The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Product Details
Web ID: 15624534Themes and quotes
Here are five themes of the novel with notable quotes: Autism: The protagonist, Christopher Boone, is an autistic person who has difficulty understanding social cues and emotions. Truth and Honesty: Christopher has an obsession with the truth and honesty, which leads him to investigate the death of a neighbor's dog. Family Relationships: The book explores the complicated relationship between Christopher and his parents, particularly his father. Coming of Age: The book follows Christopher's journey as he begins to understand more about the world and himself. Isolation: Christopher experiences feelings of isolation and loneliness due to his autism, but also finds solace in his love of mathematics and logic. Some notable quotes from the book include: "I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical, but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them." "People believe lots of things that aren't true. They believe that the earth is flat, and that the sun goes round the earth, and lots of other things that aren't true." "I like to know things. I'm a detective. And detectives have to have good memories." "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." "Sometimes, when I'm lying in bed, I think of a story and make it up, and it's a happy story, and that makes me feel happy."
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Review of The Curious Incident
Overall, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is a good read. There was always something interesting going on, whether it was related to the plot or not. One thing that might cause mixed feelings is the randomness of some of the chapters. Between almost every chapter, there was a random story or explanation from Christopher that related to his life. These stories helped build character, but sometimes did nothing whatsoever. For example, there was an entire section about a game show question where a genius was asked a riddle (a bit too complicated to put on here). It was a bit interesting at first, but it served no purpose, and just took up pages. Other than that, the plot was really good. Anyone that is not sensitive to swear words or religion should read this book.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Very Unique
This is a book like no other. The writing style is different and you go through 2 mysteries: the dog and the effects of his parents actions/reactions. Through the mysteries tou also get a couple of fun facts about various subjects. good book overall.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
One of a king book you don't read often!
The book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time presents the daily struggles of an autistic boy who excels in math and physics. The story starts with fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone discovering the corpse of his neighbor’s dog, impaled by a garden fork. Being Autistic, Christopher forms stronger connections with animals--especially dogs--than any other humans he had attempted to befriend. Saddened by his discovery he decides to investigate who had murdered the innocent animal, like how his idol Sherlock Holmes would. This isn’t your usual mystery novel since as the story progresses it becomes evident that Christopher’s autism leads him to take many atypical approaches towards social interactions. His black and white, monochromatic approach to viewing life logically often renders him unable to comprehend many basic skills others do on a daily basis such as interpreting jokes, utilizing imagination, and sympathy. Nevertheless, Christopher goes onto reveal the mystery of who murdered Wellington (the dog) and other secrets with his rat Toby. The story is narrated in first person by Christopher, providing insight into the thought process of someone with autism. The story is meant to be an eye-opening experience of how difficult life is for a boy with Autism just because he thinks differently. Despite Christopher’s autism making it difficult for Christopher to communicate with others, it becomes clear that there are greater problems in Christoper’s life than those Autism leads him to have. The fact that Christopher lives with just his dad, as his mom had recently passed from a heart attack, presents the parental struggles of economically providing for others, raising a child (let alone one with Autism), and the importance of honesty. Throughout the story, many real life themes are presented that everyone can relate to. Though it should be noted that the book does contain some profane language and controversial messaging. I believe the author has a unique approach to spreading awareness of Autism to the reader through a representation of the everyday struggles of those with autism.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An Interesting First Person Narrative
Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone notices things that others do not. He is a math and physics genius, but he cannot read simple social clues. He lives with his pet rat and his father; his mother having died of a heart attack years before. One day, to his dismay, he finds a neighbor’s dog dead, lying in the front yard, impaled with a gardening fork. Christopher loves animals and is saddened by the senseless murder. He decides to investigate the murder, as his idol, Sherlock Holmes, would. This book is his story of his investigation and subsequent adventures. This book is narrated in the first person by Christopher, which gives the reader a firsthand glimpse into the psyche of an autistic child. We learn how he feels about things, and that, to him, his unusual behaviors make sense. The characters become very real in their human failings and behaviors. The storyline is intriguing and does give insight into the autistic world. However, I have heard so much hype about this book, that I expected more. I enjoyed, it but not as much as I expected. Although it is written about a young teen, I do not feel it would be appropriate for children.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com