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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
Felt like the most reality-based and honest portrayal of both autism and parenthood that I’ve come across (acknowledging that I’m neither a parent nor intimately connected to autism). I’m also a sucker for stories of multi-generational relationships and this was a really beautiful example of that. The author’s writing about alcoholism was the least convincing aspect of the story to me but did receive a bit more clarity by the end, however the way he wrote about everything else with such awareness and precision sort of made this story thread stick out to me as being just okay. It was charming, it was sad, I learned a lot, and really enjoyed reading it.
Felt like the most reality-based and honest portrayal of both autism and parenthood that I’ve come across (acknowledging that I’m neither a parent nor intimately connected to autism). I’m also a sucker for stories of multi-generational relationships and this was a really beautiful example of that. The author’s writing about alcoholism was the least convincing aspect of the story to me but did receive a bit more clarity by the end, however the way he wrote about everything else with such awareness and precision sort of made this story thread stick out to me as being just okay. It was charming, it was sad, I learned a lot, and really enjoyed reading it.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got an advanced copy, so I do not pass judgement on the formatting and grammar, of which there were some issues, but not enough to make me stop reading.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I was captivated by the life of Ben Jewell and his son, Jonah. Ben has been living for ten years taking care of his autistic son with little reward. Beyond his breaking point, Ben finds himself stuck living with his distant and aloof father after his wife sends him and Jonah away.
There are no heroes and no villains in this story, just people dealt a bad hand and struggling to deal with it as best they can with hardly any help. This is a slice of life story when living with a severely autistic child.
Be prepared to laugh, to cry, to want to hug Ben and to want to hit him upside the head. He is just a guy doing his best, and sometimes his best isn't very good at all.
It's a very realistic and gritty story of living with a family member with ASD. There's a lot of work, a lot of pain, but very little reward...but when it's there, that hint of a smile, not flinching away at a touch, it's just enough to get you through the next meltdown.
I can't wait until this book comes out so I can recommend it to people.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I was captivated by the life of Ben Jewell and his son, Jonah. Ben has been living for ten years taking care of his autistic son with little reward. Beyond his breaking point, Ben finds himself stuck living with his distant and aloof father after his wife sends him and Jonah away.
There are no heroes and no villains in this story, just people dealt a bad hand and struggling to deal with it as best they can with hardly any help. This is a slice of life story when living with a severely autistic child.
Be prepared to laugh, to cry, to want to hug Ben and to want to hit him upside the head. He is just a guy doing his best, and sometimes his best isn't very good at all.
It's a very realistic and gritty story of living with a family member with ASD. There's a lot of work, a lot of pain, but very little reward...but when it's there, that hint of a smile, not flinching away at a touch, it's just enough to get you through the next meltdown.
I can't wait until this book comes out so I can recommend it to people.
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I requested this book on NetGalley because I found the premise intriguing, and while I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would, I found it enjoyable and think it will be a resounding success for Lester.
Shtum is a book about the relationship between fathers and sons – and their inability to communicate with one another. In the case of Ben and Jonah, they are literally unable to communicate because Jonah’s autism means he is unable to speak; Ben and Georg don’t seem to speak about anything of importance. While it was clear that Ben loved his son and would go to great lengths for him, I found the relationship between Georg and Jonah to be poignant and more touching. The level of patience and care that Georg displayed towards Jonah was heart-warming, and the stories he tells the uninterested Jonah (and his reasoning behind telling him) about his family will surprise you.
In all honesty, I found it difficult to connect to Ben. Lester hasn’t shied away from creating a flawed, complex character, and while it makes Shtum a more believable story, I’m not sure it make it a better story. It’s possible to forgive Ben for his faults, but he wasn’t exactly a character I enjoyed spending four hundred-odd pages with. Ben’s problems are understandable – it cannot be easy caring for a child with autism. Ben struggles with the competing demands of Jonah and the family business, so Georg is handed the responsibility of caring for Jonah and the family business is left in the hands of its only employee (besides Ben) while Ben heads to the pub. Ben resents Georg for not being more open with him, but isn’t open with Georg; he’s angry at his (absent) wife, Emma, for wanting out of their relationship. Ben seems intent on creating more problems for himself, to the point it becomes wearisome and you stop hoping he’ll win and start wondering when he’s going to stop sabotaging himself.
Where there was too much of Ben, there was perhaps not enough of the female characters. I’m fine with this being a book about men and their relationships with one another – I expected this from the premise going in. But the female characters were one-dimensional and flat; seemingly used as either pretty ornaments or excuses for Ben’s awful behaviour. Emma is depicted as selfish and cold-hearted for leaving Ben and Jonah (although does get a little redemption arc towards the end);Ben’s mother as an alcoholic who cared little for her husband and son. I probably would have had more sympathy for Ben over the breakdown of his marriage had I a bit more insight into the early days of their relationship, but all we saw was a self-absorbed alcoholic and a woman desperate to be a mother. Ben came across as selfish, hypocritical, rude and drunk (I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree…), so I’m not sure why Jonah’s twenty-something teacher would flirt with Ben (or spend her personal time helping him care for Jonah), or why a blind date would show any interest in him.
Despite my complaints about Shtum, there is still much to love about it. Lester is able to make a novel touching with being overly-sentimental; he writes about serious subject matter while still being able to add a comedic touch when needed. This book ended on such a beautiful note that I finished it crying – and given that I spent a lot of the book being frustrated with Ben, I think it says a lot about Lester’s writing.
This review also appears on my blog What Kim Read Next.
Shtum is a book about the relationship between fathers and sons – and their inability to communicate with one another. In the case of Ben and Jonah, they are literally unable to communicate because Jonah’s autism means he is unable to speak; Ben and Georg don’t seem to speak about anything of importance. While it was clear that Ben loved his son and would go to great lengths for him, I found the relationship between Georg and Jonah to be poignant and more touching. The level of patience and care that Georg displayed towards Jonah was heart-warming, and the stories he tells the uninterested Jonah (and his reasoning behind telling him) about his family will surprise you.
In all honesty, I found it difficult to connect to Ben. Lester hasn’t shied away from creating a flawed, complex character, and while it makes Shtum a more believable story, I’m not sure it make it a better story. It’s possible to forgive Ben for his faults, but he wasn’t exactly a character I enjoyed spending four hundred-odd pages with. Ben’s problems are understandable – it cannot be easy caring for a child with autism. Ben struggles with the competing demands of Jonah and the family business, so Georg is handed the responsibility of caring for Jonah and the family business is left in the hands of its only employee (besides Ben) while Ben heads to the pub. Ben resents Georg for not being more open with him, but isn’t open with Georg; he’s angry at his (absent) wife, Emma, for wanting out of their relationship. Ben seems intent on creating more problems for himself, to the point it becomes wearisome and you stop hoping he’ll win and start wondering when he’s going to stop sabotaging himself.
Where there was too much of Ben, there was perhaps not enough of the female characters. I’m fine with this being a book about men and their relationships with one another – I expected this from the premise going in. But the female characters were one-dimensional and flat; seemingly used as either pretty ornaments or excuses for Ben’s awful behaviour. Emma is depicted as selfish and cold-hearted for leaving Ben and Jonah (although does get a little redemption arc towards the end);Ben’s mother as an alcoholic who cared little for her husband and son. I probably would have had more sympathy for Ben over the breakdown of his marriage had I a bit more insight into the early days of their relationship, but all we saw was a self-absorbed alcoholic and a woman desperate to be a mother. Ben came across as selfish, hypocritical, rude and drunk (I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree…), so I’m not sure why Jonah’s twenty-something teacher would flirt with Ben (or spend her personal time helping him care for Jonah), or why a blind date would show any interest in him.
Despite my complaints about Shtum, there is still much to love about it. Lester is able to make a novel touching with being overly-sentimental; he writes about serious subject matter while still being able to add a comedic touch when needed. This book ended on such a beautiful note that I finished it crying – and given that I spent a lot of the book being frustrated with Ben, I think it says a lot about Lester’s writing.
This review also appears on my blog What Kim Read Next.
Another fabulous recommendation from the great Sandy Papas. Thanks Sandy. What a fantastic book! It's so beautifully written, in such a simple way but has so much depth. All characters and situations so genuine. Such a heartbreaking story of a boy with autism & family that is encompass. Makes one realise what we take for granted.
A very emotional read for me, even down to the specific type of cancer the grandfather has. So perhaps the subject matter is just too close to home for me to enjoy this as a novel. This has been compared a lot to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, I don't think that comparison really stands as this book is completely told from the father's viewpoint.
I really enjoyed this book, found the style of writing very easy to get into and loved the outcome of the story. Ben the protagonist however made me want to strangle him! Every time something needed doing he'd just avoid all responsibility and get drunk instead which was soooooo frustrating but at least he sorted himself out enough to finally arrange things for court! The section where he speaks on behalf of Jonah made me cry as it was so honest and heartbreaking l.
Had some issues with parts of it but liked it overall