BOOK: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime

AUTHOR: Mark Haddon

SUMMARY: This is truly an unusual book. It is fascinating, thought provoking and captivating. Book clubs in this area are enjoying this story in large numbers because it is a source of wonderful discussions. This mystery is told through the eyes of a 14year old young man in Britain with a form of autism. We are seeing the events in this novel through Christopher’s eyes. Christopher processes things and events in a manner most of his reader’s don’t. He explains how his memory works in this way: “And when people ask me to remember something I can simply press Rewind and Fast Forward and Pause like on a video recorder.” He numbers each chapter sequentially, but in prime numbers. In fact, math and formulas play a large role in Christopher’s coping mechanisms. At the urging of his teacher Siobhan, he writes this book. He shrinks from human contact, and although he is observant, his book lacks feeling, human details and mood. Maps and diagrams give us a clue as to the narrator’s thought process. Using terms common in the UK such as “plaster, dustbin and jumper” for our “ band aid, garbage can and sweater” enhances the flavor of the book.

PLOT: : Christopher discovers his neighbor’s dog dead with a garden fork sticking out. In telling Mrs. Shears, his neighbor, he ends up being suspected of the crime. He is insulted but also saddened by the dog’s death, so he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of this “murder”. Christopher’s parent’s play a central role in the story, as together they must deal with a deteriorating marriage. We follow Christopher on journeys, real and in his mind. Using deductive reasoning like his hero, Sherlock Holmes, Christopher finally travels to London. The trip is frightening and revolutionary for a boy who lives in a sheltered world, but it also proves to be a triumph and a coming of age.