Over a year ago my mother gave me a stack of books she had finished and wanted me to read. One of those books "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" had been collecting dust on my book shelf for quite some time when I decided to bring it on my trip to Miami for Thanksgiving. I picked it because it was paperback and short (220 pages). I've made the mistake of carrying large, hard cover books on the plane and your back lets you know how little it appreciates that decision.
I read the book in less than three hours. I couldn't put it down. Author Mark Haddon writes from the point of view of a fifteen year old boy, Christopher, who has autism as he tries to solve the mystery of who murdered his neighbor's dog. Although I have not personally worked with a child with autism, several of my friends and family have and from what they have described, Mark Haddon captures those particular behaviors, thought processes and fascinations perfectly.
Mark Haddon's biography at the front of the book includes a sentence that reads, "As a young man, Haddon worked with autistic individuals," which explains his ability to capture this type of mind and behaviors so realistically. The book reads like an autobiography.
In addition to amazing way Haddon writes as if inside Christopher's mind, he also writes two incredibly poignant story lines for each of Christopher's parents. While you are getting the story via a fifteen year old brain, Christopher is processing very adult issues.
Its impossible for me to articulate the magnitude of Mark Haddon's talent which manifests itself in this book. Are you ready to get a copy yet? Go!
