"I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them."

A mostly light-hearted novel told from the perspective of Christopher Boone, a teenage boy with autism. A lovely autistic teenage boy with an incredible talent for math and a gifted logical brain that is amazingly observant of every little detail around him is our hero in this book.

He’s afraid of talking to strangers, being put in unknown situations, being touched and lacks the proper intuition about others that many “normal people” take for granted. He loves timetables, dogs, rats, prime numbers and Sherlock Holmes and he hates metaphors (not similes!), noisy places and yellow and brown colours.

Mark Haddon did an outstanding job. Christopher's lifestyle was depicted in such a personal and compassionate way by the author. For its representation of someone with Asperger's Syndrome, this best-selling novel has won numerous honours as well as criticism from the autism community.

This novel was amusing and heartbreaking at the same time, which I felt was a great combination. Despite Christopher's lack of understanding of emotions, the book is highly emotional. There are also a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, including times when you shouldn't be laughing, but Christopher tells them in such a way that you will.

I'd recommend this book to adult readers because it's not exactly a children's book, but it's not too difficult! Those of you who choose to read it will hopefully like it as much as I did.

Fun fact: The chapters of the book is numbered as ascending prime number!

n  You might like to check out more similar books here.n

Such a terrible and overhyped book - please, if you want to write a book that is meant to make people feel sympathy (if not empathy) for the main characters, don't make him a sociopathic spoilt brat who ruins everyone's lives without feeling sympathy. Yes, he's meant to be autistic, but Haddon didn't bother researching autism at all so that point is moot. I can't describe how much I wanted this little shit to be ran over by a train when he went to fetch his pet rat (which had made an entirely understandable decision and ran away from Chrissy), but alas, he wasn't and he went on to ruin someone else life.

I can deal with a character that is evil (in the sense that they hurt others), but they have to have some charm or they just come out as one dimensional douchebags. There was nothing interesting about Chrissy boy, he just commented about how good he was at maths, how much he hated people (even when those people were trying to help him), and how hard his life is even when he is being mollycoddled. Make no mistake, I have nothing against autistic people, but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of autistic people don't think they're God's gift and that everyone else deserves to die; my (admittedly limited) understanding of autism suggests that people suffering from autism have trouble expressing emotion, rather than being devoid of it. Haddon's lack of research seemed to show mainly in the fact that, even though the book is meant to be from the viewpoint of an autistic child, the understanding of autism seemed to be very superficial, as if Haddon had looked at child with autism and said "yep, what they say and act like must be exactly how they think... Better write a book about it."

Understandably, as I wasn't overly fussed on Chrissy boy, I did not enjoy the writing style at all. It was a recount of events in the most obnoxious way, appearing not to have taken any literary skill at all. It is very reminiscent of how I (and most others) used to write when I (or they) was five, you know, saying "and this and then and now and when and and and and" - I was sat there thinking "say 'and' again, I dare you, I double dare you!", and if I had been Jules (I think he was the one played by Mr. jackson), I'd have shot Chrissy boy around seven hundred times, because it seems the only word the author could think to write was 'and'.

If this had been fully a murder mystery, then I may have given this book a two stars (providing it was done well) because a good puzzle can make up for unlikable characters and shoddy writing. But no, the culprit was 'found' (he gave himself in without any tension leading up to the moment) and then the book turns into a family drama. A family drama about a horrible and boring family. Great.

This book lied to me, it should have been called "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and the Less Curious Incident of a Dysfunctional Family".

Another thing that really bugged me was the random God-bashing thing. I'm not a Christian (or religious at all), but it was not needed in the slightest, it was as if Haddon thought he may as well get Dawkins on all our asses. It felt really preachy and forced and it didn't fit in the context of that part of the story, it was just stupid.

The final point I'll make is that this book gives people a false view of autism, and many people who did not know much about the condition before may now think this unresearched drivel is correct.

قبل از خوندن این کتاب فکر می کردم مبتلایان به اوتیسم تنها مشکلی که دارن اینه که نمیتونن به چهره افراد نگاه کنند
ولی الان فهمیدم مشکلات این عزیزان بیشتر از این حرفاست

پ.ن:
*اسپویل
.
.
چه مادری بدی داشت بنده خدا ، من هنوز از دستش عصبانی ام

پ.ن2: اگه شخصیت اصلی داستان رو به جای پسر، پدر در نظر بگیریم با ی کتاب به شدت غمگین کننده روبرو ایم

The first 50% percent of this novel was quite compelling, mainly because of the narrator. The narrator is a teenage boy with special needs and there is something so refreshing about his narrative which isn't bogged down by feelings and repetitive internal monologues. It is not mentioned what type of developmental disorder Christopher, our narrator, has but his behavior is indicative of either Autism or Asperger's. Regardless of what he has, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time gives us a first person perspective of the day-to-day life of someone with developmental disorders.

However, a book needs more than a unique POV and narrative style to earn more than three stars from this broad. The novelty of a non-emotional narrative quickly faded to reveal a lackluster plot and an anti-climactic ending.

Why I chose to read this book:
1. a few years ago, I've read several positive reviews about this story, so I added it to my WTR list. Imagine my thrill upon finding a copy in a thrift shop! and,
2. August 2022 is my "As the Spirit Moves Me Month".

Praises:
1. author Mark Haddon's experience working with autistic individuals clearly shines in this story! From the first paragraph, I was drawn in by 15-year-old Christopher's life with ASD through Haddon's captivating writing style - I didn't want to put this book down! From the precision in the dialogue to Christopher's astute thought processes, I developed immense empathy for this protagonist;
2. the character development was executed very well! Even if some characters made dubious choices, they were believable. And because of this, the ending couldn't have worked out better than it did. It was also nice to see that Christopher had a reliable support system with EA Siobhan; and,
3. my emotions ran the gamut from laughter to heartbreak!

Niggle:
Christopher used some mathematical and/or scientific thought processes to work out various personal issues. I tried to follow along or, at least I tried to relate to it in this story, but, unfortunately, my poor little fishy brain wasn't on the same wavelength as Christopher's!

Overall Thoughts:
Over the years, I have taught students on the Spectrum, so it was lovely to see bits and pieces of them in Christopher's character. This story was such an eye-opening look into the world of ASD!

Recommendation?
A quick but enlightening read of how one person, along with his family and acquaintances, live with ASD. Check it out!

Oh my goodness. I generally cringe when narrators are children, but in this case, it worked really well. Seeing the world through Christopher's eyes was illuminating. This poor child. The world is so very confusing to him. But I have so much confidence in this young man, and I'm sure he'll accomplish all he wants, even with all the barriers he'll have to face (the world isn't exactly designed for his accessibility needs, after all). I'm hopeful he'll make lots of friends, find people who are kind wherever he goes, and solves great scientific mysteries.

I reread this book I had first read in 2003 when it was first published. I remembered the premise but not the details and hadn't reviewed it at the time. Recently I saw a news article where it was listed as one of the best novels so far in this 21st century. This was poignant, original, empathetic, funny and alarming.


Christopher is a high functioning autistic boy. All children exhibiting the characteristics of the autistic syndrome are different, but Christopher has many of the traits. He needs to see patterns and requires a sense of order. He has a genius for numbers. He has difficulty understanding the emotions of others.


The book begins with Christopher discovering that a neighbour's dog has been killed. He fancies himself to be like Sherlock Holmes. He will discover who killed the dog and write a book about it. To investigate, he must question neighbours. This requires he must overcome his dread in talking to strangers and venture around the area by himself, knocking on doors. Christopher displays an advanced vocabulary, scientific knowledge, and love of math and puzzles in his journal, but with many digressions from the main topic. Because his rambling thought processes jump from one subject to another, patience is required when reading his journal, and also from his family and teachers when dealing with him.

Christopher lives with his loving father who sometimes becomes exasperated with the boy's tantrums, wilfulness and compulsions. He broke the sad news to Christopher several years ago that his mother had died. Halfway through the book, the young detective discovers the identity of dog's killer and a shocking family secret. The rest of the book deals with the consequences and repercussions of what Christopher had discovered.

I, as a person who has Asperger's syndrome, found this book very very insulting. Some things certainly did NOT help me put my diagnosis into perspective at all. No person with aspergers would admit to having a special food box and no person I've ever met with aspergers has gone to a special school or been so irrational to go on the colours of the cars they pass on the way to school.
It is very inaccurate that Christopher's mum left, normally its dad who refuses to even try and cope with an autistic child.
I also found that it is a very typical book of the understanding of a professional- they have their facts about aspergers but they don't actually experience it! Good grief by the time we are fifteen we have all learned against the strange things he does- he is a very odd character and not true to life in the slightest.
A child with aspergers would be too clever to believe their mum died! I found out my sister was my half-sister all on my own without any of my family even noticing.
It is a very bad book and proves that writing about aspergers should be left to the real experts- those with it!

Αυτο το βιβλιο το διαβασα ολόκληρο φωναχτά στα παιδια μου.
Παρ ολο που μαλλον δεν ηταν και εντελώς στην καταλληλη ηλικια ακομη για ενα εφηβικο βιβλιο, ομως τους αρεσε, και ως ενα βαθμο κατανοησαν.
Ο ενας γιος μου εχει στην ταξη του ενα παιδι με παρομοιο διαγνωσμενο αυτισμο, και μας βοηθησε πολυ να καταλαβουμε τη συμπεριφορα του (ειμαι κι εγω εκπαιδευτικος κ μου ηταν εξισου βοηθητικό κ διαφωτιστικό και χρήσιμο).
Νομιζω οτι προκειται για ενα σημαντικο βιβλιο.

Γιατι μιλαει για πραγματα για τα οποια οι ανθρωποι"δεν μιλανε" γενικά, και βοηθαει χωρις να ειναι ενα δυσκολο, επιστημονικο βιβλιο.
Και ειναι και αστειο
Και ειναι και τυπου "αστυνομικο"
Και ειναι και συγκινητικο
Και ειναι και ανθρωπινο
Και ειναι και 'ενοχλητικό'
Οπως θα οφειλε να ειναι ενα τετοιο θεμα - disturbing

Και μου αρεσει που δεν κανει καμια προσπαθεια να ειναι συγκινητικος ή να εκβιασει το συναισθημα και να ωραιοποιησει/λυρικοποιήσει και να προσπαθει να μας κανει να νιωσουμε λυπηση για οτιδηποτε μη "ταιριαστο" στην "τέλεια" κοινωνια που επιδιωκουμε να εχουμε.

Πρεπει να τελειωνουμε πια με τα ταμπου και να μιλαμε ανοιχτα για όλα.
Η άγνοια φερνει φοβο και απομονωση.

____________________
"Οι ανθρωποι πιστευουν στον Θεο γιατι ο κοσμος ειναι πολυ περιπλοκος και γιατι νομιζουν οτι ειναι πολυ απιθανο να υπαρχει τυχαια οτιδηποτε τοσο περιπλοκο οσο ενας ιπταμενος σκιουρος ή το ανθρωπινο ματι ή ενας εγκεφαλος. Ωστοσο θα οφειλαν να σκεφτουν λογικα. Κι αν σκεφτοταν λογικά θα εβλεπαν οτι μπορουν να θεσουν αυτη την ερωτηση μονο και μονο γιατι εχει ηδη συμβει και αυτοι ηδη υπαρχουν. Υπαρχουν εξαλλου δισεκατομμυρια πλανητες όπου δεν υπαρχει ζωή, αλλά πανω σ εκεινους τους πλανήτες δεν υπαρχει κανείς με μυαλό για να το προσέξει."

I think it was an okayish book which was trying hard to be a good book.

You can't please everyone, and I guess books can be a good example of that statement. I know a lot of people who liked this book very much, but on the other hand, I also know a few people who would not hesitate to burn this book. I'm on the positive side. I really enjoyed this short novel.

I've said this numerous times in my other reviews that I like character driven novels. This book obviously focused on Christopher's development more than the plot's. The author succeeded, because I've gotten attached to the little kiddo. I have a soft spot for people, more on children, with disabilities. I can't stomach to be annoyed at them because it's not something they can control. While I don't know anyone personally with autism, the author managed to give justice to the sickness. It's not the best book on autism, but it's a short preview of it.

I honestly don't like reading huge novels during the school year. I'd rather read those gigantic books during my breaks because I tend to enjoy them better when read at my own pace. Reading is not a task for me, but it's something that I consider to be leisure. Stress from the university is not something I could control, so reading shorter novels help me unwind at times. It's actually my exam week next week but I managed to squeeze this book in my hectic schedule. I didn't feel like rushing because it was so short to begin with. Aside from being short, it was also really entertaining.

Like I said, it's not a novel that everyone's going to love, but I'd recommend taking the risk and find out for yourself. Sometimes the opinion of others may seem right, but in the end it's all about what the novel made you feel after reading. You don't have to go with the flow and hate on something you actually like.

Final Rating: 3.5 stars

Do I have a mild case of Asperger's?

Things I do that are like things that Christopher does:

(2) Rely on a pattern of events to determine whether today will be an okay day. Christopher likes to count cars in the morning, I see if I can catch the subway as soon as I get into the station. If I can't, it's definitely not a good start to a potentially perfect day.

(3) Tune people out.

(5) Verbally analyze jokes that I don’t understand to the point that the joke is Just Not Funny Anymore, Please Stop.

(7) Wanting to be an astronaut as a kid because astronomy and physics made sense.

(11) Being such a huge believer in routine and order that if a bottle of water is misplaced on the kitchen counter or the TV stand is slightly awry, I feel disconcerted and uncomfortable until it is put away or straightened.

(13) Prime numbers are the coolest.

The similarities between Christopher's and my way of thinking makes me wonder if this is really how people with Asperger's think and reason. Did Mark Haddon adopt this familiar thinking pattern to make this book accessible to the readers? Or was it that the author couldn't help but write a novel this way since he doesn't have the syndrome either?

I was surprised to read this book from the perspective of a boy with Asperger’s. The little diagrams that Christopher uses to explain the logic games he plays were a refreshing element to the disjointed prose. However, after the initial novelty of the prose waned, I found it harder and harder to finish the book. At first, I found Christopher's lack of empathy interesting, but then I noticed the same pattern emerging again and again:

a. Parent says to not doing something.
b. Christopher does it anyway.
c. Parent gets angry.
d. Christopher gets angry.
e. Christopher’s anger manifests in black outs.
f. A lot of bad feeling results from the Parent.
g. Christopher plays with his Swiss knife.

It got old pretty quick.

A majority of the book focuses on the emotional trauma of the people around him. However, toward the end, when Christopher suffers emotionally from something to the point where it physically affects him, I found myself so numb that I couldn’t properly appreciate with what Christopher is trying to express. Simply, I stopped caring when it mattered. Maybe this emotional state was what Mark Haddon was trying to achieve, but I didn’t feel any particular attachment to the book by the end.

Also, I did not like the cursing. I don't mind cursing in general, but so many people yelled and cursed at Christopher that it made me wonder whether Haddon was trying to raise awareness of Asperger’s Syndrome by making people look like jerks. Not cool.

Overall, a solid 3.5 stars for the novelty and the entertainment. It was very interesting and very eye opening to go through life from the perspective of a boy with Aspergers. A star off for the lag toward the second half, but ultimately I don’t regret picking up the book!