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The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear
A twelve-year-old boy with a psychological speech defect gradually develops a schizophrenic withdrawal after moving from Los Angeles to live with his mother in New York following the divorce of his harsh and detached parents.
Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1968
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130 people want to read
About the author
Kin Platt
66 books10 followersPseudonyms: Kirby Carr, Guy West, Alan West, Guy York & Wesley Simon York
Kin Platt (1911–2003) was the author of the perennially popular I Can Read Book Big Max, as well as several outstanding young-adult novels and the Max Roper mystery series for adults. Mr. Platt was also a noted cartoonist.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Platt
Kin Platt (1911–2003) was the author of the perennially popular I Can Read Book Big Max, as well as several outstanding young-adult novels and the Max Roper mystery series for adults. Mr. Platt was also a noted cartoonist.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Platt
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 23, 2015
When I was a teenager I pretty much bypassed books written for young adults (this was before the category Young Adult had a name). I plunged into mysteries and spy novels written for grown-ups, skipping directly from one spy, Harriet, to another, James Bond. The only "age appropriate" book I remember reading was Kin Platt's "The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear," though I honestly can't remember what persuaded me to pick it up. Yet it stayed with me through the years. It was the first book that made me cry (in fact, only one other book has made me cry, "The Return of the King"; I lost it when Frodo said farewell to Samwise before sailing to the West).
Over the years I thought about rereading Platt's novel, but was disappointed to learn it had gone out of print. It deserved to be a perennial. Several months ago I finally ordered a used copy from Amazon because I wanted to rediscover why this book moved me so.
The book was older than I thought. I had read it in the early 1980s and figured it was written in the mid-1970s. But it was published in 1968, and the period details were glaring this time around, particularly references to a Jerry Lewis-style comedian whose baby talk routine haunts this book's protagonist, Roger Baxter.
Roger has recently moved to New York from Los Angeles following his parents' divorce. His mother got custody, which turns out tragic for Roger. While his father, a Hollywood producer, neglected Roger, his mother regards him with open hostility and mentally abuses him because of his speech impediment. Roger cannot make his R sounds, which is doubly humiliating because he cannot pronounce his own name.
"Harriet the Spy" made a profound impact on me when I read it as an adolescent, and I see now that "Boy," published only four years later, was heavily influenced by Louise Fitzhugh's classic. Both are set in an idyllic 1960s Manhattan and are centered on children of privilege who suffer mental breakdowns. Roger is not as privileged as Harriet (being the "poor" kid in a wealthy private school is one symptom of his alienation), and his breakdown is more devastating and more chilling to the reader.
Even though he feels alone, Roger does gather a motley group of supporters: a beautiful model who lives in the penthouse of his apartment building, the model's French boyfriend, a feisty girl his own age and, most especially, the speech therapist/school psychologist who is quick to recognize Roger's problems. Yet this crew of kind hearts is no match for the narcissistic monster that is Roger's mother. Without a single redeeming quality, she is one of the most horrible and horrifying characters I have ever encountered in fiction. What is worse is the certainty that such parents exist in the real world.
Like many teenagers I felt like an outsider, so that made it easy to relate to Roger, whose undeserved punishment pushes adolescent alienation to the extreme. If this were a Stephen King book, it would have ended with Roger destroying the Upper West Side with his mind. I didn't find the book as moving this time, but I didn't expect to. I am 30 years removed from high school bullies. Yet I still found much to admire, especially in Platt's honest depiction of Roger's crumbling mental state and the unflinching level of despair. The blow that pushes Roger into a catatonic state still has the power to rock. The ending, when an unexpected character pulls Roger back into the world, didn't make me cry this time, but I did appreciate the writing.
Over the years I thought about rereading Platt's novel, but was disappointed to learn it had gone out of print. It deserved to be a perennial. Several months ago I finally ordered a used copy from Amazon because I wanted to rediscover why this book moved me so.
The book was older than I thought. I had read it in the early 1980s and figured it was written in the mid-1970s. But it was published in 1968, and the period details were glaring this time around, particularly references to a Jerry Lewis-style comedian whose baby talk routine haunts this book's protagonist, Roger Baxter.
Roger has recently moved to New York from Los Angeles following his parents' divorce. His mother got custody, which turns out tragic for Roger. While his father, a Hollywood producer, neglected Roger, his mother regards him with open hostility and mentally abuses him because of his speech impediment. Roger cannot make his R sounds, which is doubly humiliating because he cannot pronounce his own name.
"Harriet the Spy" made a profound impact on me when I read it as an adolescent, and I see now that "Boy," published only four years later, was heavily influenced by Louise Fitzhugh's classic. Both are set in an idyllic 1960s Manhattan and are centered on children of privilege who suffer mental breakdowns. Roger is not as privileged as Harriet (being the "poor" kid in a wealthy private school is one symptom of his alienation), and his breakdown is more devastating and more chilling to the reader.
Even though he feels alone, Roger does gather a motley group of supporters: a beautiful model who lives in the penthouse of his apartment building, the model's French boyfriend, a feisty girl his own age and, most especially, the speech therapist/school psychologist who is quick to recognize Roger's problems. Yet this crew of kind hearts is no match for the narcissistic monster that is Roger's mother. Without a single redeeming quality, she is one of the most horrible and horrifying characters I have ever encountered in fiction. What is worse is the certainty that such parents exist in the real world.
Like many teenagers I felt like an outsider, so that made it easy to relate to Roger, whose undeserved punishment pushes adolescent alienation to the extreme. If this were a Stephen King book, it would have ended with Roger destroying the Upper West Side with his mind. I didn't find the book as moving this time, but I didn't expect to. I am 30 years removed from high school bullies. Yet I still found much to admire, especially in Platt's honest depiction of Roger's crumbling mental state and the unflinching level of despair. The blow that pushes Roger into a catatonic state still has the power to rock. The ending, when an unexpected character pulls Roger back into the world, didn't make me cry this time, but I did appreciate the writing.
April 29, 2013
I read this when I was about 12 or 13. so, almost 40 years ago. Yes, it is depressing,and I'm not sure why anybody would want a child to read it. Then again, it's a great look at the loneliness and isolation some children experience. I'd recommend it only to older children: 15 and above. The first 3/4 of the book runs smoothly and is engrossing. It loses some of its tight narrative towards the end. To the best of my recollection, Roger is diagnosed as "autistic" in the end of the book, when he goes into a dissociative state. He's not autistic. He's dissociative and catatonic. Also, the speech therapist seems to be the author's presence. A little heavy handed, in my opinion. It's a thought-provoking read, but very depressing. Still, at the end, there is a glimmer of hope. The father comes back into it, as I recall, and the mother might just get charged with child abuse. I wouldn't condemn this book, but I wouldn't recommend it to a younger or sensitive reader.
April 21, 2020
I read this novel 44 years ago and never forgot it. It touched at the time in ways I still do not understand. It spoke to a lonely young man in a language not usually understood by adults.
September 13, 2011
This was my favorite book as a young teen. I found it in the junior high library in 1972, read it, identified with the young protagonist Roger Baxter, and bought a copy for my own when it came out in paperback. That copy is long lost but I've recently purchased a first edition hardback and am looking forward to reading it again.
April 22, 2010
In this story, an already troubled twelve-year-old boy gradually sinks into the abyss after his wealthy parents divorce and he moves to New York City with his abusive mother. By the end of the book, Roger is in a "schizophrenic withdrawal": hospitalized, mute and completely unresponsive to his environment.
This book was published in 1968 and it shows its age. I cannot imagine a boy Roger's age being able to run around 21st century New York City to the extent that he does in the novel, and his "schizophrenia" would today probably be diagnosed as severe depression or post-traumatic stress. And Roger's speech therapist is way too angelic to be real. That said, the book has its merits: it's interesting to watch the progress of Roger's speech therapy (he has a psychological speech defect and cannot pronounce his own name), and his cruel, neglectful mother and his own attempts to cope with her ring true throughout the ages.
I think this may be of interest to people looking at early young adult novels; the genre was still being formed in the 1960s and this is a good example of it.
This book was published in 1968 and it shows its age. I cannot imagine a boy Roger's age being able to run around 21st century New York City to the extent that he does in the novel, and his "schizophrenia" would today probably be diagnosed as severe depression or post-traumatic stress. And Roger's speech therapist is way too angelic to be real. That said, the book has its merits: it's interesting to watch the progress of Roger's speech therapy (he has a psychological speech defect and cannot pronounce his own name), and his cruel, neglectful mother and his own attempts to cope with her ring true throughout the ages.
I think this may be of interest to people looking at early young adult novels; the genre was still being formed in the 1960s and this is a good example of it.
February 24, 2013
I must have read this book 20 times from 6th grade through junior high school. Yes, it is hard, and probably depressing to some, but it saved me. It was me. And finding someone like me in print helped so much.
January 3, 2013
One of my favorite books as a teen.
July 22, 2014
The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear tells the story of Roger, a boy with a speech deficit who can't pronounce his R's. His parents, a big-time movie producer and an artist, divorce and he moves from California to New York with his artist mother.
Roger is a very...interesting character. How else can I say it? He's fascinating, for sure. He has a different way of looking at things because everything is so new to him in New York, but also because he seems very much like a loner whose childhood has really messed with his way of thinking. His mother is extremely abusive and he usually calls her "Her" instead of "Mom" in his narration. Yes, including the capital letter. He really doesn't understand a lot around him and puts a spin on a lot of people that makes the reader really look at a lot in a different light.
The story switches between the present in New York and his childhood in California. You spend a lot of time with his old speech therapist. It gets a little annoying at times because I just want to know what's going on, not what happened. However, what I eventually realized was that this was all going on in his mind - as in, he was leaving the present and going in the past often times. It became much more frequent and hindering as the book went on.
In fact, that's where the story heads. Roger starts really living in his head and leaving the real world. It's extremely weird but interesting at the same time.
Would I recommend this book? I think so. There's nothing like it that I've found written in recent years. It's truly one-of-a-kind. The ending isn't too satisfying to me, personally, but the entire book kept me captivated.
Roger is a very...interesting character. How else can I say it? He's fascinating, for sure. He has a different way of looking at things because everything is so new to him in New York, but also because he seems very much like a loner whose childhood has really messed with his way of thinking. His mother is extremely abusive and he usually calls her "Her" instead of "Mom" in his narration. Yes, including the capital letter. He really doesn't understand a lot around him and puts a spin on a lot of people that makes the reader really look at a lot in a different light.
The story switches between the present in New York and his childhood in California. You spend a lot of time with his old speech therapist. It gets a little annoying at times because I just want to know what's going on, not what happened. However, what I eventually realized was that this was all going on in his mind - as in, he was leaving the present and going in the past often times. It became much more frequent and hindering as the book went on.
In fact, that's where the story heads. Roger starts really living in his head and leaving the real world. It's extremely weird but interesting at the same time.
Would I recommend this book? I think so. There's nothing like it that I've found written in recent years. It's truly one-of-a-kind. The ending isn't too satisfying to me, personally, but the entire book kept me captivated.
December 30, 2008
I came upon this book when searching for other books similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower (one of my favs!) Many people compared the two books, so I decided to read it. I can definitely see the parallels between the two. I still like The Perks of Being a Wallflower the best, but I could still sympathize with Roger's life. I can't imagine having a life with parents that make you feel invisible and don't listen to what you have to share. As a teacher, it was more eye opening to the way we treat children sometimes. Platt focused on Roger's speech challenge throughout the book which was really interesting. I can now imagine what my students struggle through to complete a sentence in their everyday life.
April 8, 2017
I must admit, after finishing this book, I was utterly speechless. The author's psychological theme of Roger's slow descent into "invisibility" was truly effective. His insecurity, frightening life with his abusive mother, and his constabt inward battles all were rooted from his speech impediment. I, myself, had a tongue threst for years, so I could relate at least a little bit about the embarrassment of not speaking properly in front of my peers. But otherwise, the story had a much darker theme and presentation of Roger's depression and bout of insanity. It was confusing, yet incredibly powerful. I really enjoyed this book because it was unlike anything I've ever read.
May 20, 2008
A heart-wrenching story told in first person by a boy with abusive and uncaring parents. I still cry when I read this one.
September 28, 2014
Boy with mentally abusive mother and absent father escapes reality via Schizophrenia
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2016
I always loved those kind of neglected used out of print books. In a world ruled by grownups where children try to survive and become detached from the cruel reality where they try to find passion, salvation, serenity and may be idealism. This is a beautiful piece, neglected like its protagonist but may be i hope, they could some happiness.
April 16, 2015
About a boy with speech and psychological difficulties. He is doubtful as to whether to try to communicate anymore: it is so difficult. I identified with the book and Roger. I cried (tears) at the ending.
March 8, 2009
this was a really good book. i read this years ago and i totally enjoyed it. i've read this twice, and wish i can find it again.
August 11, 2013
Abused boy moves to NYC after his uncaring parent's divorce. Good not great.
November 24, 2013
This was one of my favorite books in Middle School. I wonder if I would still like it.
May 31, 2021
Not as good as the Catcher in the Rye, same trip. Possibly this belongs to that strange category of book that youth counselors assign to their patients to find out exactly which way they are being abused. You're reading along and there's this great interior view of this weird kid and then he goes wild and just when you really want to know what's going on in his head now the writer shifts to an omnicient narrator. It ruins the book, which would never be a classic but could have been a good solid piece of oddness.
November 10, 2022
My mom has a deep admiration for this out-of-print book, so I bought it to see what she loves about it. It is incredibly dark and chilling, very much like Sally Field's "Sybil". To witness Roger's abuse, psychotic breakdown, and utter loneliness, as well as his awkward attempts at receiving love, broke my heart. The portrayal of neglect, aloofness, divorce, and ennui was staggering. I empathize heavily with Mrs. Clemm's character - sometimes the only kindness a student receives is at school. Brutal.
October 31, 2022
This is a book I read as a teenager that stayed with me. I tracked down a copy (I love inter-library loan!) and it's still very moving. It was written in the 1960s and I'm so glad that times have changed! (Horrible things still happen, but most of us at least agree that they're horrible - that must be a step in the right direction?)
February 26, 2023
I read this in junior high, and I remember being disappointed because the title made me think it was going to be some sort of fantasy story where the boy had special powers. Instead, he was an outsider and disappearing metaphorically. I did end up reading it and getting into it, but I remember it being pretty sad.
December 1, 2023
I read this as a young girl and need to reread it, but it hit home as a shy child who often felt invisible. My copy of this is so tattered from those rereads of my youth.
January 5, 2011
Amazing book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews