The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Mark Haddon. Recorded Books, LLC. 2003. Recorded by arrangement with Gillion Aitken Associates, Ltd.

Book Review by Jane
This recorded book is the first one to which I listened since my children were young. I did not know what I was missing. Aimed at older children or young adults, the story was an enjoyable and poignant visit into the mind of a young man who confronts the world with a thoroughly logical, mathematical toolset, even when things cannot always fit as snuggly as he would like. One thing about Christopher Boone that is striking is that he knows himself very well. He understands his limits and yet moves towards accomplishment, even if it requires him to be extremely brave. The story is told by the fictional Christopher Boone himself. As he embarks on solving a mystery, his story is both amusing and engaging, and encourages sympathy as well as admiration from the audience. While the main thrust of this book is the character of Christopher himself, the mystery carries quite a punch. As it turns out, the people who are in Christopher’s life are never perfect, and he has to come to terms with this fact eventually. He handles this realization in his own way, with the old, familiar reactions. On one level, this story does not finish up exactly how the reader would think; on another level, it does. Maybe the moral of Christopher’s story is this: Sometimes relationships can be predictable, even if circumstances and people cannot. But there are more morals to this story than that.

This book was #13 on the “Today Show Book Club” list. A first glance of their web site, this book does not belong there. How could this book not outshine books like Your Hired, by Bill Rancic of Apprentice fame (what? who?); and We Got Fired, by Harvey Mackay (what?); as well as various cookbooks, etc.? Upon further observation, there is a link for fall novels, which may contain some gems. My view is that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a wonderful book and deserves good company and recognition.

Jane.