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A review by ageckocalledachilles
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I found this book funny and cool when I first read it at 11 years old, but since then I have grown up and come to realise that it wasn't that great.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT
Christopher is treated with mingled pity and irritation by the author, to the extent that his father is portrayed as 'the reasonable parent' (he hits Christopher at several points. That's literal child abuse.) The portrayal of autism is accurate in places, but in others comes off as stereotyped and poorly researched. In summary, if you're gonna write a book where the adults treat a child like shit, don't imply that it's justified bc their disability is 'just so hard to deal with'.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT
Christopher is treated with mingled pity and irritation by the author, to the extent that his father is portrayed as 'the reasonable parent' (he hits Christopher at several points. That's literal child abuse.) The portrayal of autism is accurate in places, but in others comes off as stereotyped and poorly researched. In summary, if you're gonna write a book where the adults treat a child like shit, don't imply that it's justified bc their disability is 'just so hard to deal with'.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, and Death of parent