Books with a Difference #1: Childhood

 

I've decided, from time to time, to review a few books I have read which have made an impression on me for one reason or another.  Many of them have themes that resonate with my own stories; some of them are just plain curiosities.  Usually they will be fiction; occasionally non-fiction.  If you have also read them, or they remind you of something you have read that is similar, or similarly 'different', please comment and let me know.  I'm always looking for more good books! 

Two books for today:

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, by Matthew Green.
A highly original and readable story about a young boy who has autism, although this term is never actually mentioned.  Reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, this humorous and ultimately moving story is told from the point of view of Max's imaginary friend, Budo, who protects him from the many pitfalls and dangers in our world.  The idea of the world being full of imaginary friends who converse and interact with each other, some of whom are no more than a pencil scratch or a ribbon with eyes, is genius.  The main plot is a little far-fetched although will go down well with children, describing Max's abduction and rescue, but the brilliance of this story is in the voices of its main characters, especially the fabulous and remarkable narrator Budo, who isn't real at all.  Or is he?

The Story of Mr Sommer, by Patrick Suskind

This little known book by the author of Perfume, is an extraordinarily moving tale based on the author's experiences as a child growing up in Germany. It is a short novella, more of a collection of humorous vignettes, fully illustrated in simple watercolours by Sempe, and the tone is light and amusing.  Which makes it more of a shock when the ending is reached.  I won't spoil it here, but one of the characters, Mr Sommer, weaves his way in and out of the story rather like an eccentric, inconsequential dark thread.  Mr Sommer has claustrophobia to the extent that he cannot live indoors with his life but must walk around and around the lake all day, every day and night, for year upon year.  The tale has echoes of The Little Prince by Saint-Exupery, but it is funnier, and darker, and I think more profound. 

I have tried repeatedly to get hold of this book in English but it no longer seems to be in print. I have tried Abe Books for secondhand copies across the world but had no luck so far.  I found it in the library in 2007.

Has anyone out there read either of these two books? What did you think of them?  Please tell!