600 Hours of Edward

By: Craig Lancaster

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

A 39-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Edward Stanton lives alone on a rigid schedule in the Montana town where he grew up. His carefully constructed routine includes tracking his most common waking time (7:38 a.m.), refusing to start his therapy sessions even a minute before the appointed hour (10:00 a.m.), and watching one episode of the 1960s cop show Dragnet each night (10:00 p.m.).

But when a single mother and her nine-year-old son move in across the street, Edward’s timetable comes undone. Over the course of a momentous 600 hours, he opens up to his new neighbors and confronts old grievances with his estranged parents. Exposed to both the joys and heartaches of friendship, Edward must ultimately decide whether to embrace the world outside his door or retreat to his solitary ways.

Heartfelt and hilarious, this moving novel will appeal to fans of Daniel Keyes’ classic Flowers for Algernon and to any reader who loves an underdog.

©2012 Craig Lancaster (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Too long for material; worth the credit, tho. 3.5*

Might have been shorter, as this "review" might have been!!!

The author seems to think the reader is stupid and does not "get" the "mental illness" from which Edward/Teddy suffers. We get it in the first 20 pages. I understand that the writer wants to hammer home the OCD aspect and how difficult it will be for Edward to even consider changing some of his rituals. His problems are deeper than OCD, however.

The best part was in the middle when Edward spontaneously does "the right thing" -- naturally breaking some years-long habits for good reason. At this point, I felt Edward, like the rest of us, are just waiting for the opportunity to do the right thing.

Much contention between major characters comprised the third quarter; but the contention came a bit late. While we are introduced to his father and other irritants early on, his mother is nearly absent until the end. When the BIG THING happens, Edward is freed from his "prison", not quite ready to run naked in the streets, but he has reconsidered some of his old ways. His therapist is very good, believable and key to Edward's understanding of events and reactions.

In one sense, in retrospect, the story tasted like pablum as it delivered moral and social messages, reminding the reader to be aware of what is not seen, of understanding the peccadillos animated in folks who otherwise suffer silently.

Edward's changes are initiated first by his long-time therapy, then by the insertion of a new neighbor and a child -- in itself common launching point for fictional self-realization and change. But this is a good use of the device. The neighbor is not sugary sweet, and not needy, beyond the need we all have for friendship. Everyone learns the importance of community in this story.

I liked it, would recommend it on a long train ride, as some of the middle repetitions (I get it--OCD) become tiresome. I found myself reciting what I knew Edward would say in response to his encounters with certain television shows, analyses of situations, etc. Edward is very, very bright, intuitive and not without empathy.

One thing that DOES annoy me about the entire book: Edward, for all his brilliance and social savvy, never once says Thank you. Never once uses any kind of expected social currency in his interactions. He simply grunts. If that is part of his spectrum, the author should have added that to his lengthy demonstrations of Edward's shortcomings. Perhaps it is a habit of the writer? Not casting aspersions, just wondering about it.

This is an intimate work of fiction. The author may have some knowledge of the nature Edward's illness. Perhaps he grew up with an Edward in his life and this is an homage.

The story finishes on a high note... not a big resolution or "miracle cure," thank God, but a hopefulness, a new journey, etc. I suspect there is or will be, and there certainly could be a sequel. Edward is an interesting character. In him, I found aspects of myself and people I know. I too rely on comfortable habits in my own life.

Edward is like a torch in public, many situations that we endure every day are potential volcanoes on any given day, given the stresses inherent in our modern society. Edward seems to ignite the calm into fire, from which rescue -- legal and physical -- are often necessary.

Frequently, in what I call "psych" novels, grocery stores are cauldrons for meltdowns, revelations, and confrontations. I do wonder what the connection might exist between a hunting/gathering activity like food shopping and the community/exposure requirement of our modern civilization. Just thinking aloud.

There is a single paragraph mid-book that foreshadows a pleasant turn of events on the final pages. Everyone will see it, everyone will know there is a connection yet to be made. Gratefully, the author did it right.

The narrator was excellent with voices, inflections and pacing.

So, I give it a 3.5.... the potential is there. It took too long to get to the real story, and much time was wasted on the proof that Edward is not "normal."

Perfect narration, a different kind of book

Lately it seems new books have gone the way of Hollywood movies. Find a formula plot or theme that sells - such as crime and action, vampires, cartoon heroes, etc - and pop out movie after movie on the same idea.

Are some books are being produced the same way? Really, are so many authors listening to the same muse? Or are they listening to agents or publishers on what is selling? How much longer until computers write such books? Use the same type of plot, research the place and time and then write in some details on apparel and class structures, speech patterns, and weather. Maybe some contemporary political events or disasters.

600 Hours of Edward would be a hard book for a computer to write. Maybe not so hard for other authors to copy if agents and publishers think it's a money making style. The plot isn't totally unique, as we've seen letter writing within books before, yet the thoughts and experiences of an isolated man who is rapidly evolving in a short time because he has met a woman neighbor and her son and also tried online dating - deeply affecting his OCD / Asperger's rigid and data-collecting schedule - makes for a quite different book.

This book is so refreshingly unique that even though it was quiet, even somewhat deadpan in delivery, it was different enough to be interesting. Fascinating at times.

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments. And, many moments when a reader can connect to what was happening simply because we've been around and seen such things or people (like drama people, for example) and can relate and even smile or shake our heads.

Great book. I see that there's a sequel, and will be reading that too.

Quirky

I enjoyed the story and narrator. I listen during my commute, the story had me laughing at red lights. I also appreciated Edwards routine and repetition of phrases.

Sweet Story of Triumph

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook to my friends who lilke intricate characters, a "real" story about adults trying to overcome their various difficulties in order to find a place in the world. This book reminded me of Ron McLarty's fantastic, whimsical THE MEMORY OF RUNNING, in that both books show how a lonely man grows and changes when circumstances force it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 600 Hours of Edward?

I loved 39-year-old OCD/Asbergers sufferer (that seems llke soooo not the right word) interacts with 9-year-old Kyle. I love how Kyle looks at Edward without judgment and how he teaches Edward to laugh again and that disaster will not strike if he gets out of his routine.

Have you listened to any of Luke Daniels’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

i've never heard anything else that he's done, but I think he did a nice job here. I particularly want to commend his interpretation of the female characters. So often male narrators can ruin a book by making the women sound fake, shrill and just annoying. He did a lovely job here bringing Donna to life, and illuminating her sensitivity, her frailties, her kindness.

If you could take any character from 600 Hours of Edward out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Oh, I think a dinner with Edward, Kyle, and Donna would be really fun. I'd love to see all their different personalities mix and bounce off one another. Would Edward order spaghetti, you think?

Any additional comments?

If you liked MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND or THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, you will enjoy this short, sweet book immensely.

Surprisingly Charming!!

This was a pleasant surprise! It is a quick, well written novel of a gentleman with Asperger's syndrome. You get to peek into his life for a mere 25 days, but Edward's evolution throughout is satisfying. I enjoyed the story--it progressed well, with a few twists along the way!

The narrator is perfect for this story--at times, I really thought he was Edward! This book is quirky, tender, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny--I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to others.

**and I've already set up my "complaint" file--it seems like the perfect stress therapy to me!!**

Great

The narrative started a little slow and I had to force myself not to give up on it; boy am I ever glad I didn't. This was one of the better, more touching in a non maudlin way, audio's I've ever listened to. Edward Stanton is a thirty nine year old man with both Asperger's and OCD. The lack of affect in the voice is quite well done by the narrator and the writer's OCD indicators are familiar to those who've worked in the field of mental health. The insights that Edward delivers in riposte to his father and those he states in his daily letters indicate the strength of his sharp, deeply probing mind.
Edward's life is changed when a single mother with a nine year old son moves into a house across the street from him. Edward finds himself connecting with the boy (Kyle) and with his mother (Donna) in a way that both pleases and troubles him. His life is further thrown off track by his decision to try on line dating. The one date that he does actually attempt doesn't go off well at all. His psychiatrist provides a sounding board and a reality check for him as she guides Edward through his decision making process.
I won't go any further than that; don't want to spoil the story for anyone; it's too good. This is an unqualified five star listen that I totally recommend to all Audible listeners.

A nice read

Where does 600 Hours of Edward rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I liked it. I liked it so much, I'm going to read it again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 600 Hours of Edward?

Edward's letter from his father, and how he reacted and processed the information.

Which scene was your favorite?

Edward's date with Joy

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Edward has a very logical story....

A day in a life with Asperger's

Occasionally I will listen to a book like this (and sometimes I will even enjoy it); A book told in first-person narrative about someone struggling through ordinary daily problems, while struggling with extraordinary personal handicaps.

The main character, Edward, is struggling to navigate a world that he doesn't fully relate. His perspective doesn't line up with how other people see the world. From the outside Edward looks like everybody else, except that he does not have a filter for his thoughts, and his logical brain cannot process irrational or disorganized ideas other's may have. He has little patience for other's thoughts if they run contrary to his own. This gets Edward into trouble ("the Garth Brooks incident", for example).

"600 Hours of Edward" is told from the perspective of someone struggling with OCD and Asperger's, but has learned with counselling to be higher-functioning. He displays stereotypical "idiot savant" reactions to the daily perplexities of life, and can sometimes come of simultaneously as absurd, mentally retarded, brilliant, and extremely rude.

There is a misunderstanding in our culture about Asperger's and Autism in general. Most people have some idea what it is, but may not fully understand it. This book does a good job of humanizing the struggle of people who can sometimes come off as insensitive, robotic, or anti-social. In the end, the reader feels strongly for the characters, even though they may not yet understand what makes him tick, because let's face it, they think differently than most people.

The plot has enough continuous forward momentum as to keep the story interesting. It starts during a very tumultuous time in the character's life, so we learn how he responds to change (a very difficult thing for Edward to do), and are not certain what effect this shakeup will ultimately have on Edward's life and emotional stability.

Third Favorite

This is my third favorite of the "difficult narrator" books that I've listened to this year. Number one is A Man Called Ove; Two is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and this is a distant third. The editing isn't quite as tight which matters when I'm listening and can't skim like I can while reading. Edward's quirks are midwestern (Dallas football, old TV shows, Banquet frozen dinners) which is a bit prosaic, but the reason I'm putting it in my top three is this book has a lot of HEART. And that's what gets me every time.

Recommend.

If you liked "Silver Linings Playbook..."

Any additional comments?

This book had mixed reviews, so I was slow to pull the trigger. When I started, I found the repetition of "I like facts" to be somewhat annoying - but I powered through and it ended up fading to the background. I'm glad I ignored that minor blip, because the overall story was compelling, well constructed, and well told. The performer did a great job reading it too - I think it probably was more effective as an audiobook than a printed book. I'd definitely recommend it - especially to anyone who enjoyed "Silver Linings Playbook." It's not the same story, but it has enough of the same vibe for that to be a good indicator.