Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is poignant, raw, and astonishingly discerning, written from the perspective of Christopher who perceives the world in an incredibly literal way. Through imagery and literacy, as well as mathematics, I felt as though Christopher was tugging onto my hand and leading me through a maze that is his mind, a labyrinth that is complex yet brimming with simplicity. I could definitely comprehend the innocence of the way Christopher sees living entities and why he is unable to 'fit in' even though his mind is perfectly rationale. I honestly learned a great deal about the world that autistic people live in, which is beautiful and fantasy-like and only exists in movies because, in reality, people never behave the way we envisage them to, and moreover, they hardly speak the truth, which complicates social communication. I particularly admire the way Christopher refused to tell lies and the way he worked around that refusal by identifying loopholes and telling 'white lies', which he judged to be innocuous. It was fascinating to witness the gears in his brain whirl and manufacture a solution to every problem and challenge he countered, and he showed bravery and resilience.
I read this book because my mathematics teacher had recommended it and I always take him up on his recommendations because he has remarkable taste in books, movies, etc. I now understand why this book was so appealing to him and perhaps a large proportion of the British (I've been told that British school children read this at school). The book is completely unpretentious, and is brutally and brilliantly honest (because Christopher does not tell lies) and highly amusing because some of the truths that Christopher quite bluntly points out show that it is true what Sherlock Holmes said, that the world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. The Monty Hall problem, the case of the Cottingley fairies, the hound of the baskervilles are enlightening anecdotes embedded within this book that make you think. That is, perhaps, the most commendable aspect of this piece of literary genius. It makes the readers think. God knows if we do enough of that in the current world of information overload.
I was recommended to read this book because I was told that it is splendid. After spending an entire afternoon gobbling it up page after page, I nod vigorously and agree whole-heartedly. This book is splendid. Quod Erat demonstrandum.

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Shatter Me

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Plot-wise, not the most thrilling but -
the language that Taherah used is beautiful. The emotion that accompanies the words and sentences is powerful, raw and I cried, no joke. This story depicts a girl who is trapped inside her own mind and has suppressed herself and her potential all her life just because she was condemned by society as a pariah and an outcast. Metaphorically, I believe that we all feel that way sometimes. I certainly do which is why I resonated strongly with Juliette's thoughts. Oh, I could go on and on about what I love about this series but I'll leave it here and carry on with my chemistry revision.

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Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lynne Truss is a lady of eloquent humour, and filled with passion to defend the one thing she cares about most in her life - Punctuation. She brings those squiggly bits of ink do-dos to life and breathes meaning and personality into each of their uses. She also shares interesting and comical anecdotes such as Roger Casement being 'hung on a comma' and Anton Chekhov's parody of a Christmas carol 'The Exclamation Mark'. As someone whose first language is English, and has spent the past 18 years of her life using this language most lavishly and extensively, I am glad that I had learned quite a fair bit about the technicalities of punctuation, as well as some new words (Truss is not afraid to showcase her verbal prowess) such as sententious, catharsis, perspicuity, puritanical, logorrhoeic, idiosyncratic, desultory and palaver. Yes, I wrote them all down and imprinted them into my head. An enlightening read!

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The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One word: genius
I love this series because firstly, it is highly insightful as in Dan Brown takes the readers on a journey back in time to take a closer look at Da Vinci's dark side of the moon, per say. This book is highly informative and educational - my kind of a history lesson - and coupled with a brilliant plot with a creative plot twist, this book combines both history and adventure. The hidden secrets and cryptic aspects of Da Vinci's work, as well as the existence of the Priory of Sion are fascinating, though readers should be advised to take it all in with a pinch of salt. Who doesn't love a conspiracy?

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