Book Review: The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time

Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time begins as a mystery. Our protagonist, Christopher, discovers his next door neighbor's dog dead on her lawn, and decides that it is up to him to determine what happened. Christopher is not the typical detective, however. He is a fifteen year-old boy who happens to have Asperger's Syndrome.

Telling the story from the perspective of an autistic teenager is a risky proposition. It could easily have been a simple gimmick which exploited those who think differently than most of us and used it to generate humor or tension. Haddon could have had him solve the original mystery, then start up his own detective agency, allowing for a lucrative series of books narrated by Christopher. Fortunately, the author instead chooses to use this as a chance to give us insight into the mind and life of someone who would often be overlooked.

Despite his problems, Christopher sets off to determine just who has killed Wellington (the dog), and eventually on to an even greater adventure. It is a story of overcoming one's fears. It is a story of overcoming other's prejudices. It is a story of amazing accomplishment. I would highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it already and who is interested in broadening their view of the world just slightly.


Until later...