Official Review: The Voice of Silence by Aaron Parker

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Voice of Silence" by Aaron Parker.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Voice of Silence opens with the lyrics of a famous song recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1964, “The Sound of Silence.” Written by Aaron Parker, who is autistic, this non-fiction title is a fascinating collection. There are reflections, quotes, definitions, poems, philosophical questions, and other stream-of-consciousness manifestations. Throughout most of the book, Parker uses the first person to convey his thoughts and feelings about the world as he experiences it. The author explores themes such as God, space, time, reality, faith, education, society, and politics. He does so with references to numerous luminaries and philosophers such as Aristotle, Confucius, Plato, Nietzsche, Kant, Voltaire, Bertrand Russel, Einstein, and Simone De Beauvoir.

I greatly enjoyed reading this unconventional book. I found it to be a brave and candid account of what it means to have a different take on life, and I commend the author for writing it. Parker creatively conveys his deepest personal issues and struggles, and they often have to do with autism. It was very interesting for me to get a glimpse at a mind that works differently, and this aspect was what I enjoyed the most. We get invited into Parker’s idiosyncratic world, and one can’t help but love this expressive journey and root for him. He comes across as a kind soul, and my heart goes out to him. I particularly liked the poems, especially one called “We are the Warriors.”

Additionally, I appreciated how the author raises awareness about mental health issues. Parker seems unafraid to approach complex subjects; he mentions Asperger Syndrome, savants, hypomania, bipolar disorder, depression, and insomnia. I admired how he managed to examine these difficult topics with dashes of hope, tenderness, and humor.

Speaking of negatives, Parker uses a fair share of profanity throughout the book. I believe that this use of language restricts the book’s potential audience, which could otherwise include children and teenagers. This aspect was what I disliked the most. I have a close friend who has an autistic teenager, but due to the use of profanity in the book, I cannot recommend it to them.

In short, autism is central to this unique and innovative work, and I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I would give it the highest score if it didn’t include profanity. Still, The Voice of Silence is a heartwarming account written by an author who celebrates humanity and says: “I am just a man.” I recommend it to readers who enjoy poetry. It will surely appeal to those who are interested in autism or mental health issues.

******
The Voice of Silence
View: on Bookshelves

[Dominik_G]

I'm usually into memoirs when it comes to mental health issues and I find myself very intrigued by the idea of reading such a different and unique book dealing with such topics. Thank you for your review!

[Dayodiola]

Our moment of silence is a moment of realization. Cherish it as much as you will cherish your mental health. Thanks for the review

[Elvis Best]

I have read previous books by an autistic person and enjoyed their different views of life. This book sounds like another masterpiece. Thanks for the insightful review. Good job!

[Imperio]

I find the concept of this book very interesting. And I love Simon and Garfunkel! Very informative review.

[Harty Muli]

I like the many aspects of autism that this book explores. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Priyanka2304]

Glad to know that the book touches on the importance of mental health. Thanks for the review. Hoping to read it soon.

[geebeex]

This sounds so interesting - it's always so refreshing to hear first hand accounts of such sensitive topics. Thanks for your review!

[Bmsakaba7]

Yeah.
The story is mind-blowind, it has good focus more especially on mental health

[Kirsi Cultrera]

This is such an interesting set up, an autistic author giving us a glimpse of how his brain works. Raising awareness is so very important and understanding each other is a key to better world for all of us. Into my shelf this book goes!

Thank you for a thorough review!

[Wuoketch]

Poetry is also a nice read to me. So I won't hesitate adding this to my read list. Nice review.

[NawabMalik]

Yeah a great book with the naturally great life learning lesson. We also need peace and silnece in our life to be peaceful. By reading this i also feeling a book that read befoŕe this some.. its raly a lovely

[Reviewer09]

Yeah a very good book it teaches about life or mental health

Must read

[Patrick Maina1]

Must be a great book this one.I like the fact that the author is autistic and gives an account of life as he sees it quoting the best there is.

[Zainabreadsnow]

I'm very interested in getting this insight into autism and how the world looks through a different pair of eyes. Thank you for the review!