Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A Curiously Good Read

I polished off my book for May in super quick time for a number of reasons:
1. I was 'late' starting it
2. It was really written for a teen audience
3. I had read it before
4. I bought another book I was very keen to get into!
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon is a cleverly written little book about the murder by pitchfork of a dog, which a teenage boy sets out to solve. But it is not for the plot that I enjoyed this book so much the first time, and not the reason I chose to re-read it. It is because the story is told from the perspective of a boy with Aspergers syndrome. Having worked with so many children on the autistic spectrum over time, I appreciated both humorous yet 'real' voice of the narrator, Christopher, and appreciated the insights he gives into the reasonings and interpretations of a person who lives with Aspergers. I do understand however, that Haddon had received criticism for his portrayal of Christopher, for not accurately depicting the thought processes of an autistic person. Yet personally I feel this character engenders a real sense of understanding for those who live with the condition. And anyway, my understanding is that everyone on the spectrum presents and interprets in unique ways, so who knows really if it's not accurate?

Now bring on the next book - I am sure the ensuing review will be ... interesting!

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