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Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Book Review
 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
I just finished this book so it's quite fresh in my mind. The cute guy working at Starbucks highly recommended it. The next time I run into him, we have something of substance to talk about.
The events unfold with a murder mystery as told through the eyes of Christopher Boone, an autistic 15-year-old. I shouldn't give too much away aside from that.
The book is fresh, inventive and gives the reader an oddly curious experience. Written effectively in simple language by author Haddon, we vividly see through the eyes of its' special socially awkward protangonist and the literal mechanics of his thoughts.
The book is an easy read, maybe a tad too easy. I suppose for the book to be effective and true to form of an autistic child, the author had to include obsessive thoughts that drag the book's momentum (eg. 4 yellow cars VS red cars).
Despite the ease in flipping through pages, there are also passages that I found disturbing (eg. Protagonist's reflex to reach for his Swiss Army Knife to stab a stranger). But that in essence adds to the overall frustration of the people in the life of the main character. I can identify with the same frustration as I have dealt with mentally handicapped children through my past extensive volunteer work. I'm quite familiar with the difficulty, the emotions, and the patience it involves.
Hence, this book turned out to be a personal read for me. In the end, I was moved by the Protagonist's tenacity as well as his limited way of understanding love and showing affection.
Rating: ***1/2 out of four stars
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