Book Review on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

My friends on social media have used the adjectives 'beautiful' and 'serious' to describe this book. It was the last book I picked up in 2016 and the first I put down in 2017. It is unlike any book I have ever read, being written from the POV of an autistic teen. He is Christopher Boone, resident of Swindon, a small sub-urban town in England. His thoughts and way of life are illustrated in great detail in this work of fiction. There are several quirky things to note in the book. For example, the chapters aren't numbered 1, 2, 3... as in regular novels but as 2, 3, 5, 7, 11........because Christopher likes prime numbers. 

Christopher is smart. He understands maths, physics and basic science better than most people. He likes living life according to set rules and plans. He likes knowing what is going to happen and when; predictability and pattern keep him happy. He lives with his father and goes to school by bus, counting the number of red or yellow cars he encounters on the way. If he sees red cars consecutively, he believes the day will be a good one, whereas seeing yellow cars indicates a bad day for him. This is because he doesn't like yellow or brown, or being touched. 

For someone who lives such a restrictive life, Christopher performs brave feats during the short span of the book. The writer provides a very succinct picture of the brilliant mind that Christopher has. The curious incident of the dog in the night time sets off events that turn Christopher's organized life upside down. And yet he emerges triumphant, having achieved little feats that for someone like him are huge accomplishments. 

In every book I read, I look for something to relate to. In this particular book, I could understand how much Christopher was bothered by "change of plans". I find it very difficult to go on impromptu trips, or having my plans intervened by other people's lives. For Christopher, such changes are many multitudes more difficult to adapt to. And that made me feel sad for him. All he wants is for life to run on a fixed route at a set time, like trains. That we do not have such control over our own lives is something hard to understand, even for those of us who have an easier time living life. 

It is most definitely one of the better books I have read over the years. I'd recommend it to people of all ages because the central character is one that any decent human being would like to understand better.