Plot Summary
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time begins with the murder of a poodle, Wellington, that has had a pitchfork stuck through it. The narrator, Christopher John Francis Boone, is the first person to find the dog, and he holds its still warm body. He resolves to uncover the mystery of the dog's death, and doing so proves to be particularly harrowing for Christopher because he is autistic. Christopher is very comfortable with facts including all of the countries of the world and their capitals, mathematics, and animals, but he is confused by the wide spectrum of human emotions. Solving the mystery of the dog leads Christopher to confusing information about the death of his mother two years ago. Ultimately, investigating the dog's death demands that Christopher uncover the truth when he is being told a lie, take a trip away from the comforts of his home, and face some of the contradictions of the people he loves. Told in first person, the novel is written as Christopher's journal and includes his interpretations of events but also the math problems, charts, and models that make sense to him and provide comfort and order in the midst of an unruly existence.
Critical Evaluation
Part of the joy of reading this novel comes from thinking about the events from an entirely different perspective. As an autistic young man, Christopher longs to understand the world at face-value, hates being touched, feels confused by jokes and anything else that involves double meaning. In spite of these challenges, he finds the courage to face the world and solve a mystery in the spirit of one of his heroes, Sherlock Holmes. Through Christopher’s journal entries, we get a peek into his mind, including the pictures of human faces that he refers to to make sense of what might be going on with other people, the math problems that give him great joy, and the colors of taxis that he views during the day which determine the outcome of how he will feel throughout the day. These entries give us insights into what makes Christopher tick and a sense of pride in his accomplishment when he finally triumphs in solving the “mystery of the dog in the nighttime” which demands that he engage with far more than raw data.
Reader’s Annotation
When Christopher finds a dog with a pitchfork stuck through it, he resolves to solve the mystery of who killed it. Solving a mystery is that much more difficult for Christopher because he is autistic and has a hard time interpreting human emotions.
Information about the Author
According to the British Council, “Mark Haddon was born in Northampton in 1962. He graduated from Oxford University in 1981, returning later to study for an M.Sc. in English Literature at Edinburgh University. He then undertook a variety of jobs, including work with children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. He also worked as an illustrator for magazines and a cartoonist for New Statesman, The Spectator, Private Eye, the Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian (for which he co-wrote a cartoon strip).
His first book for children, Gilbert's Gobstopper, appeared in 1987 and was followed by many other books and picture books for children, many of which he also illustrated. These include the 'Agent Z' series and the 'Baby Dinosaurs' series. From 1996 he also worked on television projects, and created and wrote several episodes for Microsoap, winning two BAFTAs and a Royal Television Society Award for this work.
In 2003 his novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, was published and has been hugely successful. It is the first book to have been published simultaneously in two imprints - one for children and one for adults. It has won a string of prestigious awards, including the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year. His second novel, A Spot of Bother, was published in 2006 and shortlisted for the 2006 Costa Novel Award.
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Mark Haddon teaches creative writing for the Arvon Foundation and Oxford University.”Genre
Realistic Fiction/ Mystery/ Cross-Over
Curriculum Ties
This would be an excellent literature circle option for an interdisciplinary English/ Health unit on disabilities, mental health, and wellness.
Booktalking Ideas
Describe the scene of the crime. Explain that other mysteries lurk behind this one--is Christopher up for the job of solving the crime?
Reading Level
Ages 14+
Challenge Issues
N/A
Why Included?
This novel has broad appeal to a wide range of readers. It is not just a mystery that investigates what went wrong with the dog Wellington--it is also a window onto an autistic young man’s thought processes. Many of my former students have loved this novel (an Alex Award winner), and so I decided to include it.
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