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Summary: How the other half lives
Review: Christopher Boone is an autistic teenager and the main character in this riveting new novel by Mark Haddon. He's one of the most interesting portraits of a disturbed individual since that of RAINMAN or Strekfus Beltzenschmidt in McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD. So many have gone into the synopsis of the novel in their reviews that I won't bore you with that again, but suffice it to say that this book is a must read for anyone. It's dark, funny, witty, and above all, well-written. Don't miss this one.Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
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Summary: Prime numbers
Review: This is a moving and humorous short novel about an autistic teenager's attempt to discover the murderer of a neighbor's dog, and ultimately to navigate the minefield of his parents' broken marriage. The text is riddled with colorful diagrams, photos, and equations that demonstrate various points the narrator is trying to make; because he sees the world in a very literal way, he finds this technique easier than "putting pictures in people's heads" with words or using metaphors (which he calls "lies"). Rather than detracting from the story, these "extras" help put us in the narrator's very objective and unemotional mindset. The chapters are titled with prime numbers--i.e., those numbers divisible only by themselves and 1--a fitting *metaphor* for the very solitary-minded narrator of this book.
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Summary: Believe the hype
Review: This is a purely enjoyable novel, filled with lovely wording and a delicious plot that keeps you going page by page. autism hee is treated with dignity and great tenderness, as are the foibles of men, women, children, the elderly, and everybody. Watch out for this author's forthcoming works. i really, really enjoyed this simple, slim novel, and I look forward to his next one.
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Summary: I loved this book
Review: I really enjoyed reading it and I didn't find Christopher's behavior strange. It reminded me of my childhood. The story is well paced and there is not a single moment of dullness.
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Summary: A Brillantly Insightful Book
Review: As I read this book,I had to keep reminding myself that a non-autistic person wrote it:that's how eerily accurate it is written. The story concerns Christopher, a teenage boy in England who is (a la "Rainman") a Math Savant,yet,like many Autistics,cannot stand to be hugged,has trouble recognizing other's peoples(or his own) emotions,and adheres to a strict routine to cope with a world that is not as precise as the math problems he loves solving. The mystery he tries to solve(and due to his strong sense of logic,does) is just a jumping-off point to a story full of imagination and gentle humor. I think this book does a great service for Autistics as well,it shows that they are people with feelings and personal issues too. An original,thoughtful book.
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Summary: A sensitive portrayal of mental illness
Review: Christopher, the fifteen year old narrator of this remarkable debut novel, suffers with Asperger's Syndrone, a form of autism. One night he goes into his backyard and discovers his neighbor's dog dead with a pitchfork through it's body. Christopher, who loves mysteries, especially Sherlock Holmes, decides that he will solve this murder on his own. He travels the neighborhood trying to discover the cause of the dog's death in spite of the repeated admonitions from his father. What follows is a tale of discovery- not only about the murder of the dog but about what life is like with a severe form of autism.
Not since MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN by Jonathan Lethem has mental illness been so sensitively and accurately depicted. This remarkable book allows the reader to get inside the head of an mentally impaired individual to discover how they think and what motivates them to behave the way they do. For instance, Christopher feels it will be a great day or a terrible day depending on how many Red vs. Yellow cars he sees. He doesn't like to be touched and as such never gets physically close to anyone. He is a math genius in spite of his other limitations. Through Christopher's eyes, the world is full of strangers that cannot be trusted. He carries a penknife with him for protection and will defend his personal space no matter the cost even if it involves hitting a policeman. His mother and father obviously love him but the tragedy is they are frustrated by their strong feelings of inadequacy in taking care of him. In fact, it is this feeling of inadequacy and lack of confidence that drives the events that unfurl in this story. The book is relatively slight yet packs a major whollop. Wonderful.
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Summary: Waiting for his next...
Review: I am always overly sentimental about books set in England because I lived there for many years myself. I love the little nuances that I 'get' that maybe someone who's never lived there wouldn't pick up on. Haddon not only gave me the gift of a English local but a great story as well. It has a quick, easy and fairly light feeling considering the issues raised. But most importantly I think a light has been placed upon someone with autism in a more flattering direction. It doesn't have to be all Dustin Hoffman RainMan all over again. We take this journey with Christopher and learn how bewildering things can be through his eyes. Yet, being a teenager is bewildering on its own and we all can relate to that.
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Summary: A wonderful, insightful read
Review: I picked this book up in London after having learned that it was bestowed the Whitbred Prize. I had never heard of it and had no idea that it had been selected by the Today Show as a book club book. In any event, I felt it was a terrific read. The main character, an English teenager with Asperger Syndrome, is a totally sympathetic character. Through a series of episodes, we are quickly able to understand the world in which he, Christopher, is trapped. I had only a few complaints regarding the thrust of the action. Christopher loses faith in his father for something his father did. Granted, his father's actions were deplorable, but, perhaps, understandable, given his father's anger with Christopher's mother. However, did Christopher write his father's actions off because of the on/off, black/white nature of his syndrome, or because Christopher is a teenager? To not know this answer diminished my experience as a reader. And in terms of pacing, the first 90 percent of the book took place within a scope of days, the final ten percent in a course of months. To me, it felt slightly lopsided. Nonetheless, the wonderful writing style and peak into another world made this an entertaining and worthwhile read.
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Summary: Quirky and touching
Review: No need to rehash the plot of this one, suffice to say the author's voice is unique and compelling. A much misunderstood illness, the author has successfully brought a human face, plenty of wry humour, and a large measure of understanding to the subject of autism. This quick read is thoroughly enjoyable and quite unlike anything I've read before. If you enjoyed this novel I would also recommend "When I was Five I Killed Myself" by Howard Buten, another fine novel told from the perpective of an autistic child.
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Summary: Worth Your Time!
Review: Helps us to Understand Behavior of those with Autism
This story opens with Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with a mild form of autism, discovering a neighbor's dog impaled on a garden fork. When the neighbor accuses him of murdering her dog, followed by a subsequent run-in with the police, Christopher takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of the dog's murder, and to write a book about the incident in the process. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is Christopher's account of his investigation, written from his first hand point of view. In the process he discovers some strange twists of events that directly affect his own life. The author of this book decided to pen this from Christopher's point-of-view. It is a fascinating look at what is going on in the mind of an autistic child. Actions that the boy takes may seem insane to an outsider, but are explained in a very logical manner by Christopher. Reading books like this, such as Motherless Brooklyn which is told from the point of view of a man with Tourette's Syndrome, really help to bring some sort of understanding to those of us who may be put off by the seemingly strange behavior of a person suffering from these types of afflictions. In addition to understanding Christopher's thought patterns, the story he is telling about his investigation is quite interesting. This is a short book and well worth the time. Another short novel I recommend is The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
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