The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an extraordinary book! By the end, I felt like I knew what it was to be autistic. I'm sure that there is much more to the mental state, but the book goes a long way to putting the reader into a brain that feels so foreign. The main character is so compelling. It is easy to see why neither of his parents can handle living with him on a day to day basis. I don't know why this didn't occur to me before, but there are all sorts of marginal parents around who do a terrible job with their children and a certain percentage of special needs children are born into these families. By the end of the book, Christopher seems more mature than either of his parents. I found myself cheering him on as he made his train journey and aching for him as he found out what his parents were really like. This is a must read.








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The Child Buyer

The Child Buyer by John Hersey


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this a long time ago...probably 30 years ago and thought it was one of my favorite books then. I've learned a lot more by then and I still think it is great, especially because I've run into a lot more politicians and bureaucrats since then. The plot centers on a stranger who comes to town and wants to buy an extremely intelligent boy because of his potential for his company. The scene is a Senate hearing in which some of the goofiest politicians attempt to decide if there is any wrong done. The people who come to testify are about the same. It reminds me a lot of Alice's tea party at the Mad Hatters. The dialog is wonderful!

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