Haddon, Mark "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"

Haddon, Mark "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" - 2003

This was one of our most discussed books - because of its contents. We all agreed that we liked the book, it was well written, the style technique was very good, you could really feel with them, understand the issue now, some shed a tear at the end. The author tries to highlight that autistic figure/feel and accomplishes it very well. The book was written very discreetly, you could notice that he worked with children.

One would have thought Mark Haddon had the syndrome himself. Someone read it twice and noticed different things as the first time.

We also admired the ability the British have to take these families and put that into perspective, make a dysfunctional family seem funny at times and so make them look "normal". The author made it easier to read about these problems with his comical side.

It was interesting to discuss this with people looking at the situation from so many different levels, members with experience or no experience with autism, social workers, nurses and members who never worked with children. One of our members studied early childhood education and could explain a lot to us.

Some of us were surprised that we liked it because we didn't anticipate that. Someone said she wasn't prepared to enjoy it. But we all did.

We agreed that every child is so unique and has different needs. It's rewarding when they trust you and so disturbing if they can't get close. If there was a solution to heal autism, should we use it? These people see the world with other eyes and can contribute a lot if we let them.

We discussed this in our international book club in May 2008 and in our international online book club in January 2026.

Here is what was said:

We agreed that it is a fantastic and engaging book. Even though the story is told from the perspective of a teenage boy, the narrative voice feels clear and focused rather than simplistic.

We talked about the writing style and how the use of lists, diagrams, and logical explanations reflects Christopher’s way of thinking. Instead of explaining autism directly, the book shows how he experiences the world, which led to reflections on psychology and different ways of understanding reality.

There was also some recognition in smaller details, such as a preference for structure, sensitivity to noise or disorder, and the use of logic to manage emotions. This supported the idea that ways of thinking often exist on a spectrum.

While the novel begins as a mystery, it develops into a story about trust, family relationships, fear, and independence. Christopher’s journey was seen as meaningful and emotionally effective, despite the restrained and factual tone.

Overall, the book was experienced as both thought-provoking and enjoyable, and it gave us plenty to reflect on beyond the story itself.

Our leader tried looking through our previous reading list if we might have read some books related to autism, and Flowers for Algernon is one. Have you read other novels related to autism or do you know some to recommend to the group?

From the back cover:

 

 "'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down."

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2024.