Reaction to The Curious Incident...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time by Mark Haddon is a very interesting book, to say the least. The perspective of a protagonist with a mental handicap is something I have never experienced before, and I enjoyed the change of pace that came along with the unique perspective. I can't help but wonder, however, how accurate this perspective is to what actually goes through the mind of one with a mental disability. Obviously, everyone's mind is different so there is no true way to tell how accurate this book is, but I really wish there were. I truly wonder what goes through not only the minds of the handicapped, but I wonder what is going through everybodys' minds.  I'm just very curious, is all.

I also found it very intriguing how Christopher's father treated him. In all honesty, I found Christopher's father's actions just as confusing as Christopher's antics throughout the novel. I understand that living with a family member who has a disability must be confusing, difficult, and frustrating to say the least, but I don't understand why Christopher's father did many things. First off, WHY DID HE KILL A DOG?! I will never understand that one, especially because I am a dog lover. I can see why Mr. Boone would be upset all the time, but why take it out on the dog? That seems very twisted to me, at least. Secondly, why does he engage Christopher physically all the time?  He must know by now that Christopher doesn't like being touched, so why put yourself in that position? Those are just two of the many actions that confused me about Mr Boone.

On a brighter, less inquisitive note, I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, and I am very picky about endings. Generally, I hate happy endings for the simple fact that they are so darn predictable in most novels that I have read. This book, however, really didn't ever have a set path, so I had no idea that Christopher would be getting a dog or working to retool his relationship with his father. I was pleasantly surprised, for once, and that made me enjoy the book a great deal more. There is nothing I hate more than a really poor, predictable ending. What is the best part about the ending? I will tell you. The best part about the ending is the fact that CHRISTOPHER GETS A DOG!!!

I LOVE DOGS
Also, I love my dog. HE'S THE MAN. Word.