The Curious Incident

I just finished reading this book by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Obviously it is a book for children and about children. That is why it is a winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year.

The writer is a British author, illustrator and screen writer who has written fifteen books for children and won two BAFTAs. But his credentials were not the one that made me noticed the book. His writing style and presentation made me understand that children books like his should not only be read by children but mostly by adults so as to let them understand children the more.

And what more if the story is about a special need child? Well, we could not judge a mother, especially, on how she deals with her special need child. She may be lacking in patience or perseverance but then there would always be love she feels for her child. But then, if a mother leaves and abandon a special need child and left him to the care of a father realizing that the father alone could take care of the child, how could we judge her? And is it right for a father to make a lie and made it known to the child that the mother already passed away?

Well, there are many reactions to this. For me, whether both parents have their own issues in their own personal lives, I still believe that parenting is a responsibility. And that our own children are God’s gifts to us.

The story is heart warming, really. Christopher, the main protagonist in the story, the special child, made me understand that every child is really unique. His parting words are just fitting.

“And then I will get a First Class Honours Degree and I will become a scientist.

And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of who killed Wellington? And I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.”

And to Mr. Mark Haddon, many thanks for your nice book.