The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Say that 5 times fast!

or...

... they're the same book!

No. I am not becoming obsessive and only reading books about Autism. It just so happened that a colleague at work lent me House Rules and now, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It was an interesting little story; wow did I have a hard time keeping up with young Christopher Boone! This was a super quick read, and was VERY different from House Rules. If I were to compare the two main characters, Jacob in House Rules had Asperger's, while Christopher was a high functioning Autistic boy. What is interesting is how far literature has come in the last decade. I think the only time I had seen Autism in the "arts" was Rain Man. And, although I think that Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman did a heck of a job in showing us what (a form of) Autism was, these two books do show that clearly Autism is different for each person who has it. Hence, it being referred to as a Spectrum Disorder.

What each book does show is that family and loved ones are also affected. Now, let's not go out there and pity people with Autism in their families. Let's understand that when we see families dealing with children in public places who are having a tantrum, dealing with children who will only eat red food, dealing with their families period... we need to give them space and not stare or huff or judge. Know that the parents of this child are doing the best they can.


What did I learn from this book? Well, I learned that this young Autistic boy could remember details like a video camera. I learned that people in general are not as observant as they could be; nor are we very helpful when we aren't specifically asked to be. And lastly, I learned that "maths" are not my forte! Oh yes... you will understand what I mean after you read the book... but when you think that trivial things like the weather will affect whether you have a good day or not, ask yourself if this is logical. If your answer is yes, consider this... YOU and YOUR ACTIONS will control your day; not the colour of the car in front of you. Trust me... it will make sense after you read the book!!!


This was a clever story. A quick read and very enjoyable. It's about a boy, his pet rat, his love of dogs and his search for the truth! Because no matter what, the truth seems to be very important.


I promise, my next book is completely unrelated to the last two. And, it in fact has been borrowed by my "professional" friend, the Librarian... is promises not to disappoint.