Published: Jan. 05, 2010
Words: 79151 (approximate)
Language: English

Ebook description

Edward Stanton is a man hurtling headlong toward middle age. His mental illness has led him to be sequestered in his small house in a small city, where he keeps his distance from the outside world. But over the course of 25 days events puncture the walls Edward has built around himself. In the end, he faces a choice: Open his life to experience, or remain behind his closed door, a solitary soul.

Tags

family drama, mental illness, family dysfunction, obsessive compulsive, asperger syndrome, montana, dysfunctional family, aspergers syndrome family dynamics key traits, obsessive compulsive disorder, aspergers, family dynamics

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Videos

600 Hours of Edward
What does it feel like to be "different" in a world full of "normal"? Ask Edward. He knows. He writes it all down in his daily diary, a journal otherwise known as "600 Hours of Edward". Find out more in this video.

Craig Lancaster Interview
Here's an interview with Craig Lancaster, author of "600 Hours of Edward". He's being interviewed by folks from PLUK, Parents Let's Unite for Kids about the topic of his book, which is mental health. In his book, the title character, Edward, suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Reviews

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Review by: Seven Rivers Publishing on May 23, 2011 :
Edward, you've been wonderful company. Every evening, about the time you'd be tuning in to watch Dragnet, I was settling down to see where you'd go next during your "600 hours." I worried about you, rooted for you, despaired of you, and laughed -- always with you, never AT you. I came to care deeply, and when your story was done I continued to think about you. You (and Craig Lancaster) did a marvelous job of recounting your 600 hours. And as a new reviewer for the just-getting-started E-Book Quality Council, I can assure other readers that this book is well-written and well-edited, and produced with care. A few words were left out (leading to phrases such as "the memorandum is longer in force" instead of "NO longer in force"). But the omissions are few and far between, and do not detract from the book's quality and readability. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and am grateful to the fellow editor who recommended it to me.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Lesley on May 21, 2010 :
Wonderful book! Craig really drew me in and made me care about Edward. It is often hard to get to REALLY know the Edwards of the world, so to be able to see inside his head and his heart is such a gift--to see that he is really not much different than any other person. As a special education teacher, I truly appreciate such a sweet portrayal of a person living with mental illness. Thank you Craig! I look forward to your next book!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Natalie W on Feb. 04, 2010 :
Marking this one as one of my all time favorite reads! This book screams Oprah's Book Club pick, it is that awesome. I hope the author writes a continuation of Edward because I didn't want it to end!
Edward is 39 and he says he is not stupid, he's mentally ill and stupid he is not.
Edward has a daily routine; he wakes in the morning, usually between 7:37 to 7:40 and he'll tell you that he has waken at 7:37 15 times this year, 7:38 221 times and 7:39 22 times because he documents the time when he wakes up every morning. He also reads the newspaper a certain way and he documents the weather from the previous day.
Edward is a loner, he keeps to himself and doesn't talk to people if he doesn't have to but Edward decides after seeing the happy commercials about finding your soul mate to sign up to Montana Personal Connect. He tried EHarmony but they couldn't find anyone for him. This starts his "normal" life to twist and turn in a downhill spiral but the end was very sweet.
The story is very well written and it keeps you going, always needing to know whats going to happen next.
I'm not going to say any more because I would spoil it for you. You just have to read it!!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Raven Publishing of Montana on Feb. 01, 2010 : (no rating)
I could have gone on reading about Edward long after his 600 hours ended. Glued, I ignored all else until I finished--and was sorry it was over, although I think the ending is perfect. Endearing characters, the author's unique voice, and the large-hearted plot still haunt me long after the reading is done. Edward is so real, and I know him so well that he affects my life--in a good way, as do his therapist and his neighbors. 600 Hours of Edward "celebrates life's potential" as John Gardner says that true art should. I highly recommend this book.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Page on Jan. 19, 2010 :
All I can say is Wow, what a wonderful book! While a number of books lately have emerged me in a fantasy world, this one grips you into today’s world. It was a great change of pace. Edward could be anybody, and I think that’s one thing that makes this story so fascinating. From the first page, you get a very intense view of what life is like for Edward. You feel slightly sorry for him, but you begin to understand why it is this way. And then those small little problems that so often happen in life begin to disrupt the perfect little system that Edward has built around himself. I was so impressed with the way the author wrote how Edward handled all of this. It was such a moving story from beginning to end. I felt so connected to Edward, and had a wide range of emotion throughout the story. While the story ended nicely, I wanted more of it. There was just enough at the end that made me wonder if a sequel could be in the works. Overall, I would recommend this to anybody who would enjoy a human interest story.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: dasjman on Jan. 19, 2010 :
Originally, I purchased and read this book because I've known Craig Lancaster since high school and to support him in his journey as an author. If I had seen this book on the shelf and not known the author, I would never have paid it any attention, but I am certainly glad I did.

I challenge anyone to tell me they don't see a little bit of themselves in Edward in some way. He is everyone to some extent, whether it's his attitude or his actions. This story will pull you in until you are not just reading the book; you are anticipating what is to come. If this book captured my attention, it will certainly do the same for you. I'm not one to care about character development. Edward made me care. Edward made me want to know more. Edward made me want more when the final page was turned.

I prefaced my review of the book by stating that I know the author and I bought the book for that reason. I'll never buy a book written by Mr. Lancaster because I am a friend ever again. It will always be because I am a fan of the author and truly enjoy his books.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Gavin Bollard on Jan. 19, 2010 :
Wow, this was a great book - I loved it. It was unexpectedly good (because normally I read in a different genre). It was really engaging and very difficult to put down. My only complaint is that there weren't 700 or 800 hours. I was enjoying it so much that I was sad when it ended.

Craig... I think we need a sequel.

600 Hours of Edward features an Aspie protagonist (Edward). It's the first novel I've read which does so. At first, I wasn't sure exactly how well I'd be able to identify with Edward. After all, he's a fiercely OCD aspie with a fixation on weather and Dragnet. His social issues are also so severe that he's generally unemployable. Since I've never been unemployed, I didn't think that I'd relate all that well.

I was surprised. It's true that in the beginning, I didn't identify with him much at all but as I got further and further into his character, I found myself identifying more and more with him.

To be frank, although the book is about a series of events, it's the character study that is most fascinating. I've seen it compared to "Flowers for Algernon" and in some way, this makes sense since Edward does manage to "grow" as a person. In many ways though, the message it presents is better than "flowers". Edward might grow but he doesn't really change. Acceptance is a better word than change - and more appropriate to aspies of today. The acceptance isn't once-sided either. Everyone needs to grow and adapt.

This book gives you a chance to climb inside the mind of an aspie. Edward's innermost thoughts and motivations are revealed to us. It's funny because I could find myself identifying with many of his motivations. The date scene is particularly funny and I can remember thinking similar things myself on dates. The pull of routine and the need to provide "too much information" is overwhelming at times.

The book is somewhat repetitive, starting almost every chapter with the same phrases. This may be a little annoying for some people but it pulls us firmly into Edward's world. His world is repetitive because OCD and Aspergers are repetitive conditions which require strict routines.

He likes routine and he knows when his routine is disrupted. It causes him great anguish.

I was reading about Edward's OCD issues, particularly his noting down the weather and his waking times. I thought about how time-consuming that particular ritual is and I thought to myself, "Gee, I'm glad that, I don't have those sorts of rituals"...

Then, at some point while reading the book, I went out a bought a DVD and found myself compelled to update it in my catalogue. The need to do so itched at me until I scratched it.

I am exactly like Edward.

His comments on watching Dragnet at exactly 10pm didn't gell with me either. I'm particular about watching Doctor Who but I'm not fixated on times. Not since I got video cassettes. Of course, before the advent of video, I can remember pitching hissy fits or not talking to my parents for a week if they caused me to miss an episode.

Edwards "letter therapy" is also quite interesting. I've always been a bit of a letter writer myself and I must agree, it really does help you to cope with the frustrations of everyday life. It's part of the reason why I, and many other people blog about things that are happening in our day-to-day lives.

600 hours of Edward is an absolutely fascinating book. If you're an aspie, you'll see yourself in it. If you're married to an aspie or if you're caring for one, you'll get a fascinating glimpse of their thought processes.

It's truly recommended reading.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Glen Golightly on Jan. 18, 2010 :
I've been reading Craig Lancaster since our days together at the college newspaper. He's written what I consider an amazing first novel. The novel's protagonist, Edward Stanton, is obsessive compulsive and suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. Craig uses Edward's maladies to make him interesting, compelling and sympathetic. The novel deftly blends humor, pathos and the human condition deftly to tell a personal tale that isn't trite or confining.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Jennifer Sicurella on Jan. 18, 2010 :
Fictional portrayals of people suffering from mental illness are usually extreme, enough to make us take notice of just how "crazy" the person is. In 600 Hours of Edward, we see life through the eyes of a man suffering from OCD and Asperger's Syndrome. What we see is realistic and shows how the life of someone mentally ill can be both very different and surprisingly the same as the lives of so-called "normal" people. This book really sucked me in and I just had to know where this story was going, causing me to read the entire book in one sitting. There were a lot of Dragnet references, which worked for me as I watched a lot of reruns on Nick-at-Nite as a kid. There was also a lot of Dallas Cowboy talk, which was completely lost on me. All in all, 600 Hours of Edward was a moving tale of a man's struggle to move beyond his illness and connect with people and a compelling read.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Connie VonBergen on Jan. 18, 2010 :
Having a son with autism, I can confidently tell you that this book gives the reader a realistic view of the disorder. It does not glamorize it, yet it doesn't down play the day-to-day struggles faced by individuals with Aspergers and mental illness. The author has done a wonderful job of letting us into Edward's world without judgement or criticism. A must read for parents, teachers, employers and friends of individuals with disabilities.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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