The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Book Review

Christopher Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions, and cannot stand to be touched. Gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. "I do not always do what I'm told," he admits. "And this is because when people tell you what to do it is usually confusing and does not make sense. For example, people often say 'Be quiet' but they don't tell you how long to be quiet for..."

At fifteen, Christopher's carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor's dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork and is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents' marriage. As Christopher tries to deal with this crisis within his own family, the narrative draws readers into the mysterious workings of Christopher's mind.

If you've ever wondered how an autistic savant's mind works (I'm sure you probably haven't), here's your chance to find out. It's actually pretty fascinating to read a book written through the eyes of someone who's mind works completely different than your own (to be clear, it's written by an author who has worked with autistic kids, but isn't autistic himself). If you've ever thought you were perceptive, reading this book makes you realize there are so many details of things that are around us which we never notice. Of course, our minds would overload if we paid that close of attention to everything which is why people with autism can't "handle" that much stimulation.

Since the narrator/main character of the book is an autistic 15 year old boy, the language used is very basic and easy to understand. Therefore, it's a quick read and is laid out very logically. However, it's a surprisingly multi-layered story and has many twists and turns which keeps it interesting throughout. If you're looking for something that's completely original, easy to read, full of entertaining adventures and leaves you with a new perspective of the world, I'd recommend picking this one up.


Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Hardcover: 226 pages
Released: 2002