The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Reviewed by Jeanne

Fifteen year old Christopher likes to go out walking at night when he can look up at the stars and pretend that he’s the only person in the world, because Christopher doesn’t really like people.  Most are a mystery to him with unreadable expressions and erratic behavior.  This upsets Christopher. He likes things to be orderly, like numbers, and behave in predictable ways.  This is why he has decided to assign his chapters prime numbers instead of the more usual 1,2, 3, etc. sequence. 

 Christopher does like dogs, because you always know where you stand with a dog and they don’t shout at you.  So when Christopher finds Wellington, his neighbor’s dog, lying in the grass with a gardening fork (think small pitchfork) stuck in him and blood, he knows that Wellington has been murdered.  That is wrong.  Murderers should be caught and punished, the way they are in Sherlock Holmes stories, so Christopher sets out to discover who murdered Wellington.

The problem is that people seem to get angry when he asks them questions – very blunt, personal questions.  His father understands to some extent but there are times when he too yells at Christopher and tells him to stop his investigations. Most of the time his father is good and doesn’t try to make Christopher eat foods that are yellow.  Siobhan at Christopher’s school is good too, and she encourages Christopher to make a book about his investigation which is what we are reading.  Christopher’s mother was good too but she is dead.  

Welcome to Christopher’s world.  It’s an orderly world of black and white, of certainties, marred only by the inexplicable reactions of other people.  He’s extremely intelligent and well informed about any number of topics from history to astronomy to mathematics, but bewildered by social interactions and incapable of understanding other people’s points of view. Christopher likes facts: things one knows that are beyond dispute.  Lies and the idea of lying upset him, because if you are saying one thing isn’t true, then how do you know that anything is true? Such paradoxes can send him into a tantrum worthy of a two year old, not a teenager. He tries to calm himself down by working out quadratic equations in his head, but sometimes he just can’t help himself and starts to scream.

Thanks to BPL Book Bingo (“Read a book which has won a literary award”), I was able to fulfill my vague promise to myself and finally read this Whitbread Award winning novel.  Because the entire book is written from Christopher’s point of view, the reader has at least some sense of what it’s like to be autistic, though Christopher’s diagnosis is never explicitly stated.  While the mystery of Wellington’s murder is solved midway through the book, the ramifications lead Christopher and the reader to some startling revelations. 

The book is by turns compassionate, moving, intriguing, and funny.  It certainly lived up to its excellent reputation as far as I am concerned. 

If you are intrigued enough to read further, Temple Grandin has written several interesting books about her own autism.  In fiction, Kristin recommends  Shine Shine Shine  and How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky, both by Lydia Netzer. There is also Samuel Hoenig mystery series by Jeffrey Cohen and E.J. Copperman.

Nevermore: Islam, The Risen, Iris Grace, Wanderers, Lost Woman, Hillbilly Elegy

Reported by Ambrea

Nevermore discussed The Islamic Enlightenment:  The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times by Christopher de Bellaigue.  Described on the jacket as “a revelatory and game-changing narrative that rewrites everything we thought we knew about the modern history of the Islamic world,” The Islamic Enlightenment is a thoughtful and absorbing work on the political, social, and cultural history of the Middle East.  De Bellaigue examines the great enlightenment of the Islamic world through the adoption of modern medicine, female empowerment, and the development of democracy and the subsequent backlash to modernization.  Our reader said he found The Islamic Enlightenment to be interesting.  He thought de Bellaigue’s arguments were found and his work contained a great deal of information.  Although it’s not hard to read, it’s a rather long book; however, he noted it’s a great book for showing the divisions and complexities of Islam.

Next, Nevermore shared Iris Grace:  How Thula the Cat Saved a Little Girl and Her Family by Arabella Carter-Johnson.  Iris Grace has autism:  she struggles with communication, avoiding social interaction and rarely smiling, never connecting with those around her—until she meets Thula, a Maine Coon kitten named for the Zulu word “peace.”  Arabella Carter-Johnson, Iris Grace’s mother, captures photographs of her daughter and Thula, telling their amazing story of connection and friendship.  Our reader absolutely loved Iris Grace, saying it was ideal for a Mother’s Day gift with its beautiful photographs and Iris Grace’s amazing illustrations.  It’s heart-warming and incredibly moving, offering an absorbing, intimate and insightful glimpse into a family dealing with one remarkable child’s autism.

Nevermore also checked out the latest novel from Ron Rash, The Risen.  Eugene and Bill were close as boys, but, during the summer of 1969, they were driven apart by a girl—Ligeia, a free-spirited redhead from Daytona Beach—and a terrible secret.  Now, decades later, Bill is a famous surgeon in their community, while Eugene is an inveterate alcoholic.  When a reminder of the past resurfaces, Eugene is plunged back into that fateful summer and the secrets that could forever destroy his family.  Our reader said she didn’t like The Risen at the beginning of the book, but, as she continued into further chapters, she found herself more entranced by the story.  “It’s a very good book,” she told her fellow readers.  “It’s definitely worth reading.”

The Lost Woman by Sara Blaedel followed next, continuing the story of Louise Rick, head of the Special Search Agency.  In this most recent installment of her series, Louise Rick is called onto a strange case.  A Danish woman is found murdered in England, except she went missing more than eighteen years ago—and she was reported missing by none other than Eik, Louise’s colleague and lover.  Caught in the middle of her most controversial case yet, Louise must solve the mystery before a killer gets away with murder.  Our reader found she didn’t enjoy Blaedel’s latest book.  It was interesting and had an unexpected twist for an ending; however, she didn’t think it was that great.  Mostly, she found it confusing.

Nevermore decided to take a detour into space travel—or, more accurately, simulated space travel—with The Wanderers, a new novel by Meg Howrey.  Helen Kane, Yoshihiro Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov are going to be the first humans placed on Mars—if they can survive seventeen months in the most realistic simulation Prime Space, one of the top aerospace companies in the business, has ever created.  But being trapped in a small space of their simulation is just as dangerous as being caught in the endless void of outer space as they struggle to navigate their quarters and each other.  Our reader said she found The Wanderers to be odd.  Fascinating, but odd.  It’s an intriguing psychological examination of the human mind when put into an increasingly stressful situation, and she thought it took an interesting direction with the story.  “[And] it kept me reading to the end,” she noted.

Last, Nevermore revisited a recent favorite:  Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  Hillbilly Elegy is an insightful, searing memoir that dives into the struggles and triumphs of an Appalachian transplant family in Ohio.  Vance, who recounts his personal and family history, also delves deep into the culture and heritage of Appalachian families.  He examines drug abuse, poverty, education, and other social issues, taking a long hard look at the Appalachia he loves—and the Appalachia he sees slowly deteriorating.  Our reader absolutely loved reading Vance’s memoir.  Our reader admitted she was initially hesitant to begin reading Hillbilly Elegy—anything with “hillbilly” in the title automatically put her on guard, she said—and she worried how the author would portray Appalachia.  Vance, however, doesn’t berate or condemn.  He offers an honest, intimate portrayal of his family and his culture; he treats his history with compassion and views his heritage with affection, even the worst parts.  His memoir is carefully crafted, thoughtful, and incredibly honest, and our reader enjoyed every minute.

Nevermore: Androids, Autism, Criminals, Istanbul, and America's Wars

Reported by Ambrea

This week, Nevermore discussed a variety of new books, leading the conversation from androids and autism to Whitey Bulger and the hidden history behind American wars.  We started off with Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb, a deeply moving and poignant novel about an autistic boy who has grown up in a “therapeutic community.”  Now, in his fifties, Todd is known as the “Old Fox” of the Payton Living Center who quietly rereads the encyclopedia.  But when a menacing new staffer and a disruptive, brain-injured roommate arrive, Todd finds himself being unwoven by all these sudden and terrifying new pressures.  He runs away in a desperate attempt to return “home” to his younger brother, home to the mother who is only in his memory.  Our reader was pleasantly surprised by Gottlieb’s latest novel, saying it was wonderfully portrayed and insightful.  It let readers know that “these people have lives…[that they can] live regular lives” with disorders, such as autism.

Next, our readers skipped over to a new book by Nic Kelman titled How to Pass as Human.  Android Zero—or “Zach” as most humans know him—compiles a list of his experiences with humankind, offering graphs and sketches and even flow charts that depict human foibles and explains (to others of his kind) how to pass as human.  As he seeks the purpose of his creation and his creator, he discovers that his existence is in peril.  Along with Andrea, a human female who has taken more than a friendly interest in him, he will find out where he came from or perish in the attempt.  Our reader said it was a pretty good book, but it “seems to get in a rut.”  He admitted that he wouldn’t quite call it boring; however, it sometimes restated information and rehashed experiences unnecessarily.  It borders on the dry side, feeling very sterile and scientific, rather than feeling like the narrative he expected.

One Nevermore reader looked at a brand new book on Whitey Bulger, Where the Bodies Were Buried by T.J. English.  White Bulger was an Irish-American gangster and, for decades, he was considered one of the most dangerous men in America due to his connections in the government (his brother was a Massachusetts senator) and in law enforcement.  For a number of years, he served as a confidential informant to the FBI, reporting on rivals and, eventually eliminating them to reinforce his power.  The author, T.J. English, covered the trial extensively and even interviewed Bulger’s associates, including lawyers, former federal agents, and jury members.  Where the Bodies Were Buried is extensively researched and highly detailed, offering glimpses into world that Bulger inhabited and the tangled web between the FBI and Boston’s criminal underworld.  Although much of it is based on the Bulger court trials, she said she still found it to be an interesting and compelling story.  As a fan of crime biographies, she was thrilled with Where the Bodies Were Buried and recommended it highly to her fellow book club members.

Next, our readers switched gears and looked at A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk.  Mevlut Karataş spent his childhood in a poor village in Central Anatolia, until, at the age of 12, he travels to Istanbul and becomes enthralled by the city.  Following in his father’s footsteps, Mevlut sells boza—a traditional Turkish drink—in the hopes of making his fortune; however, as the years pass, he finds himself trapped in a succession of jobs that lead him nowhere.  Later, even as he and his wife settle into their marriage, he feels his life is missing something, he feels the “strangeness in [his] mind” separates him from everyone else and he doesn’t know where to go.  Alternately tragic and moving, A Strangeness in My Mind is an epic coming-of-age story in the heart of Istanbul, which our reader declared was both interesting and informative.  She said she enjoyed the detail and description involved in Mevlut’s story, how the author manages to capture his character, how Melvut makes “so many beautiful observations.”  Although she hadn’t yet finished reading Pamuk’s latest novel, she said she couldn’t wait to see what lay in store for Mevlut and she was excited to share his story with her fellow Nevermore members.

Last, Nevermore shifted back to another nonfiction book titled The Hidden History of America at War:  Untold Tales from York to Fallujah by Kenneth C. Davis.  Having recently arrived at the library, our reader was excited to read Davis’s latest book, which chronicles the stories of soldiers and behind-the-scenes events that the average citizen doesn’t know.  It specifically pinpoints the six critical battles in the history of American war:  Yorktown, Virginia (1781), Petersburg, Virginia (1864), Balangiga, Phillipines (1901), Berlin, Germany (1945), Hué, South Vietnam (1968), and Fallujah, Iraq (2004).  Our reader said it was an “easy-reading kind of history [book],” but it was incredibly interesting.  Separated into six specific parts, it breaks down complex altercations, such as the Revolutionary War and the War in Iraq, and makes history accessible.  It’s informative without overwhelming the reader; it’s simple to understand, but it doesn’t compromise on information or value.

Temple Grandin: Overcoming Autism

Reviewed by Jeanne

I watched the Emmy Awards a few weeks ago and discovered one of the nominees was a film about Temple Grandin called (fittingly) “Temple Grandin.” I’d heard about Grandin for years and had read parts of her books as well as the essay by Oliver Sacks, “An Anthropologist on Mars”—a phrase which summed up the way Temple felt about living among non-autistic people. She took notes on how others behaved, observed their actions, but somehow couldn’t interact with people as others did. She was one of the first autistic persons to be able to express what it is to be autistic and certainly one of the first to achieve a high level of social integration. When Temple was diagnosed back in the 50s, the suggestion was that she be institutionalized. It was believed that she could not learn anything, much less go to school and on to college. If it hadn’t been for her mother’s fierce determination that Temple could learn, could achieve, and could be independent, her fate would have been far different.

There were other mentors along the way, most notably a teacher who encouraged her interest in science and her aunt and uncle who owned a ranch. It was there that Temple found a connection to animals that was to set her life on course for a successful career in animal sciences.

But ultimately, Temple is the hero of her own life. Time after time, she picked herself up and tried again. In some ways her autism became an asset as she tried to move into the male dominated world of cattle ranching and slaughterhouses: she didn’t always realize how the men were mocking her or setting her up for failure.


Having an amazing story to tell doesn’t always translate into a good movie, however. The main character is a person most of us wouldn’t warm up to immediately. Temple is abrupt, both in her speech and movements; she doesn’t make eye contact; she’s very blunt, even abrasive. Her mind works differently from most. To make things more difficult, she works in an industry most people would find upsetting: the meat industry, where animals are taken to slaughter. These are hardly the ingredients for a successful film.

Remarkably, the filmmakers have overcome these difficulties while remaining true to the facts. Claire Danes does a magnificent job of portraying Temple, showing her tantrums born of frustration, her extreme awkwardness with people and her many idiosyncrasies while making her a sympathetic character. While we may not be able to fully relate to the way she sees the world, we can still root for her to succeed. The supporting cast is also fine, from Julia Ormond as Temple’s mother, Catherine O’Hara as Aunt Anne, and David Strathairn as Professor Carlock. The filmmakers also tried to show us how Temple thinks and why she sometimes reacts the way she does: it’s an amazing effort to let the viewer inside the head of an autistic person.

The movie was so intriguing that I did something I don’t often do: I decided to watch the commentary track. Most such tracks are fairly boring, I’ve found. I don’t really care about the lighting or that an extra walked through the scene incorrectly, and things I did want to know weren’t addressed. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement! This is one commentary track that really does illuminate and enlighten. Temple herself does the bulk of the talking, explaining what we were seeing, what was really happening at the time and even correcting a few liberties the writers had taken with her story. I found out what had happened to a couple of the characters in real life.

“Temple Grandin” won an armload of awards, including “Best Made for TV Movie” and “Best Actress.” It deserved every one of them.

The library owns the DVD version of “Temple Grandin” (DVD TEM Main) as well as a number of books by Dr. Grandin:

Emergence: Labeled Autistic (616.89 GRA Main) was Temple’s first book. It remains a milestone in the study of autism as being one of the first books by a severely autistic person trying to describe what it is like to be autistic.

Thinking in Pictures: And Other Reports from my Life with Autism (616.89 GRA Main) is her second book, and she tries to explain further about sensory differences as well as the way in which autistics process information. She also discusses the relationship between humans and animals.

Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals (636.0832 GRA Main & Avoca; CD 636.0832 GRA Main) is Grandin’s look at the relationship between human and animals. Unlike most books which limit themselves to companion animals, Grandin look at animals we use as food sources or for labor as well. She challenges some conventional wisdom about animals, making us re-evaluate some assumptions. She also has some tips and ideas on interpreting behavior and training animals.

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior (591.5 GRA Avoca) is a reflection of Grandin’s belief that animals think in pictures much as autistic people do. She uses examples from her own research to bolster and explain how animals perceive the world, and gives readers some insight on how to see the world as animals do.