the curious incident of the dog in the night-time
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Pages: 226 Published: 2003
The book: Christopher John Francis Boone is very good at mathematics, likes detective stories, and hates the color yellow. He is the story’s narrator and describes himself as having “behavioral difficulties.” He has Asperger’s syndrome. One night, seven minutes after midnight, Christopher discovers his neighbor’s poodle lying dead on the lawn outside her house. The poodle has been killed, but who did it? Christopher plans to find out.
You might like it because: The unique perspective of a narrator with Asperger’s syndrome is extremely compelling. Haddon, via his unlikely and often times naïve protagonist, deftly demonstrates the absurdity of life and difficulties of human relationships. At times it is both sad and funny. The reader gains insight into the mind of a person whose thought and logic processes work in a different way from most of us.
What did other people say?
“This original and affecting novel is a triumph of empathy.” – New Yorker
“A detective story with a difference…[Haddon] has given his unlikely hero a convincing voice – and the detective novel an interesting twist.” – The Economist
Awards & Recognition:
Whitbread Book Of The Year
A New York Times Notable Book
How quickly will you get into the book? The action starts right away with the curious incident. I was straight into it.
You might not like it because: Because the narrator has Asperger’s syndrome and we are seeing the world through his eyes, there is a lot of mathematical and scientific theory explanation. Some readers might not care for this level of detail.
What might you read next?
Choose another book where the narrator has Asperger’s syndrome, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
Read one of Christopher’s favorites, The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Or try a book the author mentioned in an interview with The Guardian newspaper (UK), where he was discussing literary fiction vs. genre fiction. He said that some of the best novels have a foot in both camps, and sited The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins as an example.
©BookCurious.com 2017
I remember reading this a long time ago and really enjoying it. Maybe I should pick it up again sometime! Love the way you structure your reviews by the way. Informative and snappy yet insightful.
Thanks, bookworm. Glad you like it. Look out for a new book review every Friday. Happy Reading!