The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
CDN$ 12.95
An engaging and entertaining read! - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is one of those books you ll find yourself to be extremely fond of, but unable to pin down exactly why. I chanced upon this book at a bookstore and read it three times in two days - I simply couldn t put it down! The narrator and protagonist of the story, Christopher, speaks with such candid honesty that it isn t hard for you to empathize with him even if you re much older and probably very different from him. Haddon skilfully captures the voice of this 15-year-old autistic boy, such that the character is completely genuine and doesn t sound contrived at all in any way. The authenticity of it all made me anxious about whatever predicament that Christopher finds himself in. As a reader, I would say that this book really succeeds in getting me emotionally involved in the story.Another thing I like about this book is all the interesting trivia that is included as part of the storytelling. All in all, this book is a truly pleasurable read.
What an enjoyable book! - I bought this book last night and finished it this morning. A funny, sad and sensitive look at someone with autism as well as those around him. While this book does deal with some serious issues, it is humorous as well, and ultimately it is a hopeful story.I have worked with people who have autism in the past, and although I knew what kind of behaviour to expect, I was never really able to understand where the behaviour came from. This novel gave me so much insight into how someone with autism might feel. It also gave me a great deal of respect for parents with an autistic child.Some reviewers have complained about the swearing in this book. Personally this didn t bother me. It seemed almost colloquial in nature, as opposed to being harsh and hurtful (unlike the swearing in an Irvine Welsh novel, for example).Anyway, great book!
Curiously good - I love any book that has an unusual premise or form. You know the ones I m talking about. Think Life of Pi, with its surprise ending or McCrae s Katzenjammer with it even MORE surprise ending and insightful construction. So it was only natural that I d be drawn to Curious Incident. Told through the eyes of an autistic teenager this is more than just an intersting look at the other side. My only complaint with the book was that the kid (narrator) got on my nerves a bit. But then, I suppose that s the point--he also got on his parents nerves a lot, too. This will not be everyone s type of read, but if you re looking for something that s really different, this is it.
A refreshing change - I can t say how much I enjoyed this book. The fact that it is written from the perspective of a 15-year-old autistic boy, who is himself writing the book as we read, is quite refreshing. The story is engaging and satisfying, with no loose ends left dangling in the end. There is a smattering of mathematics throughout, which simply adds to the quirkiness of the book. If you re craving stories which make you laugh and at times want to cry, this is an excellent place to start. I am limited to five stars for a rating, but suppose I could borrow from the book s quirks and give a rating of (5+10i) stars, where i is the imaginary unit, giving my rating a total magnitude af approximately 11.2 stars :)
Review on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an engaging novel that can so easily bring the reader into the settings of the book. The character, Christopher, is such a lovable character, who instantly gets our sympathy because Mark Haddon had already defined Chris Asperger syndrome in the book summary. Christopher never mentions his illness, however, we could tell by observing his way of expresses himself and his interaction with other people. He is definitely weak in understanding and showing human language, however, in contrast to that, he is particularly strong in math, puzzles and observation of others. He comprehends everything around him with his computer-processing brain. He teaches us a new way of studying the surrounding environment. At the end of the novel, Christopher tells us that he is extremely proud of himself because he made an accomplishment. His pure characteristics allow us to reflect on our interpretation of happiness. Christopher may not be as intelligent as we are, however, his innocence and simplicity made accomplishment that not many people could achieve.