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Narrated by a fifteen-year-old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions.
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. Routine, order, and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher's carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor's dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing.
Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents' marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher's mind.
And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon's choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotion. The effect is dazzling, making for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing is a mind that perceives the world literally.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of the freshest debuts in years: a comedy, a heartbreaker, a mystery story, a novel of exceptional literary merit that is great fun to read.
"Mark Haddon's portrayal of an emotionally dissociated mind is a superb achievement. He is a wise and bleakly funny writer with rare gifts of empathy."
IAN McEWAN, AUTHOR OF ATONEMENT AND AMSTERDAM
"I have never read anything quite like Mark Haddon's funny and agonizingly honest book, or encountered a narrator more vivid and memorable. I advise you to buy two copies; you won't want to lend yours out."
ARTHUR GOLDEN, AUTHOR OF MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
"The Curious Incident brims with imagination, empathy, and vision -- plus it's a lot of fun to read."
MYLA GOLDBERG, AUTHOR OF BEE SEASON

Customer Review: Opening Eyes Into A Different Mindset
A clever and engaging story that catches the reader up from the very first page. At first it is a bit jarring that the narrator seems to be digressing in all sorts of directions, but one quickly adapts as this is the personality on is dealing with. Once the reader learns to flow with the narrator, the frustration eases off, and the ride is very enjoyable. This book is one to open the eyes and look at the world as a segment of society does that most of us don't normally pay much attention to. We don't interact as Christopher does. We don't worry about the same things he does. We are not fascinated about the same things. But we soon learn to live and see things his way, and it's pretty amazing. This book made me laugh and almost brought me to tears. I could feel the frustration of Christopher's parents and their love for him. I wanted to love him as well. For a book just over 200 pages long, it packs quite a wallop! Mark Haddon does a wonderful job opening up a very different world to those of not normally exposed to it!
Customer Review: A touching, ironic, bitterly humorous novel
Christopher Boone is fifteen years, three months, and two days old when he finds his neighbor's dog dead, stabbed with a gardening fork. Who killed poor Wellington? And why? Christopher (against his father's wishes) aims to find out, by playing detective, just like Sherlock Holmes, his hero. But it is not easy for a young man who abhors change, who can't stand seeing four yellow cars drive by in a row, who can't imagine life outside of Swindon--it's not easy for a young man like Christopher to solve a heinous crime. But try he will, setting out on a terrifying journey that will lead to revelations about his family, his neighbors, and a poor poodle named Wellington... Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" is such a uniquely touching novel, it's hard to write up a good summary. The novel is written in a style seldom seen today, a style that stays true to the narrator (since Christopher doesn't like metaphors--they are lies, and he cannot lie--he uses none, although he will gladly make use of similies, for they are not lies). "Incident" is moving, funny, ironic, touching...everything a good novel should be. Hell, it's even quite a good mystery novel, when you get right down to it. Haddon has created a wonderful little novel, featuring a truly interesting and realistic narrative voice, and a style that will live on long after you put the book down. I highly reccommend this one to fans of all literature.


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