Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
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One of my favourite books of all time is Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. The book follows Christopher Boone, a fifteen year old boy with the psychological disorder Asperger’s Syndrome, as he tries to work out who killed Wellington, his next door neighbour’s dog. However, as Chris starts to unravel the mystery, he accidentally reveals important things about his own life.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time is completely from Chris’s perspective, with Haddon expertly crafting a voice which creates a realistic depiction of Asperger’s Syndrome. As readers, we relate to Chris and see the world through his eyes: ironically, he is the most understandable character in the novel. The characterisation is my favourite thing about this book, and I find it inspiring how Haddon is able to create a believable voice for someone with a disorder that he himself does not have. The story itself is equally compelling, with a variety of unexpected twists challenging us as much as Chris. It is heart breaking and hilarious, and truly emphasises how important it is to accept ourselves, however different the rest of the world may seem.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time has been hugely successful, winning the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. It has also been made into a hugely popular West End Production.
