Matthew's Enigma: A Father's Portrait of His Autistic Son [Hardcover]

Matei Calinescu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2009

Matthew's Enigma unfolds the complex relationship between a father, who is a Romanian emigré and distinguished university professor, and his son, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 7 years old. Matei Calinescu's desire to understand Matthew—his namesake—is the theme of this moving memoir. Calinescu's determined search for the meaning of his son's enigmatic illness continues even after Matthew's sudden death at age 25. Reminiscences about Matthew's life are interwoven with observations of his behavior and reflections on the difficulties that autistic persons encounter in social situations. Drawing from journals that he kept, beginning with Matthew's birth, as well as from his experience as a scholar of literature and philosophy and a reader of psychologists' and brain scientists' writings about autism, Calinescu has composed an inspiring and lyrical essay about love and illness, memory and forgetfulness, sociability and alienation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Comparative literature professor Calinescu (Five Faces of Modernity: Modernism, Avant-garde, Decadence, Kitsch, Postmodernism) steps back from academia with this memoir of parenthood, a tribute to his late, autistic son Matthew, "a being apart... not a university professor of course, but a professor all the same, a shy, discreet, taciturn teacher of angelic wisdom and of the ineffable." Diagnosed with autism as a child and with epilepsy as a teen, much regarding Matthew's behavior and health remained a mystery even after diagnosis, a situation many parents will recognize, especially those with children on the autism spectrum. Calinescu explores the history of autism and Asperger's syndrome, discussing medical literature and his own memories with equal comfort and grace. Calinescu is a keen witness, and his 25 years of observation have produced a loving exploration of autism's causes and effects, its impact on the individual and the family, the unexpected ways it complicates daily life and the differences that make an autistic individual stand out. Beyond the appeal to parents, teachers and caregivers of special needs individuals, Colinescu's story offers vivid lessons in acceptance: "All people are different, and the degree of difference does not matter."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"Great insight from a father's perspective on living with an autistic child, especially the parts of the book that describe how this father served as a mentor for his autistic son. They had a great relationship." —Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures

(Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures 2009)

"Through both real-time diary entries and passages written with the wisdom of time, [Calinescu] creates a compelling picture.... Among the best-written portraits of a son with autism and a father's desire to understand him." —Deborah Barnbaum, author of The Ethics of Autism

(Deborah Barnbaum, author of The Ethics of Autism 2009)

"[Matthew's Enigma ] is at once the journal of a father following closely the development of his son with autism, from childhood to a youth brutally interrupted by death, and a detailed study of the literature on autism, full of personal insights.... This extraordinary book is a profound meditation on the fragility and the enigma of human existence itself." —Norman Manea, author of On Clowns: The Dictator and the Artist

(Norman Manea, author of On Clowns: The Dictator and the Artist )

"Matthew was a gentle and kind young man who left this world too early. Matthew's Enigma highlights the various stages of his life from birth to his early death at age 25 and provides thoughtful commentary and insights into the various aspects of autism." —Cathy Pratt, Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

(Cathy Pratt, Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism )

"Calinescu paints an intimate and poignant portrait... one of the most interesting narratives about autism to date." —Library Journal

(Library Journal )

"Beyond the appeal to parents, teachers and caregivers of special needs individuals, Calinescu's story offers vivid lessons in acceptance: 'All people are different, and the degree of difference does not matter.'" —PW Annex Reviews, March 9, 2009

(PW Annex Reviews )

"... Calinescu's memoir... offers crisp insights into the autistic mind, while demonstrating the real gifts of parenthood: the chance to know another human well, to accept your differences and, on good days, to glory in them." —Nuvo, May 13, 2009

(Nuvo )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253352975
• ISBN-13: 978-0253352972
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

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