Mark Haddon's Novel (2003)
English Lit: Edexcel IGCSE The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, topic 1.1.1
Mark Haddon’s Novel - Christopher and Autism
The playscript of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was adapted from the best-selling novel of the same title. Mark Haddon wrote the novel. It was published in 2003.
Christopher Boone
- The novel is told from the first-person point of view of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy living with Asperger Syndrome (or Asperger’s), a form of autism.
"A novel about difference"
- The author, Mark Haddon, has always emphasised that the novel is NOT about autism or any other disorder.
- In his blog, he wrote that the novel “is not a book about Asperger’s” and that it is instead “a novel about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way.”
- Haddon believes that his novel has a universal appeal, dealing with themes and experiences that are relevant to all of us.
Praise - teenager with autism
- However, the novel was quick to receive praise for the way in which it presented the mind of a teenager living with autism and for the way it explored the impact of autism on Christopher’s family.
Mark Haddon’s Novel - Setting and Success
The playscript of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was adapted from the best-selling novel of the same title. Mark Haddon wrote the novel. It was published in 2003.
Contemporary British life
- The novel, set in Swindon and London, depicts contemporary British life in a tragi-comic way, focussing on themes as serious as domestic violence and autism but also containing moments of uproarious comedy.
Success
- The novel was published in separate editions for adults and children.
- This ‘crossover’ appeal played a large part in its almost instant success.
- The novel won the 2003 Whitbread Book Award for ‘Book of the Year’ and the 2003 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
- The novel has now been translated into 44 languages and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
Test yourself on Mark Haddon's Novel (2003)
What has Mark Haddon stressed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is NOT about?
The play touches on serious themes and includes moments of comedy.
Which term best describes the genre?