Wild Boy (novel)

This article is about the 2003 novel by Jill Dawson. For the 2001 novel by Warren Rochelle, see The Wild Boy. For the 1970 film released in the UK as The Wild Boy, see The Wild Child.
Wild Boy

First edition
Author Jill Dawson
Cover artist Matt Harris (photographs)
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Publisher Sceptre
Publication date
2003
Media type Print
Pages 291
ISBN 0-340-82296-1

Wild Boy is a 2003 novel by English author Jill Dawson, published by Sceptre. Set in Paris at the beginning of the nineteenth century it is a fictional retelling of the story of Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron.

Plot introduction

The novel is split into sections headed by dates in the French Republican Calendar which was in use at the time, and is in the main told by two narrative voices, Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, the doctor appointed to be the boys tutor, and Madame Guerin to whom Itard entrusts his care. The story begins with Victor's arrival at the Deaf-Mute institute in Paris and Dr. Itards enthusiasm that here was an opportunity to prove his theory that whatever a persons background they could be brought into civilised society. Unfortunately the task proves far more difficult than he anticipated...

Inspiration

Inspiration for the novel came from Uta Frith's 1989 book Explaining the Enigma in which the Wild Boy of Aveynon is claimed to be the first documented autistic child.[1] Further insights came from Dawson's personal experience with her own son who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.[2]

Reception

References

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