Product Description

A truly remarkable novel about an autistic boy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5280 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The title The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (or the curious incident of the dog in the night-time as it appears within the book) is an appropriate one for Mark Haddon's ingenious novel both because of its reference to that most obsessive and fact-obsessed of detectives, Sherlock Holmes, and because its lower-case letters indicate something important about its narrator.

Christopher is an intelligent youth who lives in the functional hinterland of autism--every day is an investigation for him because of all the aspects of human life that he does not quite get. When the dog next door is killed with a garden fork, Christopher becomes quietly persistent in his desire to find out what has happened and tugs away at the world around him until a lot of secrets unravel messily.

Haddon makes an intelligent stab at how it feels to, for example, not know how to read the faces of the people around you, to be perpetually spooked by certain colours and certain levels of noise, to hate being touched to the point of violent reaction. Life is difficult for the difficult and prickly Christopher in ways that he only partly understands; this avoids most of the obvious pitfalls of novels about disability because it demands that we respect--perhaps admire--him rather than pity him. --Roz Kaveney

Ian McEwan
`Mark Haddon's portrayal of an emotionally dissociated mind is a superb achievement. He is a wise and bleakly funny writer with rare gifts of empathy.'

Arthur Golden
"I have never read anything quite like Mark Haddon's funny and agonizingly
honest book, or encountered a narrator more vivid and memorable."

Customer Reviews

Interesting for its insight but not really a gripping story.
I enjoyed this book, not really for the story, but more for the insight it provided into the thought processes behind the behaviour of people with Asperger's Syndrome. Having studied the condition briefly in psychology, it really brought to life all the repercussions Asperger's Syndrome has on both the person and those around them. The most saddening aspect of this book was to watch the thwarted attempts Christopher's father makes to connect with his son after his lies have been revealed. I also learnt a few intriguing mathematical conundrums along the way which definitely added interest for me! Because the book was written from Christopher's point of view it is not really a literary accomplishment by traditional standards, but the way in which Mark Haddon convincingly writes from Christopher's perspective is definitely empathetic and thoughtful. I would recommend this to those seeking an insight into the condition but perhaps not if you are after a gripping story with literary prowess.

Very interesting
While this is not the most amazing book I have ever read it is certainly worth reading. It is different from anything I have ever encountered before and probably ever will again. It's a very easy book to read but still with lots going on with some lovely plot twists, funny moments and saddness all mixed in together.

Aspergers Syndrome doesnt exist
Ass burgers Syndrome is made up to sell folks drugs
Asparagus Syndrome is made up so Pharmaceutical giants can make billions of dollars.