22, live in North Wales. I've done quite a few reviews that aren't on Ciao here: http://www.gamesboo...
22, live in North Wales. I've done quite a few reviews that aren't on Ciao here: http://www.gamesbooksfilms.com :)
Member since:19.06.2003
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A short time ago, I managed to prise myself away from the PlayStation for just long enough to start reading The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Unquestionably a strange name for a book; though the story is equally, if not more, unique than its title.
Christopher Boone is fifteen years-old, and has Asperger’s, which is a form of autism. He narrates The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (TCIOTDITN) for its entirety, and begins ‘his book’ upon discovering that Wellington, a neighbours dog, has been murdered, as hinted at by the garden fork sticking out of its body. Being a fan of Sherlock Holmes, Christopher decides to play detective and investigate – hence the lengthy title of the novel.
The murder mystery plays very much a secondary role from here on in however as Christopher proceeds to reveal more about his unique way of thinking and the unusual-yet-logical ways in which he tackles mini-dilemmas. Christopher’s complex relationships with his father and school teachers, as well as his persistent efforts to find the killer of Wellington means that somewhere along the road, the organised and predictable
life that he thrives on will meet some unforeseen troubles.
It’s a brilliant story for so many reasons, not least Mark Haddon’s tremendously believable and consistent portrayal of an autistic mind – it’s often easy to forget that Christopher Boone is merely a creation of his, and not the actual author himself.
The main character certainly captures the imagination – the basic storyline involves mainly unremarkable, everyday tasks for the most part, though learning of how Christopher deals with the obstacles in his life makes for a near-spellbinding read.
Straight from the first page it’s clear that TCIOFDITN is something a bit special; Christopher uses frank, simple and yet descriptive dialogue that the reader will become accustomed to in no time. He says he can’t tell or understand jokes, as the many interpretations each can present hurts his head, though there are many knowing snippets of text that can’t help but raise a smile. Upon finding the dead Wellington, Christopher deduces that the dog has been murdered like so: ‘I decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like cancer for example, or a road accident.’
Though his mother claimed that it was because he was a ‘good person’, Christopher finds that he is simply unable to tell lies, and this causes him some trouble, as does his failure to interpret people’s facial expressions and reactions. Haddon has written the ‘confrontational’ sections supremely well; Christopher’s naturally calm and emotionless response to the anger of others rubs off on the reader in an odd kind of way; it’s as if the emotion of the person speaking to him never really gets through, no matter how clear it might seem on paper.
He picks up on seemingly minute details when it comes to his visual surroundings, and is amazingly intelligent when it comes to mathematical equations – indeed, he often resorts to squaring or cubing numbers in his head to regain his focus or composure. However, whilst he is extremely intelligent, he is also naïve, and his failure to spot lies and his unquestioning acceptance that everything he hears is the truth, means that in a way a whole extra story is created within Christopher’s words – and one that he totally fails to notice for a large portion of the novel.
Whilst Christopher’s detached personality almost works as a slight barrier between the reader and the world that he is living in, Mark Haddon’s portrayal of secondary characters, and in particular strangers, is very thought-provoking. It strikes me as sad that so few of the people that come across Christopher on his travels actually recognise that he has a form of autism and most quickly lose their patience with him, often swearing at the youngster.
Mark Haddon certainly appears to have done some painstaking research to bring his autistic fifteen year-old creation to life – little touches such as chapters ascending in prime numbers (2,3,5,7 etc), and a smattering of diagrams used to break down Christopher’s often-complex theories help raise TCIOFTDITN above the competition.
I’ve seen it categorised as ‘Children’s Fiction’ before, and though the text is simple and clear, I feel that only older readers could truly appreciate the excellent characterisation and underlying themes that Mark Haddon’s story has to offer – that said, some children can read more fluently than others, so certainly those in the older bracket should give it a go.
Overall, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is an excellent story that is wonderfully well-written. It perhaps loses a little of its wit and charm in the last third of the novel, probably in sync with Christopher’s life changing so dramatically, but for the most part it enthrals. It’s obvious from the very first page that the character of Christopher is going to steal the show, and Haddon’s examination of the autistic mind and its reactions to situations means the book is, at times, hard to put down. The author must also be commended for his portrayal of ‘other’ people in the story, whose actions and conversations are conveyed as suitably vague, as it seems this is just how Christopher would have seen them. A must-read.
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i have also read and loved this book.. my 11yo girl has just read it too(i said she could as long as she didn't remind me of the swear words..!!lol.) she loved it and asked lots of questions. i kinda feel tho that a fictional book about a boy who can't read fiction(because its a lie) is wrong in some way but if it helps others understand how some peoples mind works then that can only be good. Andy.
chellbian 12.11.2007 14:39
Wow! You've reminded me of why I loved the book first time round. Looking forward to reading it again. Excellent review :)
MAFARRIMOND 07.11.2007 09:21
I've recently bought the book but haven't read it yet. I am looking forward to it with interest. Maureen x
Apr 27th, 2004
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