If you’re looking for a witty book, full of mystery with a side of humor, the book “The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime” is the book for you. This book has all those characteristics and more. The author, Mark Haddon, stated on his website that he originally wrote the book for adults, but his publisher gave him the idea to write the book for both children and adults.

The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime is about a boy, whose name is Christopher, that discovers that his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and he becomes determined to find the killer. The setting begins on Randolph Street, which leads to dozens of other places that challenges Christopher to stay calm in the worst situations.

In the book, you’ll see Christopher fighting conquering his fears time and time again, whether it is going through his father’s forbidden bedroom or talking to strangers. Christopher’s development as a character is well thought out, which adds to the main plot of how Christopher deals with his autism. He has behavioral problems, that gets the best of him most of the time. An example of this is when Christopher and his mother went Christmas shopping, but the store was crowded and Christopher just shut down. When his mother went to touch him, he “shouted and knocked those mixers off the shelf and there was a big crash. And everyone turned round to see what was going on. And Mr. Land was really nice about it but there were boxes and bits of broken bowl on the floor and everyone was staring and I saw that you had wet yourself”
The author created Christopher to give readers a sense of what it’s like to be autistic, and show that it’s not just a disability, but it can be a bit like a superpower. Mark Haddon’s Style for the book is quite unique and original because of Christopher’s ability and how the story is told through his point of view. The story is actually is written as it is happening to Christopher, so the reader knows exactly as much information that Christopher knows. The author also used personal experiences to create an authentic experience in what it is like to be an autistic 16 year old boy.
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime was Mark Haddon’s big break, which had opened many doors for him. After the first 12 months of advertising the book at book readings, he simply and politely just said “No” to people that wanted him. He used this break to write his next book “Another spot to bother” and to create his painting and sculptures that are on his website.
I recommend this book because the book is simple to read, and can relate to young readers. We all have problems, no one likes to be touched by a stranger, under normal circumstances, and we all can relate to Christopher. He is a believable character, and he is familiar, yet foreign. That combination makes him a refreshing breath of clean air to a world of writing that is complex.