The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Review

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

Age: Adult

Talk about a breath of fresh air in the world of literature. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon is an incredibly engrossing story told through the eyes of a 15 year old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Mr. Jeavons, the psychologist at the school, once asked me why 4 red cars in a row made it a Good Day, and 3 red cars in a row made is a Quite Good Day, and 5 red cars in a row made it a Super Good Day, and why 4 yellow cars in a row made it a Black Day, which is a day when I don’t speak to anyone and sit on my own reading books and don’t my lunch and Take No Risks. He said that I was clearly a very logical person, so he was surprised that I should think like this because it wasn’t very logical”

This book is a murder mystery. Christopher Boone finds his neighbors dog stabbed through the body with a garden fork. He then begins an investigation to find out who the murderer is. As he looks for the murderer, he writes a book, a sort of journal, detailing his search, his findings, his observations and feelings. The more complicated the investigation gets, the more Christopher has to pull himself out of his comfort zone and be brave. He is clever and very observant of all details. There is lots of drama with his family and neighbors. A lot of inadvertant jokes, made on his behalf and some made by him, and plenty of sentimentallity. Haddon’s ability to communicate to the rest of the world through a dissociated mind is an incredible take on the world of literature.

Just a warning, the setting, characters, all take place in England, so be prepared for some England-English terminology that you might not be familiar with. Other than that, its a quick and entertaining read. The pace is even and the writing clever, even when Christopher goes on tangents to explain variations on the quadratic formula.

Find this book at your local library