The curious incident of the dog at midnight
The curious incident of the dog at midnight —The Curious Incident of the Negrin in the Night-Time, by its original English title—is a detective novel written by British author and artist Mark Haddon. This work, which turns out to be the first feature of the professor, was published for the first time by the Jonathan Cape publishing house, and went on sale on May 1, 2003. Later, the title was translated into Spanish by lulu.
270 pages are enough to spin an award-winning story. The brilliance with which Haddon builds his characters —which he engages in a plot that at first seems for children, but is not at all—, at the same time, he seeks to maturely reflect how the world is seen behind the pupils of a person who suffers from one of the variants of the autism spectrum (until 2013 recognized as Asperger).
Synopsis of The curious incident of the dog at midnight
a different boy
The term autistic is never directly exposed in the novel. However, on the flaps and back covers of the book it has been mentioned that the protagonist is an individual diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Although, in reality, much of his personality also emulates highly-functioning autistics. Either way, his attitudes and actions make it clear to all the characters that this is a different boy.
Christopher John Francis Boone, Fifteen years old, lives with his father Ed in Swindon, a town located in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. There, he develops a somewhat restricted daily life, which is beneficial for the main character, since one of his favorite activities is to maintain order in his environment.
To Christopher he likes lists, facts and concrete things, and her biggest dream is not to have to answer to anyone for her unusual behavior.
Wellington, Mrs. Shears's dog
Ed tells Christopher that Judy, his mother, died two years ago, so the boy must live with her absence. One early morning, the protagonist finds his neighbor's dog, Mrs. Shears, dead.. The woman calls the police and accuses the boy of murdering her beloved Wellington.
When one of the officers touches Christopher, he is enraged, and punches him.. This fact sends him to prison for a short time, although with a police warning for assaulting an element. At that time it is recorded that Boone doesn't like to be touched.
Later, Christopher decides to try to solve the case of Wellington's death. To do this, he keeps a perfect record of his deductions. One day, his father discovers the diary, and confiscates it for fear that he might get into trouble..
When the main character searches through things, be his father to retrieve your notebook, finds several letters addressed to him from his mother. The missives are dated after Judy's supposed death, meaning that she never actually died.
a painful confession
After realizing that his mother is still alive and that his father lied to him for years, Christopher is completely shaken. The young man struggles, trembles, moans and vomits for several hours. When his father returns and realizes the disaster, he confesses that he was the one who murdered Mrs. Shears's dog in a fit of rage. The man had asked her neighbor to live together and she turned him down. Also, Ed admits that Judy is still alive.
After seeing himself betrayed by his father, and afraid that he might hurt him too, Christopher escapes to go live with his mother, who has lived with Mr. Shears for years. The boy is guided by the words in Judy's letters, which take him to London with Toby, his house rat.
The boy feels overwhelmed by all the information and stimuli he receives from the streets. He is in such a sensitive state that people, trains, things overwhelm him, but he manages to get to his mother's home.
a troubled end
Judy is really happy to see her son againSo she decides to keep him with her in the small apartment she shares with Mr. Shears, who is not comfortable with the new arrangement.
In the end, the adults argue, and Judy decides to return to Swindon with Christopher., so that he can sit for the Higher Bachelor's exam in Mathematics. The boy passes the test with an A, which motivates him to apply for the next levels and enter the university to be a scientist.
Despite everything that happened, Judy allows Ed to see her son for a few minutes a day. The man gives Christopher a puppy, and tells him that no matter how long it takes, he is willing to work as hard as possible to win back his trust.
5 curiosities about Christopher John Francis Boone
- Christopher does not acknowledge the expressions or emotions of others;
- Does not understand jokes or metaphors;
- He is afraid in strange places, and does not like strangers;
- Presses fingertips against people to show affection;
- He hates the colors yellow and brown.
About the author, Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon was born in 1962, in Northampton, UK. Haddon earned a degree in English Literature from Merton College in OxfordHe also studied at the University of Edinburgh. Since then he has dedicated himself to the literary area in multiple aspects, such as dramaturgy for theater, television and cinema, the creation of children's stories and poems illustrated by himself.
The author worked in an educational program for people with motor and cognitive disabilities, which was a great impetus for the creation of his first novel. Currently, Haddon works as a professor of creative literature at his alma mater, as well as at the Arvon Foundation.. Mark is a born artist, as he is also dedicated to painting and abstract art.
Other books by Mark Haddon
Young adult novels
- a little inconvenience (2006);
- The sinking of the pier (2018)
Children's books
- Agent Z Meets the Masked Crusader (1993);
- Agent Z Goes Wild (1994);
- Agent Z and the Killer Bananas (2001)