Rating: 
Summary: Colorfully Voiced
Review: The use of a semi-autistic central character (Christopher Boone) is a brave step by " The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" author Mark Haddon. The bravery is not in using an autistic child as a character or even main character, but in not making the story about Christopher's disabilities, but rather how the story is uniquely colored by being viewed through the eyes of someone with such challenges. The result is both dramatic and bitterly funny (but by no means making autism take the brunt of the humor, it is not the ... of the jokes but rather the colorful voice in which the humor is relayed). There is a playful musical quality to the writing; the type captured by authors like Augusten Burroughs in "Dry" and "Running With Scissors," Rikki Lee Travolta in "My Fractured Life," and Jonathan Lethem in "Fortress of Solitude." There is a sureness to Haddon's writing that is impressive and decisive. I strongly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: (4 1/2) Why Does this Book Begin with Chapter Two ?
Review: This is a story whose narrator is Christopher Boone, a fifteen year old autistic boy who lives in Swindon, England and attends a school for "special needs" children. Christopher begins the narration by describing his discovery of the dead body of the recently killed poodle, Wellington, who belonged to his friend Mrs. Shears. After a misunderstanding and minor altercation with a policeman (due to Christopher's autism), he decides to solve the mystery of Wellington's murder and his detective investigation is to form the basis of the book which he has decided to write. (He has read several Sherlock Holmes mysteries and thus is familiar with the methods employed by detectives.) The early chapters are cleverly written so that Christopher introduces us to himself, his family and neighbors, his school and favorite teacher Siobhan, and the nature of autism. We learn how Christopher's mind works, and while in other circumstanes several of the chapters might seem like digressions, this presentation is such that in fact they provide the basis for the remainder of the book. As Christopher discusses why he cannot lie, lists his behavioral problems, and compares his mind to a DVD recorder, the reader is provided a wonderful understanding of the life of an autistic boy (and the difficulties for those who come into contact with him). And Christopher's encyclopedic knowlege is interesting in it's own right; e.g., I certainly never understood how our brains porocessed visual information during the eye flicks called saccades. I recognize, of course, that one of the reasons why I was so entranced by this book is that Christopher's interests mirror many of my own, e.g., math, logic, Star Trek, etc. As an SF fan, I was delighted to be reminded of the Daleks in the pathbreaking BBC series DOCTOR WHO. But be forewarned, we as readers have been subject to some misdirection and the nature of the story abruptly changes approximately midway through Christopher's narration. (I cannot go into details without in effect introducing a spoiler into this review.) The story is no longer simply about Christopher's life with his father in Swindon and the search for Wellington's killer, but instead about events that will change Christopher's life forever. His plans to become the first student from his school to sit for A-level maths and apply to University will be disrupted, and he will have to adapt to situations in which his autism is very disrutive and counterproductive. While this half of the book was extremely effective in providing many insights regarding how autistic individuals react to stress, I found myself much less enthralled by the narration and much more caught up in concern for Christopher and his well-being (as the author no doubt intended). So, in summary, I highly recommend this novel and believe that reading a story from the perspective of an autistic person will undoubtedly be a unique and rewarding experience for most individuals. And before you proceed too far into the story you will discover why it begins with chapter 2 and ends with chapter 233 but has only fifty-one chapters. (My recommendation is despite the fact that the ending seemed a little too contrived and feel good, which in most circumstances would have caused me to round down my rating). READER ALERT: There is one error in this book which I would like to highlight. When Christopher discusses a math/logic problem which he labels THE MONTY HALL PROBLEM, he uses it to illustrate how complicated numbers are and why he likes them. But in this case the problem was so complicated that both Christopher and the noted Marilyn vos Savant (who he references) arrive at the wrong answer. (I will blame the author for this error, since he is not a mathematician.) The solution can be addressed in three different ways: first, by utilizing conditional probabilty theory, second,by calculating the joint probabilties of the events, or, third, by a logic diagram, but the two solutions provided in the book are both flawed because they treat the sequence of events as independent when they are not. Thus, the intuitive answer which Christopher rejects is in fact correct. However, while this temporarily distracted me from the story it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book; and it was the only factual error which I discovered in the areas of Christopher' s knowledge with which I was conversant. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: What a fantastic book! The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time just blew me away. It's so wonderful and rewarding when you come across a book that is so startingly orginial and imaginative as this one. The book tells the story of Christopher Boone, an autistic 15 year old boy who discovers the death of his neighbor's poodle and proceeds to investigate the crime. Mark Haddon has apparently worked with autistic children before and his first-hand knowledge of this condition really shows in his compassionate yet humorous portrayal of Christopher. This is an exquisite book and a real treat. This is defintely one of the best works of fiction I've read all year and during the last several years. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: a curious review in the after-noon
Review: 2. I belong to a book club in my neighborhood. When it's
your turn to be the host, you get to pick the book everyone
will read. Last year I picked The Gospel According to Jesus
Christ by Jose Saramago. The year before that I picked If on
a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino. The year before
that I picked Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon. I could keep
going with this list, but Siobhan would say that people
wouldn't want to read a list of all of the books I have picked for book club and I could put it in an appendix, but reviews
don't have appendices, so I will just stop the list after the
first three books. 3. Up until December 9, 2003 I was going to pick Pride and
Predudice by Jane Austen for my next book club book because it
was the first "Great Books of the Western World" that I ever
read and I was blown away by it even though I thought it was
going to be dull and boring. But then I changed my mind. Now
I am going to pick The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-Time by Mark Haddon because I like it more than anything
I have read since some of the other books I have picked for
book club. Since I don't know you and I don't know what you
like to read, I don't know whether you will like it or not. 5. Christopher would have been confused by my statement that
I was blown away by Pride and Prejudice, since blown away is a
metaphor. Christopher says that metaphors should really be
called lies because I am still here and I was not blown away
by either the wind or some great explosion or anything else.
If I had said instead that reading Pride and Predudice made me
feel like I did after watching Clueless with Alicia
Silverstone, Christopher would not have been confused because
this is a simile rather than a metaphor and he says that a
simile is not a lie unless it is a bad simile. 7. I'm not autistic, so I have no idea if this book is a lie
or not. I hope it is not because if I were autistic I would
like to be like Christopher and solve mysteries and have
adventures like he does. 11. Here are a few of the reasons I like The Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night-Time. For the same reason that I cut
my list of books short in chapter 2, I will not list all of my
reasons in this one. a. Christopher uses logic and intellect and courage to
solve mysteries and find his way in a confusing and sometimes
overwhelming world. b. Christopher's favorite detective is Sherlock Holmes
and he knows the difference between a real clue and a Red
Herring. c. I laughed and almost cried and was thoroughly amazed
by the creativity of Mark Haddon's writing. d. I learned how to find a landmark in a strange city by
walking in an outward spiral. e. I learned how to prove that a traingle with sides that
can be written in the form n-squared + 1, n-squared -1, and 2n
(where n > 1) is right angled, even if I did have to read the
appendix. 13. Everything I have written in this review is true.
Rating: 
Summary: Started strong, died quickly
Review: A lot of the reviews here seem to confuse the ability to portray the life of an autistic with the ability to write a compelling novel. I appreciate the skill it took to do the former, but the _story_ itself is weak. Without giving too much away, your average reader should figure the plot out pretty quickly, and the novel becomes a drag soon afterword.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and subtle
Review: This is half mystery, half coming-of-age story, except it's for someone who *can't* come of age in the usual ways: Christopher Boone is autistic and the book is quite clear that he's not going to ever be normal, go through the rituals of adolescence and adulthood, connect. Christopher discovers the neighbor's dog impaled on her front lawn with a garden fork, and determines to get to the bottom of the mystery. (He greatly admires Sherlock Holmes for his logical cast of mind, and likes mystery stories because they obey definite rules. Christopher is all about rules.) The entire book is told from Christopher's point-of-view, in a flat clear logical style: it is often very, very funny and sometimes very, very sad. It's clear how difficult and heartbreaking it is to live with an autistic person, with someone who will never respond to or offer affection in normal ways; I held my breath in a few places, afraid of a happy Disney ending, but Haddon never falters once.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks Mark Haddon.
Review: To those who are constantly trying to understand autism, this book is a gift. Communicating with an autistic (child or adult) is a constant challange. Of course all autistic people are different, as are the rest of us, so it is a mistake to think that Christopher is stereotypical. The stress of raising an autistic child is dealt with very well. This disability must be among the most difficult for families to cope with. I would have appreciated an additional character: a non autistic sibling . I wonder how the book plays with readers who have never encountered autism. .
Rating:
Summary: Special Needs Sherlock
Review: Christopher Boone likes mysteries. He can apply his strong powers of logic to solving them. Knowing all the prime numbers up to 7057 [at 15!] suggests his math and logic skills. When he discovers a neighbour's murdered poodle, he embraces the challenge. Become a detective! Find the murderer! So Christopher, who cannot lie, can't abide strangers, forecasts his days by colour signals, begins his career as an investigator. He records his progress in a journal, which becomes this book. Once started, like Christopher's quest, this book rejects distraction. Every page is a delight - informative, poignant, challenging in multiple ways. His "detecting" confronts Christopher with many problems, not least of which is rapping a copper on the hooter. Receiving a "caution" from the Swinton police and a stern censure from his father, he's enjoined to "keep your nose out of other people's business". The dictum only leads him to apply precise logic when encountering others. A fan of Sherlock Holmes, he admires the analytical processes of detctive work. If he doesn't ask questions, he's not "investigating". If others ask him questions, he brings strict logic to bear on his response. He fathoms the "white lie". He knows how metaphor and simile differ. He also understands, and beautifully explains, consciousness, different forms of memory, cosmology, and evolution. And theology - he knows there is no heaven for the dead. The security of that knowledge enabled him to accept his mother's death with equanimity. But when his investigation confronts him with a new mystery - one which involves his mother, his aplomb shatters. Things thought stable no longer support his view of the world. He must now confront challenges he previously held at bay. From being a "mystery", Haddon's tale becomes an adventure. No astronaut nor jungle explorer faced such enigmas as Christopher must now confront. Nor with such impediments. Christopher is autistic, a condition with no clear definition, treatment or root cause. He suffers Behavioral Problems, carefully listing eighteen of them. He understands that he doesn't understand other people. And sees no reason to try to learn how. They don't seem to want to understand him. He's in a school for children who have Learning Difficulties, but people who "have difficulty learning French" or "who don't understand relativity" aren't in there with him. Some children have Special Needs, but people who use saccharine instead of sugar and who have hearing aids, aren't in the school. "None of these people are Special Needs, even if they have special needs" he says. Haddon provides a revelation into autistic minds no clinical study can match. Yet this exposure is done with such charm and grace, the reader can only be captivated by the narrative. A book that can be read on many levels, none complete nor wholly correct, it will long stand as a model. It might even help us cast aside some of our prejudices about distinctions between "normal" and "peculiar" behaviour. Shed your preconceived notions as you open the book. Then keep reading. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: As one who works with autistic children, I give 5 stars
Review: I am a School Psychologist who works with special needs children, including Autistic children. I read this book in one afternoon. It was so accurate and pleasing to read. I feel like I just took an advanced continuing education course in "a day in the life of an autistic child." I now understand the disorder much better. This book is not to be missed! Kasey Hamner, M.S., adoptee, school psychologist and author of "Whose Child?" and "Adoption Forum"
Rating:
Summary: Heart-warming, heart-breaking
Review: Mark Haddon's heart-breaking, heart-warming book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is about Christopher, an autistic 15 year-old. It is written in the first person, as Christopher begins writing a book as a school project. He is at first investigating the death of a neighborhood dog, but the book, and his life, takes a turn he never expected as he comes to learn more about his parents, family dynamics, humans in general, and what he, himself, is capable of achieving. I had a special interest in reading this book, as I work with autistic pre-schoolers. It gives a wonderful insight into the mind of the autistic, explaining behaviors that may seem irrational on the surface, but that really serve a purpose for the survival of the child. Oddly enough, the strength of this book (Christopher's narration) was also the book's weakness. It is very rare that anyone with Christopher's degree of autism would be able to explain his actions, thoughts, emotions. It was wonderful reading what was going on in Christopher's mind, but at the same time, I knew that it was so improbable that anyone like him would have been able to be so eloquent. None the less, this is a funny, sad, unforgettable novel that I highly recommend.
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