Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?

Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things is an explorative book by Pierre Novellie in which he explores both Autism and his relationship with it. Pierre Novellie was diagnosed as Autistic as an adult, and a common consequence of this is looking back at your life and seeing it in a new light, with newfound understanding.

One of the aspects I love most about reading people's own experiences of a diagnosis such as Autism is seeing how they experience and interpret all the nuances that such a diagnosis encompasses. This is especially true for comedians because they have an amazing ability to broach a subject like Autism in a way that is both informative and engaging. Pierre Novellie does an amazing job of doing exactly this, much like his friend Fern Brady did in her book on her experience with Autism, Strong Female Character.

So what's this book like to read you may ask? A book on Autism might sound like you are in for a heavy information dense read which many won't be in a rush to pick up. However, Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things, especially the audiobook version, is like you have asked your friend, Pierre Novellie, to tell you about Autism and their experience. So you pop to the local pub, grab a pint together and listen. It is exactly this, as the book is filled with jokes and more serious moments, both enabling the reader to take in so much information without feeling overwhelmed by it.

Throughout the book, Pierre Novellie does an amazing job of going through the difficulties of being Autistic in a neurotypical world. However, because there is so much overlap between different neurodivergences the whole book does a fantastic job of enabling a neurodivergent reader to feel seen, and understood, and that they can relate to many of Pierre Novellie’s experiences. Of course, Pierre Novellie’s own experience is not that of all autistic people, and this is managed extremely well in the book as the author explores many aspects of autism, including examples which they do not experience, with no judgement and plenty of support.

Support is a key theme throughout this book, however, at no point does the book feel like a self-help book, but it is littered with ideas and solutions to many common struggles Autistic people face. I'd say that the humour, often self-deprecating, does a good job of making these struggles feel as normal as they are and therefore the supporting advice and suggestions seem like an off-the-cuff passing remark. All in all, doing an excellent job of allowing the reader to maybe think about a struggle in a different light without feeling like they need to be fixed or having to change something about themselves, as advice can often leave people feeling this way.

So whether you want to better understand Autism, feel seen and connected with your own struggles, or just want a book that is funny and different, Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things has your back.