On a flight from Washington, DC to Chicago1 I decided I needed a new/different book to read. I had been reading a lot of non-fiction lately2 so I was on the lookout for some interesting fiction. Browsing the airport bookstore I eventually decided on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.3 The book is pretty short at 240 pages and doesn’t read longer.
Its a funny little book, and is a variation of a murder mystery. Christopher John Francis Boone is the fifteen year old narrator. He is mathematically gifted and and happens to be autistic. Unable to understand his peers or adults, he struggles to cope with with world.
Some other random facts about Christopher: He has a pet mouse. He relaxes/calms himself down by doing math problems.4 He’ll eat red food but won’t eat anything yellow or brown.5 He starts screaming when he’s touched.
I was very happy with this book and was glad that my system, of shopping for books by their cover in airports, still works. For a first novel, Haddon has done a very good job of creating a compelling story. He’s no stranger to writing, but even so, I’m excited for his future works. I liked that the book was unlike any other I have read. It was basically a murder mystery, but from the point of view of an autistic child.6 If you’re looking for some fiction that is different than your usual run of the mill novel, you should check this book out.7
- Actually I read the book on the Atlanta to Chicago leg of the flight. ↩
- I’m still working on the Posner book. ↩
- I purchased the book at the airport because I liked the cover. ↩
- Everyone does that right? ↩
- Can’t argue with that logic. ↩
- Oh and the murder victim is a dog. Not weird right? ↩
- Sorry about all of the footnotes. I just added the feature and needed to test it out. ↩