Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, uses many techniques to keep the reader interested such as drama and comedy. The comedy that Haddon uses is a more sarcastic “you shouldn’t laugh at this” kind of funny which is a rare occurrence in novels so, thus, keeps you interested. Mark Haddon’s style is one which uses a comical main character, Christopher, who is surrounded by very serious events, but at the same time still learns many valuable lessons throughout the book. One lesson that Haddon teaches to his readers is that he thinks “..that people believe in heaven because they don’t like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don’t like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things in the rubbish”(Haddon). This is a very well developed thought that Haddon gives the reader to think about. These lessons also relate to the novel’s characters, however, because the most important points in the novel are when Christopher learns new things and new skills. Christopher is used to knowing all the answers to the questions he is asked because of his superior math skills and ability to remember almost anything; that is why it is very important when Christopher admits to not knowing things sometimes. Haddon illustrates this thought by telling us that “lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them. It’s just that scientists haven’t found the answer yet” (Haddon). This means simply that there are always answers to everything, even if you, personally, do not know them.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a very captivating book that outlines the life and trials of a boy named Christopher, a young, autistic boy who has an abnormally good memory. Although he is autistic he is also very smart which Haddon demonstrates by telling the reader that “being clever was when you looked at how things were and used the evidence to work out something new” (Haddon). Christopher uses this memory to help him win arguments and convince himself that he is not doing things wrong because he finds loopholes in things he is told not to do. He does this when his father sets out many rules for him to not be a detective, but Christopher remembers each exact thing and changes his actions slightly to fit them. This helps convey the books theme that honesty should always be used, but in real world situations, it can not always be avoided despite our best efforts. Overall, the story that covers a young, special, boy’s life problems, a father that lies consistently and a mother who disappeared when he was little, and shows the reader the inner workings of him and the way his brain works. This book will surely be an interest to all, and keep you reading until the very last page.