Jen Terpstra's Reviews > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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![65349](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1177089664p2/65349.jpg)
Ok, I get the concept. A heartwarming story told from the vantage point of an autistic boy.
Heartwarming, eh. Sure. Cerebral? You bet. For the "Literary Snob"? ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY. (Because most of those people LOVE "The Catcher in the Rye"...one of my most hated books of all time...and this book has been compared to that one. I should have known).
Look. I'm smart, I'm educated. I'm a professional woman who adores literature and loves to read. I bought this book because I was told that it was GREAT by a couple of friends. I'd also read the reviews. I'll give it a shot, ok?
Ack. It took me a full month to get through this book. This from someone who can devour a book in twelve hours (including "masterpieces" such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice....loved them all). I didn't like it. I didn't find it "lyrical" I didn't find the writing in ANY way "superior" to some of the "genre" authors I read (Nora Roberts anyone?). It left me depressed and out of sorts. And a little pissed off.
If that's what makes a "Classic" these days, please count me out. I'll stick with my "silly" genre novels ANY day of the week.
Heartwarming, eh. Sure. Cerebral? You bet. For the "Literary Snob"? ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY. (Because most of those people LOVE "The Catcher in the Rye"...one of my most hated books of all time...and this book has been compared to that one. I should have known).
Look. I'm smart, I'm educated. I'm a professional woman who adores literature and loves to read. I bought this book because I was told that it was GREAT by a couple of friends. I'd also read the reviews. I'll give it a shot, ok?
Ack. It took me a full month to get through this book. This from someone who can devour a book in twelve hours (including "masterpieces" such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice....loved them all). I didn't like it. I didn't find it "lyrical" I didn't find the writing in ANY way "superior" to some of the "genre" authors I read (Nora Roberts anyone?). It left me depressed and out of sorts. And a little pissed off.
If that's what makes a "Classic" these days, please count me out. I'll stick with my "silly" genre novels ANY day of the week.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
April 1, 2007
–
Finished Reading
April 20, 2007
– Shelved
October 16, 2007
– Shelved as:
disliked
February 16, 2010
– Shelved as:
random-lit
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Jen
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rated it 1 star
Feb 10, 2008 06:18AM
![Jen Terpstra](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1177089664p1/65349.jpg)
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![Jp](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Mpc1](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Heather](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_25x33-d79c46f9428d2aea1444d67c091766a6.png)
![Chelinda](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1554265940p1/5791249.jpg)
![Elizabeth](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1325899822p1/7357153.jpg)
![Amber](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1222642527p1/1573346.jpg)
![Zach Long](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1361353608p1/17621611.jpg)
![Cherene](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1308626203p1/5666980.jpg)
![Scott Worden](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442648106p1/6662701.jpg)
Just because someone likes books like the catcher in the rye doesn't mean they're literary snobs, it means they know what they like to read and read that, the same way you do.
![Philip Gordon](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1410204326p1/23490280.jpg)
![Mary](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1586452981p1/7269595.jpg)
![Scott Worden](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1442648106p1/6662701.jpg)
![Megan](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1354975947p1/4588402.jpg)
![BukChoiBoi](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Jackie](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1431625956p1/10433179.jpg)
![Linda Ding](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1569413248p1/39838246.jpg)
I don't like the The Modest Proposal but given it's importance and the immaculate intelligence of the writing, I still acknowledge and admire it.
P.S. Memoirs of the Geisha is not silly. Stop thinking you're special.
![Andrea](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1438566147p1/12156796.jpg)
![Mary](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1464036243p1/56139476.jpg)
![Nikki](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1451948479p1/32047076.jpg)
![Anna Peterson](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
I hope that you will reconsider your thoughts and give the “Classic books” a second chance, it is totally worth it.
![Vera Singh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1552334218p1/85514760.jpg)
![Vera Singh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1552334218p1/85514760.jpg)
![Juliet](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1357092564p1/15987235.jpg)
![Mark Wilson](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
In short, great idea, but I was just barely able to finish this when I read it.
![Loli Altamirano](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1452749383p1/51509707.jpg)
![Mikanviola](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1566580497p1/101715069.jpg)
![SMBD](https://s.gr-assets.com/images/nophoto/user/c_111x148.png)
The problem is that autistic people largely aren't like the main character at all who resembles a caricature of what Neurotypicals tend to think autistics are like more than anything else.
When an adult autistic guy that doesn't know he's autistic marvels at how he "got a look into how autistic people think" it's highly likely the author hasn't exactly done a good job writing an autistic person. Indeed, the author confessed that he had done next to no research.
![Jon Edwards](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1491235157p1/21415853.jpg)
![Kristine](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1615387834p1/14684154.jpg)
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1335625672p1/9122691.jpg)
I really enjoyed this book. Thought it was different and interesting. I don't think it makes me smarter or better than anyone who disliked it. It just worked for me. In contrast, I don't think because I liked it, that it says anything negative about me either.
I read this because my wife liked it and read it. I wasn't aware of any hype about it.
![Andrea Dunnett](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Bailey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1641352171p1/133743400.jpg)
![Tim](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
A close friend raved about this for years and I finally got a copy and plodded my way through it. It was miserable, boring and not very well written. I left it feeling depressed and that my valuable time could have been much better used.
![Brian](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1697412066p1/161778460.jpg)