The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeChristopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. Routine, order and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher’s mind. And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon’s choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotion. The effect is dazzling, making for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing is a mind that perceives the world literally. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of the freshest debuts in years: a comedy, a heartbreaker, a mystery story, a novel of exceptional literary merit that is great fun to read. |
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 3 |
Section 3 | 27 |
Section 4 | 125 |
Section 5 | 140 |
Section 6 | 147 |
Section 7 | 157 |
Section 8 | 185 |
Section 9 | 189 |
Section 10 | 199 |
Section 11 | 202 |
Section 12 | 204 |
Section 13 | 211 |
Section 14 | 217 |
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Common terms and phrases
451c Chapter Road A-level Alexander angry anymore asked Bakerloo Line Baskerville called Christ Christopher Christopher Boone decided Doctor Watson door eyes Father shouted feel fingers fork frightened fucking garden going grabbed groaning hand happen HARROW & WEALDSTONE head hurt inside killed Wellington kitchen knew lady little station live London N8 London NW2 5NG looked lots Marilyn vos Savant maths A level means meant Milkybar Monty Hall Problem Mother move noise orangutans picture pocket police policeman prime numbers Rhodri scared screamed Shears Shears's house Sherlock Holmes shit side Siobhan smell someone sometimes sorry stars started stay stood stop street Swindon Swiss Army knife talk tell things thought ticket Toby toilet told took train station tunnel walked watch Willesden Junction window yellow