Rating: 
Summary: A Math Teacher's Dream & an Awesome Book
Review: The fictional author of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" was an autistic 15-year-old boy (named Christopher Boone) intent on solving the murder of a neighborhood dog. Since the boy approached life purely with logic and order, he was unable to face any situation with emotions or feelings. This unique viewpoint made for an absolutely original novel (rich with enchanting, honest, and intellectual prose) unlike any other I have ever encountered. Ironically, the complex plot that unraveled during Christopher's detecting might have been more invigorating than some of the best thrillers/mysteries I've read. Until I stumbled upon this book, I had my own manufactured comprehension of autism. My son Joshua attended Nursery School with an autistic child last year, and I observed some of that boy's behavioral traits. Although I also studied autism in my college psychology classes, and I did work briefly with an autistic child at a gifted camp, I really had few opportunities to interact with individuals afflicted with this unusual and often debilitating ailment. Mark Haddon's real-life experience with autistic children allowed him to craft this masterpiece by providing the perspective of a young autistic teenager, not by another author's observations of the exterior physical behaviors, but through the interior workings that composed the thought patterns of the boy's afflicted mind. In many ways, autism provided the perfect mind for detective work because emotions were never a factor during the investigation. However, in other ways, autism created roadblocks that could never be understood by people unaccustomed to this mind-blowing anomaly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * How does the autistic mind work (paraphrased/enhanced/interpreted from Haddon's book)? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Non-Autistic Joe: It is Monday morning and Joe awakens to find it raining and cold outside. As Joe prepares breakfast, he feels a sense of angst because the weather has already predetermined his day's destiny. Backing out of the driveway, Joe initiates the windshield-wipers, turns on the car defrost and breathes out a moan of contention because he knows he is going to have a bad day. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Autistic Christopher: On the bus ride to school, Christopher starts counting consecutive automobiles. If he sees 4 yellow cars in a row, he knows he is going to have a black day. However, if he encounters 4 red cars in a row, he knows he will experience a good day yet if he sees 3 red cards in a row, he will have quite a good day. Five red cars in a row will provide Christopher with a super good day. Also, Christopher will never eat food that is yellow or brown. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Explanation: The non-autistic mind uses emotions and feelings to predict (along with order and logic). The autistic mind can only use order and logic to make decisions. Non-autistic people regard Christopher's way of predicting good and bad days as illogical even if it does follow some strange order. On the other hand, how does basing good and bad days on the weather end up being more logical than the decision to base good and bad days on the color of consecutive cars? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Non-Autistic Joe: Joe's bedroom reflects his personality yet he constantly changes furniture and wall hangings to reflect his current interests. When Joe goes on vacation, he finds it refreshing to encounter new situations, new places and new people. On a recent vacation to South Carolina, Joe sat out on the porch of a civil-war era Bed and Breakfast and reflected on the God given wonders of the world. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Autistic Christopher: Christopher's bedroom has never changed since he was an infant. If his Mom cleans the room and moves a poster one millimeter, Christopher is forced to crouch down on the floor and moan for the loss of order to his world. Christopher hates Paris because it contains too much stimuli in the form of new buildings, new people, posters, signs, etc. This overwhelming influx of stimuli drives him almost mad with pain and angst. Christopher?'s only recourse is to crouch into a fetal position and to moan or scream. Nothing about this new place can be credited to God because the autistic mind won't comprehend things that can't be seen. All entities must be tangible. The idea of God is problematical for the autistic mind.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Autistic Phenomenon (Christopher likes maths): * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Perhaps my favorite component of Mark Haddon's book dealt with the numerous references to mathematical algorithms, formulas, logic and computations. I just might have to put this book on a required reading list for my high school math students. Autistic minds do tend to have certain strengths and anomalies despite perceived deficits. Many autistic individuals possess math brilliance, musical prowess or scientific expertise. Christopher was gifted in "maths" and the book played homage to this unique talent. As a math geek, I was thrilled by the book's inclusion of the Pythagorean Theorem, The Monty Hall Problem, Statistical Analysis, Mapping Algorithms, Game Theory, Relativity, Tessellations, Proofs and Mental Math Algorithms. I have never encountered so many math applications in a pleasure book before in my life. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Summary: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Most of you know that I write reviews for the sheer cathartic release it provides me. However, I must go out on a limb (by the way, you can't use metaphors with autistic individuals), and implore you to find this book and read it with gusto over the summer. You will find it rewarding, entertaining and educational. If any of you know anybody dealing with autistic relatives or friends, please tell them of this book. It offers enough insight to make it a must read for anybody dealing directly with autism. Additionally, Christopher's detective work uncovered more than the culprit of a dog homicide; it unleashed raw emotion mainly because the young author was unable to express any of his own. I was moved to tears of laughter and heartbreak while I remained glued to every single word on every single page of this 226-page masterpiece. This is my favorite book of all time. Bravo Mark Haddon! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * My Overwhelming Grade: A+++
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing Visit Inside the Autistic Mind and Look at Math
Review: This novel is one of the most unusual that I have ever read. I initially gauged its success by how well emotionally engaged I was by the story. For the first half, I was gripped . . . but the book tailed off from there. If I only looked at the book from that perspective, I would grade it a 3. But the book also contains interesting references to science and math that reminded me of John Paulos's books on how a mathematician looks at the world. Those parts I rated at a 5. So the two perspectives came out to a 4. But if you don't particularly like math or science, this will be an average novel for you before you are done. The premise is simple. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is autistic with many emotional complications (including not being able to read others' emotions) . . . and also has a brilliant mind for logic. Because of his fascinating experiences, his teacher, Siobhan encourages him to write a book . . . which is this one. It's easy to think of Christopher as much younger than he is . . . with problems concerning strangers, others touching him, and wetting himself. But then the brilliant mind comes out, and you feel like you are in contact with a professor. The combination is fascinating in the first half of the book as Christopher tries to find out who stuck a pitchfork through the neighbor's dog. As a twist on The Hound of the Baskervilles, that part of the book is irresistible. Once that mystery is solved, the book seems to veer off into less realistic and less emotionally compelling material. Christopher's character was no longer completely believable to me. The writing seemed more like an exercise by an author than Christopher's own as the "author" of this book. I treasured though those parts of the book that help me understand how an autistic person might view the world. It reminded me of those jumbled letters and reversed numbers on cards that teachers show to simulate what dyslexia is like for those who are not dyslexic. Such journeys in another's footsteps are rewarding and I encourage you to seek them out. Based on this first novel, I can only hope that we will read more about Christopher in the future. I suggest, though, that the knife be left behind.
Rating:
Summary: Original and inspired - deservedly a Whitbread winner
Review: For sceptics who think this is a child's book, read it and then think again. "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time" is everything the media hype says it is....and more. It is an inspirational and original book about an incident - the murder of a neighbour's dog - that has taken hold of an autistic child's mind and in the process unsettled some dark family secrets which have remained deeply buried within the hearts of the adult community. The story is narrated by and told through the eyes of the child, so his perception and understanding of events as they unfold become our own. Mark Haddon's simulation of the autistic child's reality and sensibility is so touching, truthful and poignant I was completely blown away by its emotional resonance. The heartbreak one feels stems from the fact that the autistic child is incapable of interpreting simple messages in conversation. He responds to reality as he sees them, in the only way he knows how, and so misreads cues that should be straightforward to the non-autistic person. Don't let the dog incident distract you. It may be the triggering event that sends everything unrevelling but hardly the story's centre which is firmly rooted in the more complex world of adults. I wonder if Christopher would have been better off wired like the rest of us. I doubt so. There is also surprising depth to Haddon's characterisation. Christopher's father is a saint, his mother much less sympathetic and more difficult to judge, like the Meryl Streep character in Kramer vs Kramer. It's interesting that the book is marketed as both an adult's as well as a children's book. The adult and child reader will have different reactions to the book. Haddon has made an important contribution to contemporary literature. All we can do is read and be enriched by it.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing fictional leap
Review: Mark Haddon has written a moving novel about love and bravery through the eyes of a British autistic boy. Christopher discovers his neighbor's poodle dead, impaled by a pitchfork, and, because he adores puzzles, he sets out to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington . But Christopher is autistic, a boy who doesn't like to be touched and cannot decipher emotions beyond the tools his teacher has taught him, and so the task requires the huge effort of testing rules and facing his own fears. A literalist by neurology, he deconstructs life into a set of mathematical equations and physical laws. This unique perspective makes him a good detective on one level, where clues and logic rule, but it also fails him on another, higher one because he cannot understand the magnitude of what he uncovers. That Haddon was able to write a book from Christopher's point of view with all his quirks and still make him lovable is extraordinary. By necessity, the writing is simple and unadorned, but the language of details elevates it from the mundane. The insertion of mathematical puzzles and drawings add to the reader's understanding of how Christopher's mind works. Haddon's real skill is an understatement that allows the reader to comprehend what is going on even if Christopher cannot. Although Christopher cannot grasp subtlety and nuances, the reader can, and that's where the true force of this exceptional novel lies. This short, easy to read book can be completed in a couple of sittings, although its impact will last much longer. Highly recommended for a general readership.
Rating:
Summary: This Is A Murder Mystery Novel of the Best Kind
Review: We all know or have heard of the trials and tribulations of people who are autistic. Mark Haddon has written an extraordinary book in the voice, thoughts and sense of such a person, Christopher John Francis Boone. Mark Haddon worked with autistic children in another part of his life, and knows first hand, as he has exhibited how they live and communicate. Christopher lives with his father. His mother, he was told died two years previously of heart disease. Christopher's father has immense patience and love for him. Christopher has trouble at times sleeping at night, and he walks in his neighborhood. One night he came across his neighbor's dog who had been killed by a pitchfork. Christopher loves dogs and brings the dog to his mistress. She immediatley thinks he killed the dog, and the police are called. The police touch Christopher, and he cannot, absolutely cannot, stand to be touched, so he hits the police officer. He is arrested and eventually released. His father drives him home and they discuss this event. Christopher tells his father that it is his mission to begin an investigtion into the murder of Wellington, the dead dog. Father, of course, tells Christopher to leave it alone. This begins the mission of Christopher to unwind the drama of the murder. He visits the neighbors to question them. This is a very unsual event; Christopher does not talk to strangers, but this is a special mission, and he completes the task. He talks to one of his teachers at school, Siobhan, about his detective work, and she suggests he write a story about this venture. Christopher moves on and the story takes a strange twist to the city of London. Christopher reveals the humour and sadness that envelopes this story. He is a true hero, and shares his differences with us openly and with matter of fact manner. This is such an unusual story, you will certainly be moved to share this story with friends and family. This is a chance for all of us to understand the life of someone who is different, someone to be admired and cherished. Christopher John Francis Boone is my friend. I have never met him. He is a fictional person, but I love his innocence and vitality. Everything is truth to him, and he speaks that truth to me. prisrob
Rating:
Summary: Unique perspective
Review: Ever had a friend or relative that could come up with the formula for cold fusion but couldn't tie their shoes? Then you'll want to read THE CURIOUS INCIDENT by Mark Haddon. It's a book that shows us the world through the eyes of an autistic fifteen-year-old. When a neighbor's poodle is found impaled on a pitch fork (hence the upsidedown dog on the cover, sans pitch fork), young Christopher (the main character in this book) must know why. But the route he chooses to take is rather odd--a sort of Rube Goldberg method to finding out what happened. On one hand, Christopher's choice of tools and insights make perfect sense, but looked at more closely, they're almost insane. Herein lies the problem with the autistic mind. And who is to say who's really "off" here when it comes to rationalization? What part of us, as a society that is rational, has learned this (correctly or incorrectly) and what part is instinct? Haddon does a wonderful job of taking inside the head of this gifted yet limited young man, and showing us what makes him tick. Also recommended: Jackson McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and the book, FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON
Rating: 
Summary: PARENTS BEWARE! FOUL LANGUAGE SPOlLS THIS BOOK
Review: It is sign of how low standards have sunk when this book has received so much praise. I am so frustrated that the author felt that it was necessary to liberally use so much obscene language in this book (no doubt in the cause of realism - but we all don't live our lives surrounded by people swearing). It's a disgrace that this book wins a children's fiction award. My daughter and I couldn't get through it. This book should have come with a warning for parents.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting glimpse at a small slice of humanity
Review: Some folks I've spoken to about this book say it's a good book for teens. In general terms I'd tend to agree except for one thing: this book gives readers a detailed glimpse at a small (but apparently growing) segment of humanity that is not often discussed or widely understood. For that alone it's well worth anyone's time, moreso because it's a quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book
Review: I find this book similar in style to "Flowers for Algernon". The narrator in that story had a different viewpoint than most people due to his changing intelligence. The author here presents his story from the viewpoint of an autistic child. Being extremely literal, he cannot completely understand the world. But as one reviewer put it, the author lets you understand what is going on even though the narrator cannot. I loved reading this. And it was fairly short too. It is nice to see an author get his story across without a lot of bloated subplots and wordplay. Too often a writer refuses to cut the story down the essential and thus diffuses the impact. Not here. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: sustained my interest, but did not transcend
Review: without getting academic about it... this was a perfectly decent read, but after all the hype I was expecting much much more. I did not find myself very attached to the characters beyond the natural sympathy towards a tough situation. the story/plot I found thin and not at all transcending. language, authentic enough, but not so original a voice. maybe more suited as an after school special, or a novel for teens (that is not meant facetiously).
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