This book's main strength is helping to show how people with Asperger's Syndrome interpret and try to interpret language, gestures and facial and vocal expressions. This in turn should help people like myself (I'm a teacher and had a student who I supsected had Asperger's) in communicating more effectively with people with the condition.

Another important issue highlighted by 'The Curious Incident' is the emotional price paid by the parents of children with Asperger's Syndrome: how they can love the child and yet get frustrated with him, how feelings of guilt can creep in and how their relationships with other people can get affected. The need for support for such families becomes evident.

The third issue worth mentioning is how we are quick to judge people. The protagonist of the book, 15 year-old Chritopher Boone, receives both abuse and ridicule from strangers as he looks 'normal' but acts 'odd'.

The best part is that 'The Curious Incident' never gets preachy. While focusing on all these issues, it is at the same time a very good read -- humorous, poignant and even a bit suspenseful! ( )

I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it. On re-read I find the main character less sympathetic - probably harsh of me but it's hard to identify much with someone whose ideal world is one in which I'm not in it.However all the maths stuff is fun and looking at the world through very different eyes is always good. ( )

At first I enjoyed the unconventional presentation and the style of the narrative, as the character of Christopher was revealed, along with the plot, but about three quarters of the way through it began to be a chore to read it rather than a pleasure. However, I felt I learned quite a lot about Asperger's Syndrome, although I have since seen a fair amount of criticism from people claiming to have Asperger's who say it's not a good representation. That said, I still think it's worth reading. ( )

Great book. Very, very different. ( )

I've been itching to read this book for months. But when I finally received it for my birthday and read it, I was disappointed. An autistic narrator did not seem to always make an engaging narrator. In addition, the adult topics the childlike narrator was confronting were jarring to the innocent tone of the book. In some ways, my reaction to this book is similar to my feelings about most graphic novels; the adult situations and conflicts feel inappropriate in what should be a protected environment. ( )