The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Mark Haddon | Inventive and Enjoyable

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	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon Vintage, 2004 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 1449 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Terrific Read!

"This book was so terrific that, when I read a passage of it to my teenage son, he said, "I want to read that when you get finished." Well, I finished quickly (it's short) and gave it to him. He read it!

Why is that so amazing? Well, my son reads about one book every 2 years. He loved it.

I have a friend who has an autistic son. While reading this, I could imagine that, yes, my friend's son seems to quite possibly think this way.

It's amazing how Mark Haddon was able to tell this story from the viewpoint of someone that is autistic. Autistic people cannot truly communicate how they think and feel to us. but Mr. Haddon seems to have hit it on the head.

You don't really read this book for the story, which is interesting, but not terrific, you read it for the WRITING."

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Inventive and Enjoyable

Author Mark Haddon has created a realistic fictional autistic teen with an amazing way of describing the life and people that surround him. But what I love most about the book is how much the main character, 15-year-old Christopher, reminds me of my son Nigel (aside from the fact that Christopher is incredibly good at math, and Nigel is at the opposite end of that spectrum). I love experiencing Christopher's usually detached observation, his mannerisms that are so close to home for me. I could identify with the intense love coupled with the equally intense frustration that his father feels raising him alone. When I read Christopher's thought processes (portrayed so well by Haddon), I recognize what my son has been able to convey to me about his own.

I love reading about Christopher's determination to do things himself, and his love of animals is touching and also familiar, as are his attempts to understand the complexities of emotions and his need to always give the exact minute when telling time. He tries hard to manage his sensory issues and asks people for help when he needs it. He is persistent about the things that are important to him, like taking a high-level math test, and being a detective.

I won't say anything about the plot of the book because it is so captivating; the only way to appreciate it is to read it and experience it yourself. And besides, it is a mystery. I wouldn't want to spoil it. Christopher points out at the beginning, "This is a murder mystery novel," and in trying to solve it, he discovers another one that changes everything. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is tender, moving, and beautifully written. It's also a quick read, which is good in a way, because you'll want to read it again and again.

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Fine novel told from a unique perspective

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone, an autistic boy with a talent for math and logic, resolves to unravel the mystery behind the murder of a neighbor's dog. This leads to a series of events that will turn his life upside-down and solve a few mysteries that he didn't even know existed.

Mark Haddon has succeeded admirably at a most difficult narrative challenge--telling a story completely from the perspective of a child with Asberger's Syndrome. As a public school teacher, I've had some contact with such a child and recognized many of the behaviors described in this book. However, Haddon goes deeper with a plausible presentation of the thought processes behind them. Christopher's inability to interpret commonplace daily interactions and emotions is effectively dramatized by the reader's ability to infer with perfect clarity what the people around Christopher are thinking and feeling from his detailed descriptions, despite his own inability to decipher their behavior. This leads to one of the most heartbreaking aspects of the book; his father's love and the sacrifices made on Christopher's behalf are painfully apparent to the reader, even though Christopher himself is not equipped to recognize them. A lengthy trip to London toward the end of the novel results in a significant dead spot when the pace should be picking up, but otherwise this is a note-perfect performance.

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This book gets "curiouser and curiouser"!

This was one odd book. I must say the author must be one strange individual. Although it seemed like most of the time you were in the mind of a mentally challenged youth, sometimes the hard cold truths were difficult to take. It was very entertaining, if at times uncomfortable to read. I guess that's what makes it, in the end, so thought-provoking.

Interesting perspective but pedestrian plot

I wish I had more appreciation for the writing in this novel but other than the unique idea of an autistic first person narrator, it's pretty dull going. I tired very early of the scientific preaching and eventually was disappointed by the unimaginative plot. The ending is a non-event. It resolves nothing but by that time, I no longer cared what happened to any of the characters. 3 stars for a unique approach.

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