MR: 13-122 yrs.
A person is defined by what, and the way in which, they think. As far as we can tell, no two humans think about the same situation in the same exact way. Theoretically, this makes sense. Each person involved in a situation is viewing the situation through a series of "filters," their past experiences. As no two people live the same life, have the same memories and programmed emotional responses... Well, we must all be different. Part of the magic of reading is that it allows us to step outside ourselves for a few hours and live in another's mind: feel what they feel, hear what they hear, see what they see. In essence we jump onto a train of thought and lose ourselves in another life. No story has allowed me to do this as completely as my most recent read, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Christopher John Francis Boone is not a normal 15 year old. His condition is never explicitly described, but his actions and are akin to those of a six or seven year old in most respects. He hates yellow and brown and counts cars on the way to school to determine what kind of a day it will be. One of his most defining characteristics (and important ones, in the case of this novel) is his almost compulsive recording of events. This novel is his journal in which he enumerates every event, thought, and seemingly insignificant detail of his life. It begins with a mystery (who killed the neighbor's dog?), but soon evolves into a universal story about learning, adventure, and self-discovery. And if this sounds like an infomercial, I apologize. It's just that Christopher's story made a profound impression on me. In fact, it's hard to believe that this book was written by Mark Haddon and not by young Christopher himself.
Of course, the brilliance of this novel is also its only flaw. As it is "written" by Christopher, the writing is hardly brilliant. Most sentences are choppy, only a few words in length, and the vocabulary is limited to that of an eight or nine year old. I found it difficult to lose myself in the story; the style of writing was not conducive to a pleasant reading experience. The style is true to the content, though, and highlights the strong plot and character development. Basically, it is technically "poorly written," but well written in context. To most, the writing will be just a minor annoyance. But if you are a part of the elite group of die hard grammarians, you have been warned.
This novel is available on Amazon in audio, hardcover, paperback, and electronic versions. Of course, check you local independent bookstores first. If you still haven't located the one nearest you, you can find it here. Unique and inspiring, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a must read. And it's a quick read too, so you have no excuse for not picking it up today!
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