I can remember the first time in infancy that I realised the relationship between a set of symbols on a page and spoken language. This would have been the very first time that I conceptualised what a symbol was, or thought symbolically! So began a lifelong love of books that was (as this article notes) looked down on by some people (usually people I would probably never want to be friends with anyway):http://theinvisiblestrings.com/lost-book-land-stories-autism-spectrum/#comment-169635 Throughout my life, books have taught me far more than all the years in school and university, and I am equally happy with fiction (as long as it is not "light reading") as non-fiction. One of the things I liked at school (there were not many I have to say) was the comprehensive way in which we were taught to analyse novels - theme (which often had to be split into different levels of themes), character, style, genre and so on. I started reading adult novels at 10, entering a magnificent new world where I could watch the inner workings of a character's mind, perceptions, reactions and thought process. And when I was sad (which was often in my early teens) I knew who the funniest novelists were who could always make me laugh out loud. Some of those early novelists gave me both experiences simulatanously (Dickens!). I acquired what early social skills I had from books. For every situation in life, whether happy or sad or whatever, there are novelists who have carefully considered it; books were like, and remain for me, closest dearest friends; probably an HFA thing, or maybe was, particularly in my generation..television began here when I was 12, though it had no interest for me, as sitcoms were one dimensional and to me, vacuous. (I haven't changed much!!) Sorry for the lack of paragraphs - Captcha won't allow them today.
07 Nov 2015, 9:27 pm
