Sep 15, 2013 11:31 AM
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“This is not a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them.”
I have often wondered how it would be if I were an emotionless person, with no feelings at for anything/anyone. Life would have been quite different, and I mostly used to imagine it in a good way only, never giving any thought to the negative aspect of it. I never knew there are already people like that in the world. ‘Autism’ is the name for such conditioning of mind, which is described as pervasive developmental disorder(and I wondered why it’s called as disorder) where a person is characterized by severe deficits in social interactions and communication and they are abnormally self- absorbed.
‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’(CIODINT), by Mark Haddon, is the story of a 15 year old boy, Christopher, who is suffering from Asperger Syndrome – high functioning Autism.
ABOUT THE PLOT: It all starts with the death/murder of a dog called Wellington. Christopher finds the dead body of the dog impaled on a Garden Fork. All suspicions lead to Chris and so he is blamed for the kill. Chris, don’t feel ashamed or anything - you see he is not capable of that – but he decides to do the detective part(following the techniques of his favorite Sherlock Holmes) and solve the mystery of ‘Who killed Wellington?’ Will he be able to solve it? Well, in turn of events it automatically gets resolved, but what amuses the most is the way he approaches it. During which he discovers and learns a lot many things about his family and neighborhood. During this secret investigation – secret because his father has forbidden him from the same – Chris comes to know that his mother is not actually dead(as told by his father) and that his father has lied to him.
How this little investigation of Chris leads him to travel from Swendon to London in search of his mother and how he disturbs and affects the lives of all that surrounds him, is what this book is all about.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Story is narrated in the words of Christopher, and that’s the biggest plus point of this book. Since it’s written from the perspective of a 15 year old boy that too suffering from Autism, all dialogues are quite simple, straight and funny. Every word is logical but totally lack emotions. Most wrenchy emotional moments are chronicled by a person who can’t fathom emotions. Plot wise, I must say, it’s good but writing doesn’t always sticks to it. It has been described as mystery novels at many a places but I don’t exactly feel so. Mystery of ‘Who killed Wellington?’ is not exactly the USP of this book. That mystery is solved in initial 100 pages itself, that too not with any dramatic effects, as one expects. USP of this book is the character of Christopher and the way he thinks, and the way this book is written from his perspective – his way of perceiving this world and the people around him. One who relates well to animals but finds it hard to understand human emotions. He is emotionally very weak and finds it really hard to understand the emotions of others. He takes their words literally in meaning, never understanding the feelings/emotions behind them. That many a times lead to some confusing and humors situations.
A genius with a superbly logical brain whose one of the habits is to count primary number, and that’s how he names the chapter of the book, in primary numbers. You can’t imagine the mathematical equations that he works on. Just like Sherlock Holmes, he very observant of things around him. So observant that when he visits a new place, away from his own street, he starts feeling sick as he finds it very difficult to capture and store all the information that he is looking at in his brain – so many streets, shops, people etc.
Most of the chapters in the book forms Christopher’s view points on different aspects ranging from Science, Math’s, Astronomy, and Geography to people, world and God. As you read, you feel the difference between your way of thinking and that of Christopher, which at times amazes you/ at times make you wonder/at times make you laugh/ and at many times make you feel irritated. But you must keep in mind, that the mind that this book portrays is different from the so called normal minds of this world.
Christopher trip to London; his investigation of the Murder and all the detective work; and most of all his viewpoint on things, most logical and straight, forms the most interesting part of this book.
A WORD ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Haddon is an English Novelist and Poet and is mostly famous for the book being reviewed i.e. ‘CIODINT’, for which he won numerous awards including White Bread Book Award for best novel and Best Book of the Year. I would really like to read more of his works. His writing style is really impressive. I hope the subjects of his other works are as curious as this one. When you tread on untraveled path; success, if you get it, is mostly everlasting. May be that’s why this book has already been part of 100 great books of all times, in many a lists. Quite an achievement considering that it’s first published in 2003 only.
LAST WORDS: ‘CIODINT’ is an amazingly different book to read. And you must read it for the way it brings Christopher’s thought process in words, in his own words, so to say. You will find it quite amazing to see how he behaves and how perceive things. There is lot of humor – intelligent and logical humor- and in a way it’s very smart book as well(one may not agree, if looked upon at from emotional standpoint). I know it’s not every ones cup of tea, but I will still recommend it very highly to all kind of readers. If this review has excited you, even a bit, do read ‘CIODINT’, as I feel, even after writing, this long, that I am still not able to portray it in right words.
P.S: As already said, name of the book is ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ but in MS its added as ‘The Curious Incident’. Why? I don’t know. That’s another Curious Incident, I guess. I wonder how Christopher would have decipher it.
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PYAR HUMEIN PHIR MILAEGA.
