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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by
Mark Haddon
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9781400032716
ISBN10:
1400032717
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Awards
2003 Whitbread Book of the Year Award 2003 Whitbread Novel Award
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Average customer rating 4.7 (40 comments)
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Jeremiah L
, May 10, 2017
The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime allows readers to step into the eyes of a young boy with Aspergers Syndrome named Christopher. He goes through his adventures with his father Ed, His neighbors, school teachers, and the dog Wellington. Christopher has very strange problems the we can understand through his thoughts and opinions on things that we can use to understand others today. With his strange problems and dislikes others question him and tells him he is a very logical person with not very logical reasons. He explains that we have to make a decision for everything and those are the decisions he made. We learn he also makes these decisions to make him feel safe. As explore his world and thoughts he becomes determined to figure who killed his neighbor's dog. Following his favorite character Sherlock Holmes he begins his own investigation. He writes this book to document everything he discovers and information he finds. He follows his path with many. With many twists and turns is always leaves you at the edge of your seat. With Christopher's condition he is a very straightforward person who takes everything literally. He finds his way around everything using logic to bend the rules since he cannot lie because of his condition. He can have you laughing or horrified without even trying.
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Angie Kopshy
, January 19, 2015
(view all comments by Angie Kopshy)
Eager to read publications about autism? Don't discredit this novel, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon just because he doesn’t have an ASD diagnosis. Haddon worked with people on the autism spectrum as a young man and provides a unique and plausible perspective of a boy working through his anxiety, love for math, and loss of a parent. My favorite paragraph: "And when Mother and Mr. Shears argued I took the little radio from the kitchen and I went and sat in the spare room and I tuned it halfway between two stations so that all I could hear was white noise and I turned the volume up really loud and I held it against my ear and the sound filled my head and it hurt so that I couldn't feel any other sort of hurt, like the hurt in my chest…" It’s a quick and enjoyable read that the parent of one of my client’s loaned to me. I definitely recommend checking it out!
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ladymacbech
, December 23, 2011
(view all comments by ladymacbech)
After the incredible 40+ years I had as a teacher, and having enjoyed ages of preschool through early college -and in that order - catagorizing anyone as "special needs" is an insult. The parents and I would have been the ones with special needs, if I had had to limit my students and myself in working through an enormous volume of experiences leading to knowledge in some form. This book was easily read in a few hours, and a second visit made the main character shout "GO-O-OA-ll." I Loved this book, the main character, his mom and the cover too. (Note; my early years teaching in public school, rarely included "labeled" students. Mainly because most of the recognized "tags" of the last years were not known. The earliest one I delt with was "cross dominance," and most of the "challenged" students were not included in the schools in any form.)
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Tim Lewis
, September 01, 2011
(view all comments by Tim Lewis)
One of the rare things in books is distinct author voice. This book is one of those that the reader gets the feeling that the protagonist really is the person doing the writing. The end of the book truly brought me back to reality and cried out empathy for the kid without wrapping things up in a neat little bow with everyone singing and holding hands. Not what I expected, but pleasantly surprised.
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Gracie
, April 02, 2011
(view all comments by Gracie)
This is a pretty amazing book. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but it's a fascinating story about an autistic boy who sees the world differently from most other people. Christopher sees things both as being more complicated and less complicated than everyone else does. Extremely intelligent and logical, he has a great deal of difficulty with people and emotions. So when he begins investigating the murder of a neighborhood dog and comes upon an even greater mystery about what truly happened to his mother, he confronts confusion and fear unlike any he's ever known before and he must learn to rely on himself. The story is very well crafted. Christopher journals his experience in painstaking detail, with order, organization, literal honesty, and refreshing perspective. Mark Haddon writes beautifully and poignantly of this boy and his struggles in such a simple, straightforward manner that you can't help but feel as you read.
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Adeen
, January 23, 2011
(view all comments by Adeen)
The Sound and the Fury meets Sherlock Holmes. This delightful novel is told entirely from the perspective of autistic 15-year-old Christopher who lives in English suburbia with his father. At once simplistic and poignant, Haddon stays true to his character throughout the story. The innocence and fragility of Christopher is at odds with the complexities of modern life and the emotional turmoil of the adults in his life. An easy read, just about four hours, but one that will keep you thinking and questioning even after you've shut the cover.
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Erin Kendrick
, January 07, 2011
(view all comments by Erin Kendrick)
I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't do much for me. A similar book I would recommend is "Extremely loud and incredibly close", they are both told by young boys and deal with them trying to solve a mystery, and I found "Extremely" to be much more engaging and had more meat to it. "The Curious incident" is a quick read though, and even though it comes off as a light read, it is an interesting look into autism and can be rather dark at times.
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Alberta J
, November 23, 2010
Fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone isn’t your ordinary teenager. For enjoyment, Chris solves math problems, plays with his pet rat Toby, and also solves murder mysteries. The mystery of the neighbor Mrs. Shear’s dog is found dead. Christopher really shouldn’t mess around and be nosy with this neighborhood situation, but decides to get to the bottom of it. To calm himself down and relax, Chris solves math problems that no average person could even dream up and solve, and secludes himself into small spaces to feel safe when his world feels as if it is tumbling down. He screams when he is touched, and will not befriend the colors yellow and brown. Christopher does not talk to strangers, because they make him feel unsafe, he doesn’t change things around, and he lets car colors determine how his day is going to be played. Yes, Christopher John Francis Boone, is diagnosed with autism. Solving more than one mystery in this novel, Christopher learns about his quite dysfunctional family, close family members that aren’t truly deceased, who people really are, how he is different from others, and how the world really works in his hometown Swindon, United Kingdom. Honestly, I would give this book about three out of five stars. I thought this novel would be much different than what I came to discover. This book was very heartbreaking for me, and somewhat hard to stick to reading. I felt as if the novel jumped around a bit too often and had many places where I was astonished that this section was actually included in the book. On the bright side, I loved how I was able to live in the shoes of someone that was much different than me. The characters helped too, to represent how others in the true world would treat someone with a disorder such as autism. I recommend this book to readers who wish to understand and be kind of entertained by the point of view of Chris. Yet, I do not recommend this book to people who want a book to have a clear purpose.
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bbrrtt1
, August 16, 2010
(view all comments by bbrrtt1)
I couldn't put this book down...written from the mind of an autistic boy, this book had all the complexity of a rich and well written novel with fully developed characters. It was very interesting to read a book from this perspective and I would highly recommend this to anyone. I loved the details and the way in which Christopher tells this story without worry about his thoughts and the ways in which they effect his life. It was touching and ironic, sad and fufilling in many ways. Mark Haddon hits the mark, in my mind with this novel. A great read.
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Megan A
, May 03, 2010
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, is an inspirational and heartwarming novel about a young autistic boy’s journey of discovery. The book is centered around the mysterious murder of the neighbor’s dog, Wellington. As the narrator, Christopher Boone, uncovers the murderer, he also learns about some hidden family secrets and finds the strength to venture into an unknown place alone. The novel comments on disability and Christopher’s struggle to express human emotions, while highlighting the misperceptions many people have about disabilities. Mark Haddon effectively captures society’s misperceptions about disabilities through his use of an autistic narrator and unique structural and stylistic elements. The story of Christopher Boone will inspire and challenge the readers to alter their ideas about disabilities. The novel is a national bestseller, Whitbread Book of the Year, and New York Times Notable Book. The author, Mark Haddon is an author and illustrator of many notable children’s books and screen plays. He has also worked with autistic individuals in the past, giving him inspiration for this novel. The novel is set in Swindon and London, England in the late 1990’s with the narrator being determined fifteen year old Christopher Boone, an autistic boy. Christopher is an extremely intelligent boy but cannot understand or express human emotions. “I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them” (12). Christopher lives with his father, Ed Boone in Swindon, England. The novel begins with the death of the neighbor’s dog, Wellington. Christopher is writing a mystery novel about Wellington’s murder for school and wants to figure out who killed the dog. After initially being accused, Christopher digs further into his investigation, uncovering some hidden secrets about his family. As a result, his world of stability and order starts to break down. The events in the novel help to expose the unique talents of Christopher and the way his autistic mind functions. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time successfully achieves its goal of commenting on the misperceptions about disabilities through its point of view, structure, and writing style. The point of view of an autistic narrator helps the author shed a new light on disability. Seeing events from an autistic boy’s perspective allows the reader to better understand the thought processes of people with disabilities. It allows one to see an entirely different point of view, making the book more creative and unique. This point of view also accentuates the unique skills of Christopher, focusing on the positive side of disabilities, rather than the negative. For example, Christopher’s math and science knowledge astounded me. He knows more about astronomy and mathematics than most other people. “Some people think the Milky Way is a long line of stars, but it isn’t. Our galaxy is a huge disk of stars millions of light-years across, and the solar system is somewhere near the outside edge of the disk” (9). Christopher’s immense knowledge suggests that there is more to disabilities; people have the wrong ideas about those with disabilities. In addition, the author did an incredible job of creating the actions and thoughts of an autistic boy; it was as if the novel was actually written by an autistic person. While the point of view helps effectively display the autistic mind, the structure of the novel contributes as well. The author’s structural choices reveal the realistic thought processes of a child with autism and add creativity and intrigue to the novel. The fact that prime numbers are used to divide the sections of the novel, instead of chapters, mirrors the actions of an autistic person. In addition, drawings, diagrams, and pictures are not typically seen in novels. These objects help convey how the autistic mind works and really put life into perspective for me as I was reading. The pictures helped me to understand that this is how Christopher’s mind works through and understands ideas. I felt as if I was being directly addressed by Christopher. The disorderly pattern of events where Christopher would quickly change topics makes the novel more realistic and convincing. It allows you to see that this is “normal” for him and helps you to better appreciate disabilities for their uniqueness, rather than for their negative features. The fact that the book ends in a positive and uplifting light adds to the idea that believe in oneself can produce countless achievements. “And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? And I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything” (221). Christopher’s undying determination and confidence in his abilities shows that disabilities are not crippling; people with disabilities may be different but not in a negative way. Disabilities are unique and each person has different gifts as a result of their impairments. These structural elements highlight Christopher’s individuality and amaze the reader with the incredible talents and skills of people with autism. Along with the structure, Haddon’s stylistic elements make a statement about people’s unfortunate misperceptions about disabilities. Mark Haddon’s writing style creates a convincing picture of the autistic mind and highlights the novel’s central idea. The language used depicts the thoughts and speech of a typical autistic boy. It also mirrors Christopher’s trouble expressing his emotions, as he tends to talk in long run-on sentences to make his point. “But if I say that I actually had Shreddies and a mug of tea I start thinking about Coco Pops and lemonade and porridge and Dr Pepper and how I wasn’t eating my breakfast in Egypt and there wasn’t a rhinoceros in the room and Father wasn’t wearing a diving suit and so on and even writing this makes me feel shaky and scared…” (19). The style and language choices are impeccably realistic. As I was reading I was amazed by the way Haddon formed sentences and ideas together in such a close manner to that of an autistic individual. In addition, Christopher’s vivid and detailed descriptions of his surroundings accentuate the positive side of disabilities. “And then lost of people started coming into the little station. And someone sat down on the other end of the bench and it was a lady who had a black briefcase and purple shoes and a brooch shaped like a parrot” (175). He notices details that the average person would not normally see. This explains that people with disabilities all have their own unique and uplifting talents; people just tend to make the wrong assumptions about disabilities. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon effectively crafts the mind of an autistic boy and comments on the misperceptions people have about disabilities. The novel addresses all of the major issues with the inclusion of mystery, adventure, family dynamics, human emotions, and society’s misperceptions. I would highly recommend this book to other adult readers as it is a motivational story that can change the way people look at disabilities. The ideas, characterization, and style perfectly and successfully depict disability in its most positive form.
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hickcrazy1
, January 17, 2010
(view all comments by hickcrazy1)
This debut novel is a completely different piece of work. Its protagonist, an autistic 9 year boy whi is a math prodigy, is incapable of feeling emotion. His reactions to events are so completely his own, so matter of fact and bloodless as to be unnatural; compared with normal kids, he is an enigma. The book held me totally in thrall, none of my conclusions or predictions held true. I heartily recommend this book to the reader looking for a novel that offers a very different point of view.
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cejs2003
, January 16, 2010
As the mother of an autistic son, I find it astonishing that this book was not written by someone with autism. Deeply insightful, this book conveys the inner workings of an autistic mind better than a dozen non-fiction books by experts. Somehow, Haddon takes the mystery out of one of the most mysterious conditions in history. With autism rates at epidemic proportions, this book gives us the next best thing to a cure: understanding.
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Tony DiLorenzo
, January 05, 2010
Very original perspective on a "murder" mystery. I really enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of 15-year-old Christopher. It made me contemplate how each of us sees things in quite different, and sometimes very unique ways.
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bdinalbq
, January 04, 2010
Probably one of the most unique works I have ever read. To describe an Asperger's person from the inside out, to perceive as he perceives is challenge enough. To simultaneously create a credible plot and mystery around this central character is nothing short of amazing.
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jake.gold.phx
, January 04, 2010
This book is incredible, an enjoyable mystery with insights into the family and lives of the differently abled.
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Anita Dugan
, January 02, 2010
:)
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heath goodall
, January 02, 2010
That story was so brilliant. I had read this several times and I still LOVED it. The story never bored me. I laughed so hard and that what I need the most. It was nice to understand about the Autism/ADHD. I recommended this book to everybody!
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Jill Taylor
, January 01, 2010
(view all comments by Jill Taylor)
This may be the most original book I've read. It's entertaining and full of truth. The character of Christopher is fully drawn with his straightforward logic and the quirk of his strong superstitions nicely mixed. I read the print version and also listened to the audio. What a treat! It has been my most recommended book for the past few years.
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sandydog
, January 01, 2010
a boy, a murdered dog, a mystery that reveals itself to the reader just a few paces before the boy narrator Mr Haddon and his young narrator create a tidy and very rewarding story that stands out as the best read of the decade.
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Linda Elliott
, January 01, 2010
(view all comments by Linda Elliott)
This is one of those books that I recommend constantly and all ages find it fascinating. The story of a young boy with autism, trying to solve the mystery of the dog in the neighbor's yard, lets one into the mind of the child. This increased my personal understanding of children who suffer from autism, and besides that, it is an AWESOME read! Fascinating and difficult to put down once you have started it.
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akashicamber
, January 01, 2010
love this book
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cbgambr
, January 01, 2010
This book so wonderfully captures the mind of this young boy and takes us on a journey to the world as he experiences it, it should be a must read for every parent and teacher and required reading for anyone who works for individuals with any "handicap." But then maybe that is all of us?
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kathleen karpondo
, January 01, 2010
(view all comments by kathleen karpondo)
A good book is an engaging read; a great book changes something in you. This is the book that did it for me. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opens a window to the autistic mind, but at the same time, it tells a gripping story with humor, wit, and compassion. The story of a boy who can't bear being touched, but loves his rat and the neighborhood dog beyond reason, I was on board from the first page. With autism and Asberger's syndrome on the rise, I can' think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.
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Joe Allen
, September 15, 2009
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is a story of a fifteen-year-old autistic boy named Christopher John Francis Boone. He cannot understand emotions, and so enjoys logistical things such as math and physics. Christopher can’t stand the colors yellow or brown, though he loves red; not for any particular reason, but because he wants to live in a world with order. Soon after the story begins, we discover that Christopher has come upon the body of his neighbor’s poodle, which had been speared with a garden fork. After spending a night in jail for hitting a policeman (because he hates it when people grab him), he decides, to his teacher Siobhan’s encouragement and his father’s dismay, that he will catch the killer. Mark Haddon introduces a unique, down to earth position in The Curious Incident. Since Christopher, being the narrator, can’t recognize feelings, he says things plainly, he tells his story plainly. He says upon finding Wellington, the dog that was killed, “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.” The blunt language of the story, rather than detracting from the work, stands out as it is a distinct characteristic that is rarely seen in a novel. The story also provides an intriguing window into the mind of an autistic boy. Christopher can’t go to new places, because he has to notice everything that there is to notice; he sees and hears everything at once, and his mind gets overloaded. To prevent this, his father doesn’t even move around furniture in their house. It’s definitely an unusual story, the likes of which might not be seen for a long time, and worth a look.
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Laura Stanovich
, September 15, 2009
One night, when Christopher was walking around the neighborhood he stopped in front of Mrs. Shears house to find her dog, Wellington, dead and covered with blood. The dog had been stabbed with a garden fork. Christopher holds the dog and gets yelled at by Mrs. Shears because she thinks he killed her dog. The police come and he is taken to jail when he slaps a police officer for touching him, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to know who killed the dog. Because Christopher is autistic, he goes to the school counselor, Sibobhan. Sibobhan tells Christopher to write about what occurred and his investigations. His dad doesn’t like him going through peoples’ business, so Christopher gets in trouble for being a detective. But, his dad doesn’t stop him from wanting to find out who murdered the dog. I liked this book because it was very descriptive. Christopher, the main character, knows the exact time and specific details of what happens almost every day. He goes into detail about what he does every day, even the math problems he does. The author also makes the book sound realistic and entertaining by explaining how Christopher doesn’t like the colors brown and yellow, likes to do math problems, count prime numbers, and can’t understand emotions. In this book, the author was trying to say that it’s bad to lie because it can put you in confusing situations. Then, you have to lie about other things to cover up all of the lies that you say. I personally have a better view after reading this book. It helps explain what some people go through every day. It also has interesting things which could happen in real life such as fighting with people in the same family. At the beginning of the book, Christopher says, “This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them.” This quote is very funny and worth remembering because even though he says he cannot tell jokes, he does in his own way.
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Travis Wilson
, September 15, 2009
Imagine strolling along your community in the night-time and finding your neighbor’s dog dead with a fork in it. Well, this is exactly the startling discover that young fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone experienced in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Fueled by the false accusation against him, Chris decides to find the murder and in the process write a book about it against his father’s wishes. Chris’s investigation involves inquiring to suspects, rummaging through forgotten documents, and even exploring different countries. During his investigation, he learns about himself, his family, and his friends. This book contains many diverse topics that make it original and fun. For example the book gives you an insight on how a child with a disorder thinks. Also, you learn to think in a more logical and mathematical way by looking at his examples and reading his personal remarks. For example, in the book he discusses mathematical topics such as the quadratic and distance formulas. Also throughout the book you start to see how raising a child with behavior disorders, such as Christopher, really is. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an eye-opener in general! Through out the book you truly can perceive the message that author Mark Haddon is trying to send. That even there may be situations that we ourselves cannot understand, by working hard and evaluating the problem at hand even the most impossible solutions seem possible. This book is definitely a must read for any involved sleuth. After reading this book your insight on the world around you will change. You will stop taking the valuable quality of reading emotions and connecting to the world for granted. By the end of the book you will soon see that even the most puzzling problems are solvable. As Christopher said,” Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them.”
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Christian Sweeney
, September 15, 2009
(view all comments by Christian Sweeney)
If someone told you that a book was about an autistic kid, you may think that it is not going to be an interesting book. This is what I thought at first, and then I read the book. I was surprised at how interesting the book was, and I am glad that I chose this book to read. The main character of the story is Christopher. He is a fifteen year old autistic boy who is emotionally connected to his math. The book starts off with Christopher in his neighbor’s backyard, holding their poodle. There is a fork through its body, and it is dead. Christopher is wrongly accused of killing the dog, and is determined to figure out the real killer. He begins a long journey to find out who killed the dog, with many unexpected twists and turns along the way, some of which are vital to Christopher’s life. This is a very interesting book, and I would recommend it to anyone that would be interested in reading it. Overall, I would give this book a 9.5/10. It flowed well, and it was an interesting story, filled with many events. One thing about the book stood out to me the most. The moral of the story is that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. This book explains this extremely well. Christopher undergoes many challenges along the way, which are difficult for him to overcome. All of the events have drastic endings, and are all connected to the book. Without these things happening, I do not know if the book would have been as great as it is. In the book, there is an interesting quote. It says “I see everything”. I found this interesting because it is not true. What he was actually meaning, is that he can remember everything he sees. This is a very interesting feature of a person, and he is lucky that he has this feature.
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Micah Collins-Sibley
, May 11, 2009
(view all comments by Micah Collins-Sibley)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time offers a rare view into the world of a boy with Asperger's syndrome. Chris's world is simple and pure, there are no lies and everything is told exactly the way they are. If you were to compare it to The Catcher in the Rye you would find The Curious Incident is the complete opposite. During the entirety of The Catcher you never truly know if Holden is telling the truth but in The Curious Incident you always know Chris is telling the truth. Through reading this book you experience a different world, Chris's world, while at the same time trying to solve a mystery. Its a wonderful book that explores Asperger's and then effect that disease has on a home.
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meganpardue
, November 07, 2008
(view all comments by meganpardue)
A unique tale told from the perspective of a child with autism; the author captures the struggle that so few truly understand.
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Authors On The Rise Book Reviews
, May 22, 2008
(view all comments by Authors On The Rise Book Reviews)
Christopher Boone likes night-time walks. On one of these walks, he discovers the body of his neighbor’s dog pierced by a pitchfork. The death of the animal awakens Christopher’s desire to investigate and solve the dog’s hideous murder. Christopher’s detective work drums up some interesting leads, not only about the dog, but also about some mysteries in Christopher’s own life. In the end, Christopher will have to choose between the family he knows and his need for knowing the truth about the incident of the dog in the night-time. Mark Haddon’s portrait of an autistic boy on a mission is well written, and perfectly told. The story, composed as a first-person narrative, expertly portrays the actions and mind set of a person living with autism. Haddon’s complex storytelling may confuse some readers, but it is essential to building the foundation of Christopher’s character. It helps the reader to understand the thought patterns autistic people. Haddon does a wonderful job weaving the chapters to create a compelling and surprising read.
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KAbbey
, December 30, 2007
(view all comments by KAbbey)
This book is a fascinating insight into the mind of a young man with Aspergers Syndrome, a condition which is linked to Autism. As a young man who analyses everything, whether he wants to or not, he causes himself many worries. A fall out with his father, causes him to make a terrifying journey to London by himself. Anyone woring or planning to work with children with Autism will find this a very interesting and educational read. I have learnt a lot about the way an Autistic mind works!! I would also recommend reading Tino Georgiou's bestselling novel--The Fates--if you missed it!
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cherylmarie
, December 11, 2007
I found this book to be a fascinating exploration into humankind's search for truth, and our need for a belief system that makes sense of the world as we perceive it. Insofar as our perceptions differ, so do our truths. I was recently asked what I'd wish for if given the opportunity and I replied, "a rulebook for life that everyone followed." Isn't that what Christopher is seeking? Isn't that what we all are?
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in_reverie
, July 11, 2007
(view all comments by in_reverie)
I didn't really like this book much. I mean, it was alright. I understand autism, but all the math problems gave me a headache.
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whitty23423432
, April 25, 2007
The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time is an absolutely amazing story. It tells the story of an autistic boy named Christopher, and his view of life. Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057. He doesn?t understand human emotions but relates well to animals. Christopher loves math, and plans on being an astronaut. Christopher?s world falls apart when he stumbles upon his neighbor?s dog, Wellington, dead in a pitchfork. Christopher is blamed for the killing, and this gives Christopher the idea of doing some detective work to find the real killer. He questions his neighbors and doesn?t find anything. He then eventually gets in trouble by his father for his detective work. Christopher doesn?t think this is right that he is being punished, so he continues his work, even after his book with all the info is taken away. Christopher then goes searching for the book and comes across letters from his mother, who he thinks is dead. He?s heartbroken and loses trust in his father for quite sometime. This book is a compelling story and probably one of the greatest books on the shelf.
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gackatooly
, April 24, 2007
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time was an insanely interesting read. I’ve met autistic people before, but never have I read a book that portrayed their life and thoughts as well as Mark Haddon has in this amazing piece of literature. Some books have such obvious themes that you can tell what the moral is when you first begin reading. This book is NOT that way. Counting from the top of my head I can think of more than three themes. Whether someone is completely unsympathetic or overly emotional, this book will do something for you. There were points in this story when you feel so eager, nervous, curious, and excited that your stomach gets goose bumps. If anything, I think this book really gives you a sense of patience and understanding. It also really brought this point out for me; don’t give up on someone. Chris’s mom could’ve just stayed and everything would’ve been just fine after a while. This could have been an underlying theme in the book, but I definitely saw and comprehended it. What kept me glued to this novel was the fact that you’re personally waiting to see what Chris’s next movements and decisions are. It has really taught me to be more logical about things. On the other hand, this book immensely increased my gratitude for my ability to feel emotion. I hope you call enjoy this book as much as I did!
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Robert Hamm
, March 25, 2007
(view all comments by Robert Hamm)
I have recommended this book to countless people. It truly is one of the best books I've ever read. The narrator has Asperger's syndrome, and if anyone wants to try to understand this condition, this is the place to start. The book is compelling. It is superb.
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hudsongal
, February 24, 2007
Just seeing this book again made me smile. It was one of the most memorable books I have ever read; joyous, heartbreaking, funny, sad, mysterious, riveting, absolutely wonderful. You will not be able to not finish it in one sitting! I loved his other book "A Spot Of Bother" as well.....I am hoping he is doing nothing but writing furiously to complete his next book for me to devour!
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mizsunny14
, October 30, 2006
Mark Haddon has an unremarkable way of getting into the character in such a way that the reader feels as though they are close with Christopher. Though Christopher claims to be void of humor, his ignorance adds a certain satirical element to the story. By the end of the novel I felt as if I had a relationship with this young boy. Though the ending was a little abrupt, it was done in the best way that made sense for the character.
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Sheri Blyskal
, September 27, 2006
(view all comments by Sheri Blyskal)
I love this book because it's story is mesmerizing. I was drawn, almost compulsively to sneak away and read this book. This book offers a rare glimpse into a life filled with challenges many people cannot fathom. My life hasn't been touched by autism, but I bought this book based on a Powells.com review and the fact the I love the author [a]Temple Grandin[/a] (who is herself autistic). I find the whole subject fascinating. After reading this book, I heard about another book of the same ilk called The [t]Pleasure of My Company[/t] by [a]Steve Martin[/a]. First, yes it is Steve Martin the well-known comedian who wrote the book. He has published several books and novellas. His book was similar to this in that the main character is autistic. His book however, pales in comparison on every literary level. The plot is not compelling and I didn't care for it at all. It seemed like Steve Martin read this book and tried to copy it and failed miserably.
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spindlefan
, September 07, 2006
Even if I didn't have an autistic child of my own, I'd have found [t]The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time[/t] to be a charming and compelling story. But because I do, I found it to be a fascinating glimpse inside the mind of autistic children, my own included. The novel, by [a]Mark Haddon[/a], is written from an autistic boy's POV, and very accurately I think. Despite the uniqueness of the narrator, you easily come to like him and relate to him and wish him well in his quest for the truth about the situation in his neighborhood and his family. A must-read for anyone who loves an [kw]autistic [/kw]child.
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Product Details
ISBN:
9781400032716
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
05/18/2004
Publisher:
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
Series info:
Vintage Contemporaries
Pages:
240
Height:
1.00IN
Width:
5.10IN
Thickness:
.50
Number of Units:
12
Illustration:
Yes
Copyright Year:
2003
Series Volume:
1
UPC Code:
2801400032718
Author:
Mark Haddon
Media Run Time:
B
Subject:
England
Subject:
Savants (savant syndrome)
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Subject:
Autism
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General
$11.95
List Price:
$16.00
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