Is The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-time a good book?

Answer 1

It's a very different book, probably quite unlike anything else you've read. It's from the point-of-view of a fourteen-year-old Christopher, a boy with autism (the excrept on the back of the novel says he has Asperger's but many folk think he's most likely to really a high-function autistic child from the way he behaves) so it's quite quirky to read how he thinks and feels and interprets events around him.

In a way, there is something very sad about the book and how Christopher behaves much like a small child instead of a boy in his teens, and he'll never outgrow that. It's also interesting to see how his condition affects his parents.

You'll probably like it but you should realise it's more of a drama/character study than a mystery novel.

Answer 2

I'm a huge fan of books and try to read whatever it is I can find. But I did not enjoy "The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night Time." I have no idea why, but I think it was overhyped.

Answer 3

Yes. I work in a bookshop and read a lot, but this book absolutely stopped me in my tracks. I have an autistic daughter who is now 23, and as I read the book I just had to put it down at times, its accuracy was almost unbearable. Mark Haddon said he had not researched his subject but i find that difficult to fully believe. Another questioner on Yahoo asked recently which book had made you cry, and I replied Jane Eyre, and The Curious Incident of the Dog...

Answer 4

Listen up! I have 4 children, and two of them are autistic. I have met Mark Haddon and he is not autistic. He says he has not done any research into Aspergers but that is clearly not true. I read the book and had to keep putting it down because I thought 'That is my child' and the lines were too painful. He kept on hitting on a very raw nerve. You should try reading something by Temple Grandin or Francesca Happe. If you have the money, buy 'Loners - the life path of unusual children' by Sula Wolff.

Answer 5

written from the point of view of the autistic boy in the centre of the book, it was an insightful way to understand a little better how autistic people view the world. The plot is secondary to how this boy works through his 'investigation', deals with the difficulties of what he 'knows' to be true while fighting the way his autism influences this truth. It's a fairly short novel, reads well and doesn't take long to finish.
I enjoyed it - and so have all the other people I've lent the book to!

Answer 6

Yes, I would definatly recommend it. It's a good read but it also gives you an insight into the world of Asperger's syndrome (which is connected with Autism) in a way were you don't feel sorry for the boy but you understand the condition alot better.

Answer 7

I did enjoy the point of view technique. Having to see though that boy's eyes, and at the same time being allowed by the author to have more understanding about what is happening is a fascinating reading experience.

Answer 8

It depends on what you are looking for in a book. I read this as the mother of a child with Aspergers Syndrome and it really gave me an insight into how my son's mind might work. It really did open my eyes.
This child is highly intelligent and is well known for being the "Voice of Aspergers".
I would recommend it as an insight into their "quirky" world.

Answer 9

It's definitely worth reading!
The style is a little difficult to follow at first, but once you get used to it it really makes you understand the way the character's mind works.
It is a touching, well written book.

Answer 10

I was recommended it by a colleague and started reading it wondering what I'd let myself in for. I persevered and was rewarded with a most fascinating insight into a little understood world.

Working with children with Aspbergers, I have now come to understand many of the situations that they find difficult.

It made me cry and it made me laugh out loud. I've recommended it to so many people....