The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
A moving story told from the perspective of a 15-year-old autistic boy striving to achieve in this world. The author does an excellent job of conveying the terror and almost inconceivable hardship the narrator has in navigating everyday social situations. We really feel for this boy, even if he himself cannot feel.
This book reminded me of a couple of different books I've read this past year: The Dogs of Babel (which also uses a mysterious murder as a backdrop to an interesting character study) and The Corrections (which does a fantastic job of taking you inside the mind of someone suffering with Alzheimer's). It's a quick read, but a memorable one. Recommended.
Original entry from June 6
I'm not quite ready to start reading The Confusion ... I need something lighter (both in weight and subject matter), something I can read poolside. I'm going to give this book a try.