The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : A Novel

Mark Haddon absolutely "got it right" in this book. From descriptions of how overwhelming the man-made world is for us on a sensory level, to frustration with a society that expects us to learn how to recognize neurotypical facial expressions based on simple drawings -- Im really impressed, everything really does reflect how many of us experience life. Even the way hell be talking to an adult one minute and theyll suddenly lose their temper at him, or how his mind digresses to his perseverative interests, and his belief that animals are just as good (if not better) than humans, is exactly what my life has been like. It was like reading something written by my own brain. :-)

Parents and friends of autistics can also learn a great deal about how to interact with us in a way that makes us comfortable from the book. Christophers parents are rare in their acceptance of his needs; instead of forcing him to learn to hug or maintain painful physical contact to fulfill *their* needs, they learn to communicate their love (and to let him communicate his) by gently but firmly touching one anothers fingertips. He turns out to be a wonderfully well-adjusted, happy, secure boy that does far more than anybody would expect of an "autistic" as a result.

There is much more than that to the book, though. The story itself is filled with innovative twists and turns that bring it far beyond the "mystery" category -- or any other genre. Every chapter, I found myself wondering eagerly what would happen next, whether Christopher was trying to figure out how to navigate the train system to London or having a meltdown in his bedroom. In addition to that, there are many points where Christopher does what I know (from being taught) is "naughty" -- usually what neurotypicals are tempted to do but naturally refrain from -- and I was quite tickled by him actually breaking the rules!

Ive read thousands of books in my lifetime, as reading is *my* big perseveration, and even earned my bachelors degree from U.C. Berkeleys English department. "Curious Incident" is, in my opinion, absolutely one of the best Ive experienced, and I dearly hope the author writes a sequel. :-)

It is noteworthy that Haddon doesnt have Christopher simply illustrate the quirks and particulars of his life, but has him take pause to help us understand why those particulars are important to Christopher. For example, we soon learn that Christopher doesnt like things that are yellow and brown. He wont eat yellow foods, wont wear brown clothes. If left unexplained, they simply make Christopher different from everyone else, and would help to exclude him further. But Christopher takes the time to list some yellow and brown things he doesnt like, and then proceeds to explain how not liking something is as important as liking something, because both help you eliminate possibilities and make it easier to make a decision. The less chaos and possibilities in Christophers life, the more comfortable he is.

While this book might not win any awards or be on many must-read lists, it is a completely fresh and uplifting book to read in a night or two.