial separation.Īlex has never connected with his son and mostly left Jody to care for Sam whilst using his job as an estate agent as an excuse to avoid the family home. In the book, Sam is eight-years-old and only recently diagnosed with autism. ![]() ![]() A Boy Made of Blocks is a debut novel by Keith Stuart and is inspired by his experience with his own autistic son. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |