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MechEngDropout
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 Posted: 12/04/05 - 01:56 Post subject: RR Book Club - 12/05 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in...
Welcome to the inaugural Riff Raff Book Club monthly book discussion thread! December's book is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Please feel free to comment and spark discussion as you progress through the book. Happy reading!
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jrjo
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 11:31 Post subject:
I got the book on it's way... next weekend's reading 
Do we need to post 'spoiler' warnings in this thread? Or is the whole thread going to be assumed to be filled with yap about the book and if you haven't read it yet, you're here at your own risk?
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megawill
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 11:35 Post subject:
so will it be one book per month?
i don't get much pleasure reading in while school is in session, but may be able to fit something in monthly...especially during december and january (while on break!)
---
megawill
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 12/05/05 - 12:55 Post subject:
| jrjo wrote: | I got the book on it's way... next weekend's reading
Do we need to post 'spoiler' warnings in this thread? Or is the whole thread going to be assumed to be filled with yap about the book and if you haven't read it yet, you're here at your own risk? |
I think it's safe to say you're at your own risk.
I checked it our from work last night and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open. Great book thus far.
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 12/06/05 - 14:01 Post subject:
I finished off the book last night. I thought it was great - very unique perspective.
Has anyone had first hand experience with autism or autistic children? How well did he portray it? From second hand knowledge, I'd say he did an amazing job, but I've never even met someone with a serious case of autism.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/07/05 - 14:27 Post subject:
I bought the book last night--and, having worked with autistic kids, I think it's pretty spot on.
I like the perspective, though--I was always on the outside looking in, it's kind of neat being on the inside looking out.
That mental capacity is amazing--and exhausting.
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Library Chick
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Posted: 12/07/05 - 14:36 Post subject:
| MechEngDropout wrote: | I finished off the book last night. I thought it was great - very unique perspective.
Has anyone had first hand experience with autism or autistic children? How well did he portray it? From second hand knowledge, I'd say he did an amazing job, but I've never even met someone with a serious case of autism. |
I read the book a while ago - my niece is autistic, but she's a lot younger and I don't spend a lot of time with her, so not sure if the book reflects her condition.
A co-worker's 13-year-old son has Aspberger's (a condition on the high end of the autistic scale) and she thought it did a good job of capturing the thought processes of an autistic/aspberger's person.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/13/05 - 13:47 Post subject:
I'm further into the book. Several issues come to mind. How would you deal with those concepts with a child who has a different, finite perception of reality???
Painful issues the child is dealing with.
wow.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 11:06 Post subject:
I finished the book. It left my head spinning.
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Pug
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 13:42 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | I'm further into the book. Several issues come to mind. How would you deal with those concepts with a child who has a different, finite perception of reality???
Painful issues the child is dealing with.
wow. |
It would be so tough, trying to explain concepts in a way that can be understood by the child but you'd also have to change your life so as to not mess with the child.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 13:52 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | airehead wrote: | I'm further into the book. Several issues come to mind. How would you deal with those concepts with a child who has a different, finite perception of reality???
Painful issues the child is dealing with.
wow. |
It would be so tough, trying to explain concepts in a way that can be understood by the child but you'd also have to change your life so as to not mess with the child. |
I couldn't even begin to imagine how to alter/not alter your life just so you could keep your child's life in some kind of balance.
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 15:40 Post subject:
For all of her fits, why doesn't he fear his mother more?
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 16:36 Post subject:
| MechEngDropout wrote: | | For all of her fits, why doesn't he fear his mother more? |
I took it to be a "lesser of two evils" in his black and white world.
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jrjo
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Posted: 01/01/06 - 21:29 Post subject:
Finally remembered to duck in here and post my 2-cents. Really like this book. It has a couple of outta-right-field twists for me at least, my wife read it too and said she saw them both coming...figuring out about mom and who off'd the dog.
As I did read the book though, I couldn't help but dwell on how "un" different autistic minds are from the rest of us. Some social acceptabilities and inter-relationship understandings, pretty much the rest I was able to relate to on some level. I've zoned out on particularities of the world at times, felt safe and secure in some small space and find that little tiny things that have changed jump out at me all the time.
My FIL has a theory that autistic people really don't have anything 'wrong' with their minds, but that certain parts of their brains are just being used to their real potential and it overshadows much of the other areas because of the acuity. So whether it be the maths or the memory or the animal understanding, we all have that capacity, but it's untapped. For me, this book really defined his theory for me.
Definitely a good read. My copy is on it's way to a BIL and sure to continue making the rounds.
Thanks for the pick Mech!!
/what's next???
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