The author, Mark Haddon, spins a brilliant tale from the perspective
of an autistic boy. The book follows the cold rationale of a mind that
is not capable of emotion, yet has the innocence of a child.
Christopher, the protagonist and narrator, talks about the his daily
routine and chance adventure in great detail and makes otherwise
mundane situations seem eventful.
What I loved about the book
was the authors ability to not only transport you into the boys
surroundings, but also give you a spare set of blinkers so that you can
empathize with boy’s world-view. As I mentioned earlier, the book is
brilliantly detailed and most readers will lap up the puzzles and
diagrams that dot the pages.
I don’t know how much the author
intended it, but the book brings out some curious aspects of British
society. I was intrigued by the integration of Indians, people and
culture, portrayed in the book. We seem so conditioned about the fact
that Indians are a separate commune everywhere that it did not occur to
me, until I read the book, that, the Indian diaspora in Britain is
trying to lead a normal life too. The tattered family fabric of modern
nuclear families was the second striking aspect of this book. Whether
the author was reporting these as a matter of fact, or making a
statement(about both immigrants or troubled families) is something you
will have to decide.
The story starts off well, however, the
pace tapers off after the first fifty pages. The plot is good, however,
it gets a bit predictable at places. If your in the mood for some fast
paced action, your completely in the wrong direction. I had to overcome
the tedium of some parts of the book by telling myself that this is an
autistic kid speaking. It will be great for relaxed readers who like to
soak in more than the obvious.
I would recommend this book with
qualification, more for the innovative writing style and unique plot
than for overall experience.
Memorable Quote
“He was asking too many questions and he was asking them too quickly."