This week's Guest Reviewer is Kath.
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From Amazon.com...
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's, a form of autism. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down."
This novel commences with a 'take no prisoners' opening — Wellington, the neighborhood dog, has been killed by a garden fork. The narrator and protagonist, Christopher Boone, an autistic 15 year old, makes this gruesome discovery on one of his late night walks and decides to solve the mystery of who has killed Wellington in the vein of his favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes. Along the way, he uncovers some disturbing truths that rock the foundations of his carefully ordered world.
Written as a first person narrative, the reader gets an insight into the workings of somebody with autism. Mark Haddon had worked with autistic individuals when he was younger, according to my edition's author notes. Seeing the world through Christopher's eyes you vividly feel the overload of information and the stress that everyday life that we all take for granted causes him. I could relate somewhat to his feelings of being overloaded as there were times when I first moved here to Taiwan where it all just felt too much — stimulation overload — and I would have greatly liked to have just sat and rocked in a corner.
In addition to being an insight into the world of those who suffer from autism, this is a raw and honest look at the effects that caring for a child with special needs can have on parents, completely without passing judgment or taking some sort of moral high ground. It made me think — what if that were my child? How could I handle it? Indeed, would I be able to handle it? Christopher's parents are unflinching and, in my opinion, it is this honesty that makes this book so valuable.
Overall, this book is an absolutely cracking read. While you'll probably find that you'll get through it very quickly, it isn't a book that you will forget any time soon. Now I can see why people have been telling me to read this book for so long — so if you haven't already read it, now I'm telling you. This one is a must-read.
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Big thanks to Kath for this wonderful read. Stop by, share some book love, and read the original review.