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A review by paigerini
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this for class recently. I was told it was the first of its kind: a book from the perspective of an autistic teenager.
My MAJOR gripe with this novel is how Christopher is portrayed. I understand that he is (implied) on the autism spectrum, but his combination of traits/characteristics seemed almost too stereotypical that I was pulled out of the story. I did some research, and the author only used anecdotal evidence for Christopher's character and did no research on autism itself. I feel like the author wrote this book in a way to make the audience pity the people in Christopher's life, even though they do not have any idea how to interact with him properly. As a neurodivergent person, I cringed at how some sections vilified Christopher for things he has a hard time controlling. I understand that is part of the conflict and plot of the book, but I feel that the autism representation could've been handled better.
When it comes to the story, however, it was decent. The plot was compelling enough for me to fly through the latter half. Overall, an okay read.
My MAJOR gripe with this novel is how Christopher is portrayed. I understand that he is (implied) on the autism spectrum, but his combination of traits/characteristics seemed almost too stereotypical that I was pulled out of the story. I did some research, and the author only used anecdotal evidence for Christopher's character and did no research on autism itself. I feel like the author wrote this book in a way to make the audience pity the people in Christopher's life, even though they do not have any idea how to interact with him properly. As a neurodivergent person, I cringed at how some sections vilified Christopher for things he has a hard time controlling. I understand that is part of the conflict and plot of the book, but I feel that the autism representation could've been handled better.
When it comes to the story, however, it was decent. The plot was compelling enough for me to fly through the latter half. Overall, an okay read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
Minor: Vomit