The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
by Mark Haddon
Paperback- N/A

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  "Christopher Boone is an autistic boy who has compulsive number awareness." by tookie38 (see profile) 02/25/06


Our book club read and enjoyed this book. There was a very lively discussion. The author takes you inside Boone's mind and shows you what makes him tick. We all could see a little of his traits in ourselves. Most of us are teachers, so it made it relevant to us.

 
  "A glimpse from the Autistic View" by rachelsbooks (see profile) 07/07/06

This book was interesting in the perspective that was used. It gives a good account of how an autistic child thinks in various instances. I think the story line was good, not great, but again, it was an interesting read. It was a good book.

 
  "Fascinating look into a world I'm not familiar with" by Kayceel (see profile) 09/28/06

I read this for a book discussion group I participate in with friends, and several of them are social workers. We all had so much to discuss, especially those of my friends who had worked with autistic individuals. Even those who didn't enjoy it (I've met very few who weren't completely fascinated by it) had a lot to discuss.

 
  "This is a perfect little story" by twcatwoman (see profile) 11/23/06

This tale of an autistic child is written with great insight and compassion. It is funny, witty and courageous.

 
  "this book inspried great discussion in our book club" by kennamom (see profile) 03/07/07

 
  "Gives great insight into a world/ mind of a savant autistic teenager." by nmireles (see profile) 04/05/07

 
  "See the world through a 15 year old autistic child .. easy read." by Chris@JAX (see profile) 05/18/07

Facinating book that gives you a glimpse of the mind of a 15 year old autistic child. Family struggles, challanges, and a mystery (that involes a dog)encompass this short book.

 
  "Mentally challenge boy deals with irresponsible parents" by interbrook (see profile) 09/03/07

This book may have had some good characters and interesting story. But I could not get past, the dog being killed by the father and we were to believe it was all ok because his wife was wacky!

 
  "Different and Enlightening" by carolk59 (see profile) 08/09/09

Loved this book and it made for alot of lively and intersting discussion within our book club. It really helps you to better undertstand the mind of someone with autism.

 
  "See Through New Eyes" by ahack25 (see profile) 09/16/09

I have to say I immensely enjoyed this book. A co-worker today told she enjoyed it as well but that she had to look beyond the hype. I guess this is true.

The narrator of this story is fifteen-year-old Christopher who happens to have Asperger's which is a form of autism. One of Christopher's teachers thought it would be a good idea if Christopher wrote in a notebook and essentially wrote a "book". So like any good book, Christopher's story starts out with the "murder" of the next door neighbor's dog. As Christopher tries to solve this mystery, truths and lies are uncovered.

What I really liked about this book is that Christopher is essentially a brilliant child. His mind thinks insanely logically and mathematically. Truly, his mind is like a computer. But it sometimes works against him. There is a scene where he is in a new public place and he freaks out. Because his mind and memory stores every tiny detail, it can be overwhelmed in a new location and his body just shuts down. So his story is an amazing account of how he views the world, sees things happen, interprets them, and how it affects the people around him.

Because this is book is a piece of fiction...Christopher is not real...I can see how some people might not like this book. But I don't think the author was trying to imply that EVERY person with Asperger's or autism thinks and acts like Christopher. But it is an interesting concept to look at the world through different eyes. Because while reading Christopher's story, I often thought to myself...well, that makes sense. Perhaps that's not how I think but that makes sense how Christopher came to that conclusion. So I guess that's why I liked it...because it allowed me to see the world differently. And I liked Christopher.

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by mgenduso (see profile) 01/17/10

 
  "excellent read" by elisa0322 (see profile) 03/14/10

This would be a wonderful bookclub pick. There is plenty to talk about! This story was fantastic and compelling and easy to read. Loved it.

 
  "The Curious..." by auntdeon (see profile) 03/15/10

Fascinating book! There were some long parts that I didn't find particularly interesting but they were important to the story and the main character's thought process. I would totally recommend the book but not for "fun and leisure" reading necessarily...more as an informative, eye-opening look at autism in a non-fiction setting.

 
  "Great Read" by mblake (see profile) 06/10/10

Fascinating look into the mind of an autistic child -

 
  "Nicely written, but not my cup of tea" by riegerd (see profile) 08/15/10

The author did a wonderful job writing as an autistic kid, but it was a slow read for me and not very exciting. I kept thinking that there would be more mystery.

 
  "Great, but different" by JeanaVid (see profile) 10/25/10

I really fell in love with the character Christopher Boone. I thought that the the way the book was written from the perspective of this character, who is autistic, was a really interesting twist. I liked how it describes the relationships a boy like Christopher has with those around him. And I really thought that the book presented itself in a way that sent the message that despite our limitations, everyone, even someone like Christopher is capable of remarkable things. I can see why it may not be for some people, but I loved it.

 
  "Insightful entry into the world of autism" by aileenbc (see profile) 01/23/11

 
  "4.5 stars" by 1morechapter (see profile) 02/14/11

This is a very fun, unique book to read -- especially if you are interested in mathematics and logic. Christopher is 15, has a form of autism, loves math, and hates the colors yellow and brown. He sees the world through logic and those around him can only reach him through logic. One night he discovers his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and sets out to find the killer. This leads him not only to the perpetrator but also to a personal adventure as well.

I really admire this book. Haddon made Christopher a completely convincing character, and I would love there to be a sequel.

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by tlathan (see profile) 05/17/11

I loved this book! Autism has always been of interest to me. This book gives you a bit of insight to the meaning of some the actions these children/adults display. It may also define in you a bit of obsessive compulsive behavior. Christopher tells it like it is.

 
  "Interesting" by bwolfer (see profile) 05/23/11

This book was very interesting. Let you have a peek into the mind of an autistic child. Amazing as to how they think and the reasons they react the way they do.

 
  "the dog" by laram (see profile) 05/26/11

This book was an interesting look into a completely different mind.

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by nokidding1 (see profile) 05/30/11

excellent telling of a story by a special needs child with aspergers. high schoolers can read about and empathize with children who are special needs and do not think they same way they do.

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by phuhta4 (see profile) 07/14/11

 
  "Interesting, but not life-changing" by jlsulak (see profile) 01/08/12

 
  "interesting read" by rselmser (see profile) 01/18/12

 
  "The Curious Incident" by cmglenn (see profile) 05/06/12

 
  "Insightful!" by Paula_S (see profile) 06/11/12

Cleverly written - loved the flow!

 
  "Curious incident" by pgreenX2 (see profile) 06/16/12

Most of our group agreed we probably would not have chosen this book on our own; but, that is the beauty and fun of being in a book club: reading different styles and opening your mind to new and different experiences.This book was fun to read from the perspective of a child with aspergers.

 
  "mixed reviews" by NRPublicLibrary (see profile) 11/14/12

Some liked this book more than others but it made for a very interesting and long discussion and this is why I recommend it for bookclubs.

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by JoJoM (see profile) 09/25/14

Too wordy...had a difficult time getting into it.

 
  "" by graciesheart (see profile) 02/10/15

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Tracylou (see profile) 02/26/15

This is the first book our club read that ALL of the members liked! It was so interesting to read a book from this perspective.

 
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  "" by Carolyn143 (see profile) 03/31/16

 
  "Enter a brand new world" by bookeyjane (see profile) 03/31/16

Not only do we have a great story unfold, we get to walk in a young man's shoes and experience what life is like on the autism spectrum. Our group is going to NYC to see this play as a follow up event..

 
  "This Title Launched Great Discussion" by VolunteerVal (see profile) 04/28/16

Not all members in our book club enjoyed reading this book, but all appreciated insights gained from the narrator, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome. In fact, it fostered one of our most dynamic discussions to date.

 
  "Should have been a short story" by hembry (see profile) 07/28/16

The narrarator's voice felt real but there were far too many unnecessary parts to the story. A short book that could have been easily shortened by half.

 
  "" by brenstuhr (see profile) 09/13/16

 
  "" by brenstuhr (see profile) 09/13/16

 
  "A detective story and more" by scotlass66 (see profile) 09/26/16

A poignant, sad though hilarious tale of a teenager with Asperger's (thought the disease is never mentioned in the book) with an analytical though unemotional mind which dwells on almost each and every object he encounters. He is keen on solving the mystery behind a neighbor's dead dog, which leads him towards deep family secrets, which he has to face.
The story is very simple, but well- written, because there always seems to be some level of anticipation as to what is going to happen next. It is at the simplest level a detective story. It keeps you wondering why certain things happened to this boy. You may feel a little puzzled at times, but the character keeps investigating and eventually helps himself and the reader understand the whole picture.

 
  "" by mariebranchini (see profile) 11/07/16

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog int the Night-time" by greymare (see profile) 12/17/16

 
  "" by momin0306 (see profile) 02/26/17

 
  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Bak8382 (see profile) 05/01/17

Christopher can keep a large number of facts and math problems straight in his head, but he struggles to read people's faces. When his neighbor's dog is killed he decides to investigate, like his favorite detective Sherlock Holmes, even though his father wants him to stop. What follows is less a mystery and more about Christopher discovering new things about himself and his family.

This was an extremely quick read. I got a little bogged down with all the math, though there's an appendix at the end with the explanation of all the problems. The path of the story is a bit unexpected yet still satisfying, but those hoping for more of a mystery will be disappointed.

 
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  "" by horne_sidney (see profile) 06/21/19

 
  "" by [email protected] (see profile) 08/21/19

The book is written as a journal by a fictional autistic child. It’s not a fast Moving novel, but it is eye opening all the same. You will have a new appreciation for people with special needs after reading this book.

 
  "" by [email protected] (see profile) 10/25/19

 
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