Getting Bookish...

I recently read 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time' by Mark Haddon. Strange though it may seem I actually embarked on reading this book without realising it is aimed at children. Therefore my experience with the novel was a little distorted. ‘The Curious Incident...' is narrated by a 15 year old boy Christopher Boon. Christopher is not your average 15 year old, as well as suffering from Asperger Sydrome he loves Mathematics and has recently realised a talent for detective investigating. This newfound talent was fostered by the accidental discovery of Mrs Shears' (Christopher's neighbour) murdered poodle. And from this incident we are propelled into the life and misadventures of our protagonist.

'The Curious Incident...' is an odd yet quirky novel, mostly due to the pace of the narrative. Christopher's Asperger Syndrome leads him to a matter of fact perspective of the world. Each encounter with a person, a place, an equation... is documented and analysed to Christopher's liking. But there is more to this story than a simple day-to-day analysis of facts. As we are drawn into the story a larger picture begins to develop, and Christopher is required to set outside his comfort zone and embark on the world outside his own street.
'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time' by Mark Haddon is available through Random House.