The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

By: Mark Haddon

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone has Asperger's Syndrome, a condition similar to autism. He doesn't like to be touched or meet new people, he cannot make small talk, and he hates the colors brown and yellow. He is a math whiz with a very logical brain who loves solving puzzles that have definite answers.

One night, he observes that the neighbor's dog has been killed, since it is not moving and has a large garden fork stuck in its body. Christopher knows this is wrong. He has never left his street on his own before, but now he'll have to in order to find out who killed the dog. What he discovers will shake the very foundation of his perfectly ordered life.

Critically acclaimed author Mark Haddon, a two-time BAFTA winner, crafts a stunning masterpiece that is funny, honest, and incredibly moving.

©2003 Mark Haddon (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

• Alex Award Winner, 2004

"The novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice." (Publishers Weekly)
"Fresh and inventive." (Booklist)
"Smart, honest and wrenching....Will quickly hook you in." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Gloriously eccentric and wonderfully intelligent." (The Boston Globe)

Loved it

Starts off slowly, but quickly becomes very engaging. A lovely book. Very reminiscent of Garth Steins The Art of Racing in the Rain. And the narrator was very good. He definitely added a depth dimension to the story

This story may make you think.

At 68 years old I am beyond too much curiosity about myself I am what I am and regret very little about my life. One of my grandchildren has been diagnosed with a mild case of autism/asburghers (sp). Luckily, his learning skills are superior and he has very good social skills thanks in part to modern medicine.
Thanks to very good luck, I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him and observe him. I have always seen a lot of me in him. I kind of knew what was going on, thinking back to my youth and still have some of the same issues. This book made me see it much clearer and make me feel better about how my grandchildren are very lucky to be alive today.
I don't believe I had heard of autism til 15-20 years ago. I hadn't heard of asburgers until the diagnosis was made 6 years ago. Strict discipline was the cure in my youth. Fortunately for me I had parents who were understanding yet disciplined and let me live my youth in a structured yet independent life style. In spite of what some of the nuns said, I turned out okay.
Reader, if I have not lost you, these are the reasons why you should read this book.

Opened my eyes and heart...

I found this book profoundly affecting, and a near miracle of empathy and immersion into an area I never thought possible to penetrate. Let me preface by saying that I have a grandson with Asperger's syndrome with whom I have crafted several delicious rituals. My favorite is having him draw a vehicle... a submarine, a steam shovel, a shark.....whatever comes to his mind that day. We then hit the garage and workbench and build it out of foam, wood, scrap etc. His precision in commanding my hands is a marvel.

This book has taken my understanding of my grandson's processes to a level I never thought possible. But far from that .... it is a gripping listen, with never a doubt that the voice you hear (both spoken and written) is that of the child.

I thank the author for such an enlightening gift.

The funniest and coolest book

I have found the best book I have every read in my whole life I can’t wait to read more books like this

best book ever

I loved the book
The book was ver very good and amU recommended it to more adult readers.

entertaining

Loved the story and the narrator. I could hardly wait for the time to listen again.

Very Unusual Story

I thought this was a very interesting and unusual story. I enjoyed the style of the writing very much.

Good, relaxing listen.

I listened to this title after finishing Chernow's Hamilton biography and found it to be just what I was looking for. The story narrated Christopher, an autistic mathematic savant, though ostensibly a detective story, becomes a journey about the meaning of love and understanding between people with great differences. Though some of the characters are a bit shallow (Christopher's mother, for instance), you come to care enough about Christopher that you barely notice.

The reader has also done a nice job. Though it takes a lot from a reader to provide a reason for listening to a novel, this production certainly does not hinder the enjoyment of the narrative.

One note of caution. The novel includes several graphics, charts, and diagrams (and a mathematical proof) that the audio book, obviously, does not. It is a good idea to stop by a book store and peruse the book so that you don't miss anything.

Great read but . . .

I thought the story line was great. The perspective was different and I was very much caught up in the story. I very much wish there was a rating type system for books. This was from AudibleKids! What!! This book has more "F" words then I can remember. It also has other another sexual graphic comment in it. It is highly inappropriate for kids. This book would have been one I would have definitely recommended to others if it was not so laden with curse words. No such recommendations coming.

On a side note, why is it becoming more commonplace to have such strong language in these types of books? It adds NOTHING to the storyline. Maybe it just appeals to another audience. Good books with a good storyline will always stand on there own!

Well done - not overdone

This book does an excellent job of telling a story of a young man with severe disability. The book clearly separates the difficulties of this young man's alternate perceptions of reality and mental retardation.

The workings of the human mind are complex and those of us whose minds process the world and perceive in the "normal" as in statistically normal manner are too quick to dismiss or throw away those who experience the world differently. Different working brain is not necessarily crazy or retarded, but can lead to serious difficulties for the human who is born with it.

This book shows us the difference. Well written and worth the read.