The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark HaddonMy 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.
View all my reviews
