Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a story narrated by Christopher, a fifteen-year-old autistic boy who lives alone with his father in a house in Swindon, England, since his mother died of a heart disease.
Christopher loves mathematics and physics and wants to become an astronaut. He admires Sherlock Holmes and shares his gift for observation, a gift which is often a curse for him, since he cannot filter the information his mind receives and too many stimuli generate unbearable anxiety. One day, Christopher finds Wellington, his neighbor’s dog, dead, a fork sticking out of his body: he decides to find the dog’s killer and to relate everything concerning the investigation in a book…
Christopher, who is afraid of people, finds the courage to question his neighbors, provoking the anger of his father who forbids him to play detective. Christopher, who is not able to lie, but who has set his mind on solving the mystery of the dead dog, has to find a way around his promise to his father. Christopher, who can’t manage on his own, who thinks brown and yellow are unlucky colors which determine the mood of his day, and who screams when people touch him, will have to overcome many obstacles during his investigation. The path to the truth will be painful, revealing secrets concerning his own family…
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time is very original, the first-person narration allows us to view things from the perspective of an autistic boy, and to realize how little things that we do and take for granted every day can be serious obstacles for some people. The narrator often compares his mind to a computer, allowing us to understand better its functioning. I don’t know why, but I had expected the novel to be a real "mystery", and in that respect I was disappointed. I thought that the boy’s gift for observation would help his investigation but once again I was wrong. It is rather a coming-of-age novel of a different kind, where narration alternates with mathematical riddles, maps and drawings. The story itself is too thin and could have been more eventful (though I can understand that for a boy like Christopher, adventure begins wherever the familiar ends). Not, in my opinion, an unforgettable book (despite its huge popularity), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time is still a pleasant and quick read…
Rating: 3/5
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