"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" Book Review

 

by John Zenoni

I know I am way, way behind on this one but The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by British writer Mark Haddon, is a great - and unique - 2003 mystery novel. I say unique because of the writing style and that the story is told from a first-person perspective by a young man who appears - although it's not explicitly stated - to have autism. Christopher is a 15-year-old mathematical genius and has decided to set off on a mission to discover who killed the neighbor's dog. On his journey, we gain insight into his likes, dislikes, how he likes things in a particular order, what makes it a good day vs a bad day, etc. He's definitely giving full insight into himself, as well as characteristics of his mother and father and others around him. You feel for him due to his challenges and what he experiences, but you can't help but cheer him on and see him succeed. It's a great read!