Here is my book review of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I wrote it as a review for New York Magazine. Let me know what you think!
Under the staircase leading up to my boyfriend’s old apartment in Manhattan, the apartment tenants would leave things they no longer wanted, but thought someone else could possibly use; pots and pans, shoe racks, but most often books. My boyfriend deemed this place the “Under the Stair Store” and it was always exciting to come into his building, and before ascending the stairs up to Apartment number 5, stop to peruse the goods available at the “Under the Stair Store”. I tell you this because I one day found Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time under the stairs, and I will admit that had it not been sitting there, for free, amongst a pile of other books, I would never have picked this book up.
The hype surrounding this novel, and in fact any novel that rises to national bestseller acclaim, makes me skeptical. The elitist part of my personality takes over and I assume this book must be dumbed down literature to have appealed to such a massive audience. However, when faced with a free copy of the book, I couldn’t resist and I’m not afraid to admit when I am wrong. So here goes: I was wrong about this book. Haddon creates real, interesting and sympathetic characters and weaves them into an original plot. This book is a touching and compelling read.
The Curious Incident is narrated by Christopher Boone, an autistic teen who lives with his father in England. His neighbor’s dog is killed, and Christopher makes it his mission to solve the mystery of the dog’s death. We stay closely within Christopher’s head through the entire novel, so the reader often has their own mysteries to solve, beside the mystery of who killed the neighbor’s dog; what is truly happening to and around Christopher that he does not understand, but we do? While at times this device can seem heavy handed, it can also be quite effective and touching. For example, Christopher does not like to be touched, so instead of hugging:
“[Father] held up his right hand and spread his fingers out in a fan. I held up my left hand and spread my fingers out in a fan and we made our fingers and thumbs touch each other. We do this because sometimes Father wants to give me a hug, but I do not like hugging people so we do this instead and it means that he loves me.”
We see Christopher “hugging” his father like this throughout the novel, but it is when we imagine the feelings of his father, something which Christopher cannot do, that the reader is really touched.
One particularly haunting moment in the novel is when Christopher tells of a dream he frequently has and loves, “And in the dream nearly everyone on the earth is dead, because they have caught a virus. … People catch [the virus] because of the meaning of something an infected person says and the meaning of what they do with their faces when they say it.” Throughout the novel we are privy to Christopher’s private thoughts, including the fact that he cannot understand people’s subtle facial expressions. “And eventually there is no one left in the world except people who don’t look at other people’s faces and who don’t know what these pictures mean.”
We sympathize with Christopher throughout the novel, and at the same time, as non-autistic people, we are separate from him. This moment where he imagines the rest of the world, the people who look at other people’s faces, which is us, the reader, as being dead and this being a fantasy, is a moment of pause for the reader. This moment throws a spotlight on the feelings of fear and lack of understanding surrounding people with autism. We want desperately for them to somehow be able to function as we do, but it is not often that we think that they would want us to go away and let them function as they do now. And while Haddon’s novel is an entertaining read, this is probably the most impressive accomplishment; he allows us to understand a mindset that is almost impossible for us to comprehend. The novel may take place in modern day England, but it takes us into another world all together.
Comments (3)
Hi Jenna. This is a good start. You have the tone just about right for New York magazine, I think.
That said, New York is elitist in many ways, but it doesn't seem to me that it's particularly elitist about books. Isn't the magazine aimed at people who buy best-sellers-- particularly literary ones with an intellectual dimension? What do you think?
I like your idea that the book involves two mysteries--the one Christopher is solving and one the reader is solving, about Christopher's mind. I think you should make this more of a focus. Get to it sooner and go further with it. Give us more detail about Christopher's mind, how it works, how we know, what techniques Haddon uses to show us. Help readers see where they're heavy handed. Help us see why they work anyway. You might also want to include some details about autism, to flesh out this discussion. You might even mention Zunshine.
Be careful not to over-use certain words-- like "touching." You can get away with it once, but not twice, I don't think. Also, just be sure you are careful with editing and polishing when you revise. Save this for a last step. Your prose is readable and pretty clean, but there are little editorial lapses. For example, "we stay closely within Christopher's head. . ." is a little awkward. How might you streamline it? Be attentive to moments like this. Strive to make every sentence as strong as your clearest, most precise, and forceful.
Hopefully your other readers will weigh in and give you their advice shortly. Let us all know if you have questions, or want to run anything by us, when you start to revise.
Good choice of book, by the way!
JDT
Posted by Jason Tougaw | October 27, 2007 4:24 PM
Posted on October 27, 2007 16:24
Jenna,
Good draft of this review. I've always been curious about this book as it has been recommended to me by a number of people. They have offered to lend me a copy but so fare have not delivered.
I enjoyed how you opened the piece, bringing in your "stair store." I also was intrigued by your admitting your elitism, that you essentially judged the book by its cover, and reputation.
Generally as a review I felt I needed more of a set-up about the text itself. It reads to me as is I go from these personal insights right into "the review." I wanted more of a transition between these elements.
I also felt I needed a bit more background for the text, besides the obvious uniqueness of the story, how is this piece different to and informative for the general reader?
I would expand the piece to include these elements. I would like to see more of the personal insights as well. To me, that is your "hook" with this piece which can change it from a general review, to one that is personally meaningful. How does the narrative you are reviewing relate to what your are telling us about your assumptions regarding these types of books?
Solid start. Email me if you have any specific questions or if you need any clarification.
Thanks,
JRCurrie
Posted by John Currie | October 28, 2007 4:58 PM
Posted on October 28, 2007 16:58
I'm glad you liked the book, because I have ordered a copy for myself, and was looking forward to reading it eventually. I think your opening description of finding the book under the stairs is somewhat off-topic for a book review, but could be a nice, chatty lead-in for a magazine that likes personal opinion pieces.
The book description contains a good combination of enthusiasm and specifics, encouraging the reader to get a copy, in order to share your experience. And the topic itself is presented with humor and sympathy, and shock, offering the reader an unforgettable insight, whether or not he reads the book.
Posted by Lucy Schmeidler | October 29, 2007 7:17 PM
Posted on October 29, 2007 19:17