Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A Search for Truth
Many readers have discussed this novel and its use of a young autistic's voice in unraveling a murder, and other mysteries. While the book is a very absorbing read on that level (and I highly recommend it), the reader may discover fresh insights after the book is finished.What I have not yet seen discussed is the way the young narrator examines the nature of Truth and its relationship to Time, and how the he realizes that Time is nothing but a frame in which to view Truth. Accordingly, Christopher's understandings of numerous Truths in the book change with Time. Past events which Christopher has understood as True are not necessarily so, and in his mind future events are simply Truths that have yet to happen. This realization is masterfully and somewhat unexpectedly (at least to this reviewer) revealed as the book unfolds. As someone whose entire life (past and future) revolves around absolute Truths, the effect of any introduced uncertainty to Christopher's world is shattering. Though I have worked with communication-challenged young people, this book made me aware of a unique perspective on how such individuals may come to understand what is Real and True and reach an understanding of the world which is vastly different from the world that most of us filter, but no less True. It has changed my understanding of perception forever.
Rating: - Amazing
I found this novel to be incredible. Mark Haddon's story, narrated by an autistic teenager is really amazing. Christopher Boone is out walking in the middle of the night when he discovers that a dog on his street has been murdered with a pitchfork. Despite his father's warnings to mind his own business, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who killed the dog and is equally determined to write it all down and his writings become the novel. The novel really isn't about this poor dog, rather, it's about Christopher, his life, his family, his school, his thought-processes. I confess, I don't know much more about autism than what I have read in various magazine articles, but Christopher's voice is certainly convincing, which is quite an amazing accomplishment. Christopher is brilliant in many aspects--mathmatically and logically, nothing can get past him and yet emotionally he is in the dark. Christopher acknowledges his shortcomings and explains them, very logically. Haddon's undertaking is intriguing--a novel narrated by an autistic--and he carries it off very, very well. Enjoy.
Rating: - Lives Up to the Rave Reviews
You may have read (in the rave New York Times review(s) and elsewhere) that "Curious Incident" is a (fictional) first-person account of the life of Christopher Boone, an autistic teenager. He's a math whiz who can't stand to be touched, who groans and screams when approached by anybody except close family, who carries red food coloring with him so he won't have to eat anything yellow or brown. A neighbor's dog is brutally killed with a garden fork; Christopher's journals describe his attempt to solve the crime. (True to his disorder, he uses only prime numbers to number the chapters, with occasional departures from his investigation to describe interesting math problems). His investigation leads him deep into his own family's sad secrets.But CI is definitely neither a 'disease-of-the-month' type of novel, nor a detective whodunit. You may struggle at first to figure out who the 'bad guy' is, as you might with a 'real' detective novel, only to realize that there aren't any-Christopher's autism seems to bring everyone to the end of his/her rope. On the other hand, the view of autism is not 'four-handkerchief' tragic, either. Christopher, despite his problems, grows and changes. He proves to be a capable detective; he overcomes tremendous fears to solve the mystery; he even becomes the first student in the history of his school to pass his A-levels. It is really is more of a coming-of-age family drama, it just happens to be told by the autistic member of the family. It's a fast read, told with a surprisingly light-hearted, even humorous touch, and the plot carries several entertaining surprises. Readers, please don't turn aside this book because you think it might be 'heavy' or sad. Go ahead and take it on vacation. It's sure to be one of the best books of the summer!
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