Fairytale of an Idiot

By Jim Finnegan

"I want to be a real boy." Fairytale of an Idiot relates the childhood and coming-of-age of a person with a profoundly undeveloped sense of self. On the spectrum and neurologically divergent, he suffers from an overactive imagination and precocious intellect that generate images and ideas of threats from all sides. He feels an intense sense of responsibility about protecting his parents, damaged themselves, to whom he has an unnaturally intense attachment. The child develops dysfunctional coping strategies to achieve a sense of security. These bind and limit his development.

The child is unable to relate to peers and particularly to boys, coming to perceive that he is "not a real boy." He develops new coping strategies through fantastic games involving his peers but is still unable to identify with them. Puberty and emergent sexuality complicate this; fear and confusion dominate his relationship to same-sex peers. Unclear about his sexual orientation, he makes attempts to connect, often absurdly.

Reaching adulthood, the protagonist seeks to resolve these tensions by making himself into a "real boy" and by forming relationships, in which he often fails to recognize normal boundaries. He grows intellectually, following a philosophical thread that began in early childhood. The reader wonders if the protagonist, as he navigates society with a series of ridiculous blunders, will ever discover himself and become an integrated person.

This novel will be of especial interest to readers with an interest in the intersectionality of spectrum disorders and gender/sexuality. Those with an interest in philosophy and religion, as well as readers with an interest in friendship, will also find compelling themes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FKNM85CH
• ISBN13: 9798293600267
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 8.0"