Book notes No. 46 : The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon

Nine degrees this morning as I drove the children through Cannobio at 8am. After the weekend's rain, the morning was steely grey, the lake was glowing like mercury, and the sun was washing down in a silver pool from behind a dark cloud. By lunchtime there were blue skies, and a warm breeze.

I know what you're thinking. The latest read sounds like another 'crimmie'. Sounds like another detective thriller. Sounds like another charismatic sleuth discovers the hidden secret. 

And you'd be right.

And then again, you'd be wrong.

For this detective story is a detective story with a difference. For detective Christopher Boone, the first-person narrator of this detective story, is different. Detective Boone is 15. He has a photographic memory. He understands maths. He understands science. But what he can't understand are other human beings. Detective Christopher Boone has Asperger's.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was published to intense critical acclaim in 2003. I heard about it and sent a copy of it to my sister-in-law for Christmas. Why I didn't send a copy of it to myself for Christmas is beyond me. The other day  found it in a second-hand store and it being the only thing of any interest amid the forest of mottled John Gallsworthies, I plucked it up. 

I'm glad I did. It's an astonishing, heart-rending and life-affirming novel. Every 15-year-old should read it. No scratch that. Everyone who hasn't already contributed to Mr Haddon's pension fund should read it immediately.