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

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Copyright Date: 2003

Every summer when I visit my in-laws in England I spend some time going through my mother-in-law’s shelf of books she has read. And just about every year I borrow (or am given) a book or two from the shelf. I really enjoy seeing which titles are popular in England and reading those while there. This year I read three novels while I was on the annual trip. And on the shelf this time I had the privilege of taking The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I had only vaguely heard of the novel in America so I asked some questions. I found out through my inquiry that this British novel had become a theater show in London. It had topped the charts in the past year or so in England. This intrigued me and caused me to decide to give it a chance.

The main character, Christopher Boone is a fifteen year-old boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome. He lives in Swindon, England with his father. A few years back his mother passed away from a heart attack. Christopher enjoys his world of math and patterns and has a hard time dealing with things that are yellow, brown, and dishonest. He has a great affection for animals, which is what causes him to write this novel. The book is written from the perspective of Christopher and it is a recounting of his attempt to solve the murder of a dog he found stabbed with a pitch fork on his street.

Through Christopher’s investigation he unravels not only the truth about the dog, but also some disturbing truths about his family. He is widely misunderstood by society, but he bravely steps out of his seclusion to solve some of the biggest mysteries of his young life.

This book was original as it was written from the perspective of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome. It gave a peek into the mind of a unique individual that like others who have been diagnosed similarly is distanced by those around him. He puts the limits to his mind and emotions to the test as he embarks on the detective story that changed his life.

I really liked the plot of this story as it showed how decisions in life can affect those around us. At times the story lost focus and would include a couple of chapters in a row about solving intricate math problems that were basically a foreign language to me, but it was a reflection of the way in which a mind affected by Asperger’s Syndrome may function. It was interesting to see life through the eyes of someone whose mind worked in such a different way. It helped me to appreciate the brilliance that others can sometimes see as a lack of intelligence. All in all it was a great read.