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Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X Stork (view source)
Revision as of 11:28, 31 August 2020
, 11:28, 31 August 2020no edit summary
|isbn=978-1407121000
|website=http://www.franciscostork.com/
|aznuk=1407121006
|aznus=054505690X
Marcelo is a brilliant creation. His condition gives him a unique outlook on life, and his fascination with religion lends a strong sense of morality to his behaviour and his decision making. His attempts to put into words and try to quantify intrinsic emotions and urges such as shame, anger, love, trust and distrust, makes for fascinating reading. Although the ''real world'' is harsher and more confusing than Paterson, it is also a place where positive emotions are enhanced, and Marcelo's budding relationship with his boss, the sharp but open-minded Jasmine, with whom he shares a love for music, symbolises this. The author introduces a wide palette of characters, and although many lack development, every personality is distinct and interesting.
''Marcelo in the Real World'' is a coming of age novel that mingles with both very personal themes of self-discovery and love, as well as more serious themes of corruption and justice. Marcelo's autism adds a brilliant, brutally honest quality to the narrative voice that makes reading a continuously intriguing process. I wasn't fully convinced by some of the characters, and felt that the plot seemed to lack direction at times, feeling more like a string of vignettes than a cohesive storyline. Nonetheless, despite the leisurely pace of the story, I couldn't help but become immersed in the story, because Marcelo is such an honest and likeable protagonist, and his introspection and view of the world never feels contrived, but rather very rich and organic.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Recommended by The Bookbag for the young and the old, [[The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon]] is even more intriguing than its title suggests, and also features a protagonist who is on the autistic spectrum. You might also appreciate [[Going Too Far by David Lukens]].
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