A truly remarkable novel about an autistic boy.
'The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead. There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog.'
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone.
Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's, a form of autism. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
Christopher is a brilliant creation, and Mark Haddon's depiction of his world is deeply moving, very funny and utterly convincing. The novel is being published simultaneously for adults by Jonathan Cape and for children by David Fickling, publisher of Philip Pullman. We are convinced that both audiences will recognise it as one of those very rare books that change the way you see everything.
About The Author
Mark Haddon is an author, illustrator and screenwriter who has written fifteen books for children and won two BAFTAs. He lives in Oxford.
Industry Reviews
Wondrous...brilliantly inventive...dazzling. Not simply the most original novel I've read in years - it's also one of the best * The Times *
Exceptional by any standards. Both funny and deeply moving * Sunday Telegraph *
Outstanding. Heartening as well as richly entertaining. A stunningly good read * Independent *
Superbly realised. A funny as well as a sad book. Brilliant * Guardian *
A remarkable book. An impressive achievement and a rewarding read * Time Out *
A magical book. It's one of those books that makes you feel as though you have been on an emotional rollercoaster. * Carrie Grant, Sunday Express *
Brilliantly empathetic. Believe the hype: a brilliant, heart-warming book * Scotsman *
In telling a painful story in the voice of a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's, Haddon broadens ordinary minds and helps to understand how they work, too. * Daily Telegraph *
Mark Haddon's portrayal of an emotionally dissociated mind is a superb achievement. He is a wise and bleakly funny writer with rare gifts of empathy -- Ian McEwan
I have never read anything quite like Mark Haddon's funny and agonizingly honest book, or encountered a narrator more vivid and memorable. I advise you to buy two copies; you won't want to lend yours out * Arthur Golden, author of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' *
