Sean's Reviews > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by
by
![M 50x66](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png)
** spoiler alert **
This book I read in a day. I was in a Chapters bookstore in Toronto (that's like Barnes and Noble to the Americans in the crowd) and anyway I was just browsing around, trying to kill time. When suddenly I saw this nice display of red books with an upturned dog on the cover. Attracted as always to bright colours and odd shapes, I picked it up. It's only about 250 pages or so. I read the back cover and was intrigued. I flipped through the pages and noticed that it had over One Million chapters. I was doubly intrigued.
So I walked over to the far wall of the bookstore to sit and begin to read a few pages. I always do this to ensure that I don't waste what little money I have on a book possessing nothing more than a flashy cover. (I do the same at the cinema - if I don't like the first 20 minutes, I get a refund. Restaurants, too: if I don't like the first ten bites, I walk out on the bill).
This is a book written by a Child Developmental Psychologist - I think that's the right term... - anyway, a doctor who works with mentally or physically challenged youngsters. The novel itself is a first person tale written by a high-functioning, mentally challenged boy in England who wakes up one morning to find his neighbor's dog dead on his lawn. The boy's teacher suggests he should write about the incident, which he eagerly sets out to do. So we have his first "novel", "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". He plays Inspector and tries to solve the mystery as Sherlock Holmes would do...
Of course, if he's going to write a book, that means he can take control. He hates the way other books have chapter numbers that increase sequentially (1,2,3). He prefers prime numbers and will number his chapters in sequential primes - hence, by the end of the book, you're reading chapter 123,314,124 or whatever (I ain't no math guy ;)
Now then, he also writes about other things in his life and through his perspective you get some tear-jerking moments of true, unobstructed humanity: the way his parents broke up because of his state, how he has all these dreams about being someone great and going to a top college, even though you know that his situation will never really allow it.
Anyway. I read this book cover to cover sitting on the floor of that Chapters bookstore. By the end of it I was absolutely bawling my eyes out. Never cried so much in my life. In fact, as I type this and think back on that story, I'm dripping on my keyboard (and I'm at my office!). However - these are tears of joy. The boy does it. He can do anything. It's the most uplifting book I've ever read.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels anything deep down inside.
So I walked over to the far wall of the bookstore to sit and begin to read a few pages. I always do this to ensure that I don't waste what little money I have on a book possessing nothing more than a flashy cover. (I do the same at the cinema - if I don't like the first 20 minutes, I get a refund. Restaurants, too: if I don't like the first ten bites, I walk out on the bill).
This is a book written by a Child Developmental Psychologist - I think that's the right term... - anyway, a doctor who works with mentally or physically challenged youngsters. The novel itself is a first person tale written by a high-functioning, mentally challenged boy in England who wakes up one morning to find his neighbor's dog dead on his lawn. The boy's teacher suggests he should write about the incident, which he eagerly sets out to do. So we have his first "novel", "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". He plays Inspector and tries to solve the mystery as Sherlock Holmes would do...
Of course, if he's going to write a book, that means he can take control. He hates the way other books have chapter numbers that increase sequentially (1,2,3). He prefers prime numbers and will number his chapters in sequential primes - hence, by the end of the book, you're reading chapter 123,314,124 or whatever (I ain't no math guy ;)
Now then, he also writes about other things in his life and through his perspective you get some tear-jerking moments of true, unobstructed humanity: the way his parents broke up because of his state, how he has all these dreams about being someone great and going to a top college, even though you know that his situation will never really allow it.
Anyway. I read this book cover to cover sitting on the floor of that Chapters bookstore. By the end of it I was absolutely bawling my eyes out. Never cried so much in my life. In fact, as I type this and think back on that story, I'm dripping on my keyboard (and I'm at my office!). However - these are tears of joy. The boy does it. He can do anything. It's the most uplifting book I've ever read.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels anything deep down inside.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2005
–
Finished Reading
August 29, 2007
– Shelved
August 29, 2007
– Shelved as:
readit
Comments Showing 1-50 of 58 (58 new)
![Randall Yelverton](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Julia](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1240083650p1/1303301.jpg)
Doesn't take anything away from Haddon's acheivement, or your response to it, just clarifying.
![Randall Yelverton](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Lady of the Lake](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1705201198p1/1332853.jpg)
Please go back into your review and check the spoiler tab. Your review other wise is good...although why you would be proud to walk out on and not pay your food bill is bizarre I hope by finding out that it is NOT the restaurant that pays the tab but the HARD WORKING server you will not do this any more.
![Carly Svamvour](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1413895417p1/1480335.jpg)
Sean, you shouldn't have mentioned that personal quirk you have; it distracted from the topic.
I see you liked the book; you gave it a five . . . see my review on my book list here . . .
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
![roby](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Caleb](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![John](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1318688244p1/6672090.jpg)
![Penny Y](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1709212697p1/5918007.jpg)
![Érica](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Sandra](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1248462312p1/2535107.jpg)
![Darrel Sheridan](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
Sean, you're a prick!
![Dave Squires](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1368228329p1/20145786.jpg)
![Brigitte](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
I just want to say, I believe Christopher could go to university . I work with young adults on the autism spectrum and most of them are currently attending college and doing well. A learning disability does not have to stop someone from living life. As you can see, Christopher was quite smart.
![Rowan Kemmerly](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1693603400p1/7623245.jpg)
![Charlie](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Aeson Chappell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1485322876p1/33819698.jpg)
![Elm](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
I really like this review because it sums up, more or less, what I think.
![Natalie Paige](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1686022910p1/45145657.jpg)
![AMANDA](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
I seriously hope you have or will change your ways.
Also, I pretty much know if I like something or not by the first bite or two and by 10 bites I'm on the closer side to full. I think you are taking advantage of the situation.
![Manish Kumar](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1408362625p1/33298999.jpg)
![Lara](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1639669248p1/47747655.jpg)
![Teresa McCue](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1468774322p1/44407844.jpg)
![Petri Jänkälä](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1380022503p1/24198800.jpg)
![Lisa](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1404101225p1/7328695.jpg)
Wow!
![Christy Roberts](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Bonnie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1261889423p1/1115550.jpg)
Did you buy the book?
![Amy](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1688488846p1/4740488.jpg)
I am a part-time server and have been walked out on on numerous occasions. Once for a bill over $100.00 - and I had to pay for it.
If you don't like your food, send it back to the kitchen and order something else. Don't make people pay just because you don't like what you ordered.