On College Football 2022: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Pre... Ken said: |
Yeah, we've both had our share of hope and disappointment in this game. Let's just hope for a good b... |
On College Football 2022: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Pre... Dan* said: |
I'm not sure how I feel about this game. On one hand, I feel pretty optimistic that we have the tale... |
On College Football 2022: Week 1 Preview Dan* said: |
Glad to see you'll be back writing football again, Ken! Congrats on the easy win today. You didn't ... |
On College Football 2021: Week 10 Recap and Week 11 P... Ken said: |
Yeah, sorry one of our teams had to lose. I've come to appreciate Penn State as a classy and sympath... |
On College Football 2021: Week 10 Recap and Week 11 P... Dan* said: |
Hey Ken, congratulations on the win yesterday! Some really odd choices by our coaching staff in that... |
Books: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Monday, 2004 November 8 - 10:43 pm |
This is one of those novels you'll want to read all in one sitting. Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is told from the point of view of Christopher, an autistic 15-year-old boy. It begins with the suspicious death of his neighbor's dog, and it is written as his attempt to chronicle his investigation in the form of a murder mystery. As I began to read this book, I was almost immediately engrossed in Christopher's mind. Haddon envelopes us with details that add to the illusion of an autistic author, like chapter numbers that are all prime numbers, tangential stories about puzzles and images, and descriptions of unfamiliar emotions written as if we were experiencing them for the first time. The depth of this detail convinced me, within the first few chapters, that this would be a brilliant book. The story takes some unexpected and interesting twists as Christopher proceeds with his investigation, and bit by bit we see how his life and his parents' relationship has been shaped by his autism. The ending of the book is touching and emotional, but also a bit muddy. I couldn't tell if this was an intentional attempt to maintain the narrative illusion, or if Haddon himself found difficulty providing closure without using some hackneyed plot device (e.g. the narrator's death). Overall, Haddon shows clearly that he understands autism, and with this novel, he shares that understanding with the rest of us. It's really an original and inventive work. Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
Permalink 1 Comment
Posted by Ken in: books, reviews |
Comment #1 from Brigette Wilds (Guest) 2005 Jan 21 - 4:46 pm : # |
I loved it too. I read it for my book club; it's also the "Raleigh Reads" choice right now. I agree with Ken that you really get a good sense of what it must be like to be autistic. It's well worth the read. |