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Loading... The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeby Mark Haddon
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. 2007 This book is truly a work of art. Narrated by an autistic teenager, this book gives insight of the autistic mind that is unmatched. The one thing that was kind of annoying was the repetetiveness. I understand that autistic people do think a certain way, but the point that they think randomly and differently was bit hackneyed. Overall, however, this book is a must read for anybody who knows or is related to an autistic person. The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time is all about a boy with autism and the way he looks at the world. This book was extremely intresting as it offered a vivid picture of how autistic kids view the world so logically and how socially inept they are. For example, I often found myself amazed at how easily the main character, Chris, was able to do complex math problems that I didn't have a clue as to how to even begin. At the same time, I almost laughed at how shy and awkward he was, fearing for his life everytime he saw a stranger and refusing to say anything more than absolutely neccesary. The problem is, most people only see the social side of those with autism, obviously leading them to believe that there is no hope for this person and that they are no more worthy of being called a person then thier own pet. However, by getting this rare glipse into how an autistic kid's mind really works and the complex logic they're able to do, many people would gain a lot of respect for them as people, and begin to care about them more. It is because this point was made so obvious in the book that it is truly a great book about human feeling and really taught me alot about autism. Good insight in the mindset of an Aspergers boy (as expressed by someone who isn't, I suppose.) I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. It is true that I really only read it for a school summer reading assignment for my Psychology class, but just after starting it immediately became one of my favorite books. I am a bit of a math fanatic. I just find it interesting and enjoyable. I actually had quite a lot of fun reading through some of the specific math problems the Haddon puts in the book. That could be the reason behind my great interest in this piece. Another aspect that definitely drew me to it was the authors main goal: the portrayal of a life in the eyes of a teenage math wizard with autism. This idea is just so interesting. It reminded me profoundly of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, but the idea of a teenager in this situation clearly made this book more relatable. Now, the whole storyline of this book is very bizarre (just read the title...), but the underlying statements about real life hardships and problems make it extremely entertaining at, at times, even moving. I typically don't get too ridiculously drawn in by books, but this one was a clear exception. I did read it in two days after all...
Mark Haddon specialises in innovative storylines in his work as an author, screenwriter and illustrator allied to his remarkable ability to demonstrate what it is to be autistic without sentimentality or exaggeration allied to a creative use of puzzles, facts and photographs in the text mark him out as a real talent drawing on a range of abilities. As Christopher investigates Wellington's death, he makes some remarkably brave decisions and when he eventually faces his fears and moves beyond his immediate neighborhood, the magnitude of his challenge and the joy in his achievement are overwhelming. Haddon creates a fascinating main character and allows the reader to share in his world, experiencing his ups and downs and his trials and successes. In providing a vivid world in which the reader participates vicariously, Haddon fulfills the most important requirements of fiction, entertaining at the same time that he broadens the reader's perspective and allows him to gain knowledge. This fascinating book should attract legions of enthusiastic readers. It's something of a miracle that Haddon (a children's book author-illustrator) never slips into condescension, given that the novel is premised on the reader's cognitive advantage—it derives much of its meaning from the gap between what Christopher perceives and what we understand based on the details he dispassionately communicates. The imaginative leap of writing a novel -- the genre that began as an exercise in sentiment -- without overt emotion is a daring one, and Haddon pulls it off beautifully. Christopher's story is full of paradoxes: naive yet knowing, detached but poignant, often wryly funny despite his absolute humorlessness. Haddon's book illuminates the way one mind works so precisely, so humanely, that it reads like both an acutely observed case study and an artful exploration of a different ''mystery'': the thoughts and feelings we share even with those very different from us.
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Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Haddon's novel is a startling performance. This is the sort of book that could turn condescending, or exploitative, or overly sentimental, or grossly tasteless very easily, but Haddon navigates those dangers with a sureness of touch that is extremely rare among first-time novelists. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is original, clever, and genuinely moving: this one is a must-read. --Jack Illingworth, Amazon.ca
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)
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