"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" by Mark Haddon

I'm getting ready to lead the discussion for my book club on this novel. Jannie suggested I read it several years ago, but warned me that it "might hit too close to home." I loved it, and Christopher (the novel's narrator) is really not very much like my Joseph so, although some of it was uncomfortable, none was too "close to home" for me to enjoy the novel. I suggested my book club read Curious Incident because last year we read another novel that featured a minor character who was autistic and I thought the author had done a terrible job portraying life with an autistic family member. After several people in the book club said how 'realistic" they thought the portrayal of autism was in the other novel I nearly leapt from my chair to say "no, no, no..." While it is hard to say Christopher is typical of Asperger's--'cause in my opinion, there is no typical anything when it comes to the spectrum-- I think the portrayal of the neighbors , family, and the reaction of the strangers that encounter Christopher are all pretty believable.

Anyway, I’ve had fun researching Mark Haddon. I recommend his web site to anyone who has read the novel. He has written many children’s book, illustrated most of them, in a quirky style, he has made some very cool abstract paintings, and in general he is an interesting fellow. Click on the question marks below to see some examples:





The fact that I’m ready for book club almost a week early is a testament to how little I want to sit down and grade papers this afternoon!