Rating: 
Summary: This is a good book to read to students with disabilities
Review: I teach a class of students with moderate to severe disabilities, at least in the sense of mental retardation Psychologicals. As a conscientious teacher, I attempt to keep my lessons age appropriate this can be difficult however,due to the age of my students 16-21 and what they seemingly understand.
Because Christopher is trying to explain his world to readers that essentially don't understand his world, I didn't have to stop to explain things very often. For example, when he talks about liking prime numbers, he explains clearly what a prime number is.
The only draw back to reading to students is the semi-frequent use of profanity, (I again think this makes it more age appropriate).
As a student of what Autism is, and what it must be like, I found it very interesting how Mark Haddon, fictionalized many research findings. Through the use of M&M's, Mr. Haddon simplified a famous theory of mind study.
The mystery element really helped to keep my students engaged in the book, as we could guess who actually killed the dog. We could sequence the events of the story. I would recommend this book to someone that wants a basic understanding of autism but does not what to read dry articles.
Rating: 
Summary: Creative writing about a heretofore unwriteable subject
Review: Mark Haddon has captured the essence of the mind of an autistic child (Christopher) and has written a story that is more about the way the autistic mind needs to make the terrifying world concrete in order to exist within it than it is about the 'detective story' it purports to be. To that end THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is a successful exercise. Haddon understands that emotion and physical touch are beasts of prey to the autistic mind and electing to have Christopher set out on an adventure to "make sense" of a hostile and brutal act of murder of a dog opens the floodgate for the experiences ventured. We are allowed to see how Christopher views marital battles and infidelities and manages the impossible task of running away from disorder in a small town in England to the even madder disorder of London. All of this writing is accomplished and praiseworthy, but in the end I found the novel tedious and pushed beyond the level of tolerance in repeating number sequences, temper tantrum-like behavior, etc. We learn more how the autistic mind functions than we learn the about intended detective story line. Recommended with reservations: you need to know that you're in for some editorial extravagances and if you can get past those, then this is a unique and good book.
Rating: 
Summary: I was surprised
Review: I first saw this book on the Today Show. The author has written several children's books, and this has been promoted as funny. I purchased it on audio cassette because I like to "read" in the car. The first couple of minutes were entertaining and funny. Some of the observations were just my kind of humor, and I was feeling very pleased with myself for ordering this. Then, to my surprised, I heard the F*** word. I thought that I had mis-heard, but a few seconds later, there it was again. I realize that this is acceptable practice in literature, but I personally do not listen to this sort of language by choice. I can't return the cassettes because they have been opened, but would not have ordered if there had been anything in the promo about the language. This guy is probably gifted in humor, but I won't be finding out because I find this sort of thing offensive.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting read; highly recommended
Review: "Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
"The dog did nothing in the night-time."
"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.
* * *
Young Christopher is an autistic child who has a passion for maths and Sherlock Holmes. He finds a body of a dog impaled on a neighbor's lawn and sets about trying to solve the murder in the manner of his fictional detective hero. This is not the only mystery he embarks on; along the way he makes another discovery at home which impacts his own private life. This novel's extraordinary originality lies in the fact that Christopher is telling his own story; the book's premise is that he is writing what happens as it happens, not to mention every single thought he has. The author does a wonderful job of capturing the personality of his characters. It's very good at being very funny at times and sad at others. Overall, a high quality read. Well done.
Rating:
Summary: A curious incident, indeed
Review: Mark Haddon has taken a brave step in writing a book from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy with autism. Drawing from his own personal experiences dealing with autistic children, he unlocks a bit of the mystery of how autistic minds can work, and shares that bit with us through the unique narrative of Christopher. Though the story begins with a mystery to solve, that mystery soon becomes simply a backdrop in a vivid trip through a world of logic, rhythm, and order in which Christopher lives. It is noteworthy that Haddon doesn't have Christopher simply illustrate the quirks and particulars of his life, but has him take pause to help us understand why those particulars are important to Christopher. For example, we soon learn that Christopher doesn't like things that are yellow and brown. He won't eat yellow foods, won't wear brown clothes. If left unexplained, they simply make Christopher different from everyone else, and would help to exclude him further. But Christopher takes the time to list some yellow and brown things he doesn't like, and then proceeds to explain how not liking something is as important as liking something, because both help you eliminate possibilities and make it easier to make a decision. The less chaos & possibilities in Christopher's life, the more comfortable he is. While this book might not win any awards or be on many must-read lists, it is a completely fresh and uplifting book to read in a night or two.
Rating:
Summary: The curious book
Review: I feel that the reviews (NY TIMES) have way over hyped this book that is at best a light read with some good ideas. This is in no way a novel. I found it to be mediocre juvenile fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing But Not Curious Enough
Review: I would recommend this book highly with two caveats- 1) the author abandons the mystery genre halfway through the novel. I think the book would have been better served if he had not taken the easier path 2) I question whether everything in the autistic mindset is so clearly rational and explicable. At times it seems the author's voice overrides that of the main character's.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly absorbing
Review: I love watching human behavior and "why people do what they do". This book allowed me to understand in an easy format, how an autistic person thinks. In many ways, they are way more logical than we are (ie. when a friend says "nice day, isn't it?", are they really looking for an answer? What if YOU"RE not having a nice day? Should you tell them? Are they talking about the weather or their experiences of the day? An autistic person can't compute this grey area and cannot respond to the question. We never really think like this, but it DOES make sense). It was VERY entertaining and fascinating - every time I picked up the book I felt disturbed, since I was entering a whole different way of thinking again. But once I would continue reading, I'd feel very enlightened. It's very absorbing. I'd like to meet the narrator now that I understand him, and I want to see if we could have a conversation (now that I know how he thinks and what his rules are for talking to people). What a challenge that would be.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, Enlightening - and Simply Wonderful
Review: Without going into all of the details of the mystery of autism, let me say that this is a truly wonderful, personal narration of a guy named Christopher, with many clever and witty diversions, and yet still a story of heart-rending compassion. Some small bits are a tad tedious, but that's a small price to pay for Mr. Haddon's personal experience and humorously wise tale of a child in pain, striving (almost valiantly) to become one of us... although maybe that's not the smartest of desires. Give yourself a treat and read this as soon as you can.
Rating: 
Summary: Quick, fascinating read to see Christopher's world
Review: I had heard about this book on the Today show and it first peaked my interest, since I am the father of an autistic 5 year old. During the first few pages, of course, I found many similarities with my son, and enjoyed seeing him through Christopher's perspective. I always think it is healthy to see persons with disabilities from their own view. We all have quirks and "issues" and this book reminded me that we all see ourselves as "normal" from our vantage point. After the first introduction to Christopher and the neighborhood I thought I was going to be disappointed that this was a bland recreation of Christopher's world with tried and true characters surrounding him. But then, the story shifted and like the mysteries that Christopher enjoys so much, the story exploded with reality and intrigue. Imperfections are found in all the characters which is a welcome relief from most "disability" tales, which made the journey through the story most enjoyable. Besides my obvious interest in the subject matter -- don't feel like you have to have an interest in Autism to pick this one up -- it has enough going for it on its own. But if you do know someone who is autistic then this is highly recommended!
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