The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Release Date: May 2004 (Trade Paperback)
Pages: 226
My Rating: 3.75/5
Source: From Paperbackswap.com
Synopsis [from randomhouse.com]:
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.
This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.
Review:
This was a highly unusual read for me but something I really enjoyed. Christopher is a strange lad and his mystery/coming-of-age story is one that can definitely be described as unforgettable. After finding a a neighbor's dog killed, he becomes a detective and is determined to find out who killed Wellington. Along the way he finds out more than he bargained for about his family and the world he lives in while becoming a much more mature young man than when he started.
The story is told in an odd fashion, but one that will keep you turning page after page. Christopher is fifteen years old and attends a special school while living at home with his father. A guru at math, he often does math problems in his head to calm himself. Along with his fascination with prime numbers, he sees things in a very black and white scale. He's entirely honest and innocent and he interprets things logically and actually very literally since he's unable to determine if someone is being dishonest or devious.
Taking after one of his favorite books, THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES by Sir Arthur Canan Doyle, he is determined to write a book about Wellington's murder, after he finds the killer of course. Things are never simple for anyone in life, and difficult things may be amplified for Christopher but he always seems to find ways around obstacles using the logic and skills he has gained from teachers and the world around him. Since he has a tough time with the concept of feelings, I found myself empathizing with not only him, but also his family, as he deals with fear and frustration in an entirely different way than most people.
Author Mark Haddon did a remarkable job created a unique character that was so easy to become attached to. Through his quirky writing and style, I can see many readers becoming invovled with Christopher's journey, and even experiencing the many ups and downs in his successes and failures in this story. I recommend everyone give this book a try, I promise it's unlike anything you've ever read before!
1 comments:
This sounds like an unusual and interesting read, probably out of my normal reading sphere but that's ok. Will keep an eye out for this one :-)
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