Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time ****()

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Author: Mark Haddon
Why I Read This: It was chosen for the bookclub in my old ward.
Short Summary: Christopher, a fifteen-year-old autistic boy, decides to track down the killer of a neighbor’s dog.
Website: http://www.markhaddon.com/curious.htm

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I have a brother who is autistic. So, I was interested in this book’s description of the autistic boy. There were times when I wondered if that’s really how an autistic person thinks, but most of the time, I knew it was spot-on in its description.

The character, voice, and point of view of Christopher were all excellent. I really came to feel for this kid. Even though he has weird obsessions with the colors red and yellow and doesn’t understand jokes or emotions, he does care, and he’s very clever. I also loved how his personality came out in the way he talked. In narrating what happens, he’s very matter-of-fact, and in giving descriptions he is very exact. The way he talked is just the way my brother talks. Very shy at first, but once he knows what to say, he will give you more information on the topic than you ever wanted to know.

The plot itself was very fun. It’s got several twists and turns. And the climax was very well done, even though Christopher’s undertaking a task that would be mundane for a “normal” person, for him, it’s a huge feat, and Haddon shows that very well. I couldn’t put the book down in that part.

There is quite a bit of swearing in this book, including several f-bombs. There is mention of affairs, but nothing sexual depicted. There are a couple of fights, which end with Christopher hitting a policeman, and Christopher and his father coming to blows, but Haddon does show that such actions were wrong.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.