3.5 stars

As a fellow autist, I was very much looking forward to forward to reading Clara Törnvall's The Autists. Other than a few issues (that put more of a damper on my reading experience than I wish), which I'm going to touch on, I really enjoyed the overall of this book.

First, what I liked. The Autists is a mixture of a memoir in which the author shares and explores her own background of being autistic and getting a much later-in-life diagnosis, and a book that explores a history of autistic people, art and literature created by autistic people, the science of autism, the treatment of autists, the medicalisation of autism, and more. It explores ideas like feral children, holy fools, and changelings having often been autistic. It looks at numerous women in literary history (Emily Dickinson, Beatrix Potter, Virginia Woolf, Doris Lessing, Patricia Highsmith, Simone Weil, etc) who were most likely autistic. It takes a look at how autism was treated by psychiatrists and society at different points throughout the twentieth century. It deals with some seriously fascinating subjects, that were interesting to read about, especially from an author concerned specifically with autistic women. The memoir aspect was interesting enough, and fairly relatable, but I think I was drawn in more by the history and literature, which are something of special interests of mine.

I also wanted to address a specific critique I read in a number of others' reviews that I find interesting. A number of other reviews I read essentially said that many readers didn't enjoy the way the book was organised and were surprised that it was so disordered considering how much autistic people tend towards preferring things be organised and orderly. This was interesting to me because it's the exact kind of stereotype that stands between autistic people and being recognised as autistic. I really enjoyed the way the book sort of ebbed and flowed, and I felt like things were ordered in a way that felt natural. It felt like an exuberant conversation between myself and a fellow autistic friend.

And for what I didn't like. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the way the book talked about or used functioning labels. It even starts to address this, and then really doesn't do more than scratch the surface of why people have issues with them. I wasn't keen on how the book totally dismissed ongoing struggles faced by LGBTQ+ people, basically acting like the work is done and autistic people should only be so lucky to have the same treatment as LGBTQ+ people, especially in combination with multiple queer women being discussed without their queerness entering into it much, or without discussing the intersection of autism and queerness as a whole. In fact, other than the convergence of autism and being a woman, the book isn't really intersectional at all, and it really focuses on cis abled white women. I also found a little bit of what was said in regards to physical disability, when it was mentioned at all, to just have a weird vibe to it. For example, I didn't care for her comparing being autistic to being deafblind. These little details really put a damper on my experience. Like it could have been a five star book for content for me, but instead it's a three and a half because other than being much less inclusive than it could be, some of it just felt a little bit like progressive-in-a-dated-way vibes.

Overall, I did get a lot out of The Autists, and I enjoyed reading it. I think it's worth the read for anyone willing to get past its flaws because it gives a great personal, historical, and cultural exploration of autism. The translation isn't the first I've read Alice E. Olsson, and I continued to enjoy her work here. It's a flawed book, but one that I enjoyed despite those flaws.

My life has forever been changed by this book and I'm so glad it exists. I feel seen. I feel understood. I recommend The Autists to everyone women or not, on the spectrum or not. It is incredibly insightful.

I devour anything when it comes to females on the autism spectrum because I really think I’m an undiagnosed female myself. This book was super informative and again I felt seen and checked all the boxes. It was super interesting and I’m glad I got to read it. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

While much of the content was interesting, I found the structure to.be quite confusing at times and made it hard for me to dip in and out, as I like to do in non fiction texts such as these.

I think this is a good book and I've already purchased it for my library. It has a hold list, so I know patrons are interested in reading it. My one complaint, which is fairly minor, is that it talked a lot about Swedish society, which was somewhat useless as an American reader.

This is one of the most well-written and researched nonfiction books I've come across. Clara Törnvall adeptly explains the experience of being a late-in-life diagnosed, high-functioning autistic woman. The interviewees are a diverse group, yet have in common the fact that they are women that don't fit into societal stereotypes. Törnvall does a fantastic job illustrating the physical and mental struggles of being autistic in an allistic world. Specifically, when Törnvall describes the insurmountable, physical exhaustion that masking causes, it was a perfect description of how I feel post-social events and work hours. This book is a thorough exploration of how a woman's autism affects her childhood, college experiences, adulthood, significant relationships, parenting styles, career choices, and ultimately existing as a human being.

As someone who is still learning how to navigate autistic burnout, reading about everyone's experience with it in this book was a rare comfort. Also, reading about how common developing mental illnesses is for autistic folks made me feel less stressed. There is a straightforward, unflinchingly honest style to Törnvall's writing that made her research accessible to me. I was highlighting so many passages in this book that I related to that hardly any were left. Specifically, the less-discussed autistic experiences of being hyperverbal, creative, left-brain dominated and empathetic were so relatable to me.

Sure, I understood the common experiences of getting lost in one's own job building or following social cues in a conversation (both have happened to me over the years). However, I appreciate that Törnvall took the time to document lesser known traits that allistic folks dismiss and interpret to mean that "you're not really autistic if you can do x, y, z..." The quote: "They have never seen an autistic girl watch the same episode of a tween show on repeat, memorizing each line so she can speak to her friends" had me cracking up with laughter - cause it's so true! Törnvall is the first author I've found who is able to discuss autism in tandem with intersectional and neurodiverse factors (gender roles, ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, mental health) and how they impact a diagnosis.

This book was a lovely surprise! I stumbled upon this recently, during my continued journey to learn more about autism in women. Finding a book on this topic written by a woman? *chefs kiss*

This book does an excellent job of pairing personal experiences with the history and evolution of women with autism. The author will explain past medical theories with what we know now and sprinkle in her own personal memories. Being able to peek into the mind of a woman diagnosed with autism through this first hand account has been lovely.

It's also very accessibly written. I highly recommend this read!

Thank you to the publisher/NetGalley for supplying my digital copy.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Like Swedish author Clara Törnvall, I am a woman diagnosed as autistic in my 40s. I appreciated her candor as she explored her lifelong struggles with mental health as she tries to understand herself and the world. She juxtaposes her personal journey with an overview of how women have not historically been diagnosed with autism and why, and how even modern diagnostic measures are more about measuring "masculine" traits than anything. Translator Alice E. Olsson does a great job. The book comes across as conversational in tone, candid without feeling gossipy. It's a fast, breezy read. Chapters discuss famous women such as Temple Grandin and Emily Dickinson.

For me personally, having read several other books on this subject, I was left craving more unique content for the broader discussion of autistic women. That said, I think this would be an enlightening read for others who are just starting to ponder about the diagnosis for themself or a loved one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Great combination of memoir, reporting and cultural criticism. It's important representation for an under=discussed perspective. .

Thank you NetGalley and Scribe for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some of this book was extremely on point, relatable, and well-written. At other times, it was confusing and seemed like it was missing something (maybe an issue with the translation?). Some parts seemed off topic and difficult to relate to the main point. I found it very informative and affirming, either way.