The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time facts for kids
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| Author | Mark Haddon |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English and 36 others |
| Genre | Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape (UK) Doubleday (US) Anchor Canada (Canada) |
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Publication date
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May 1, 2003 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 274 |
| ISBN | 0-09-945025-9 |
| OCLC | 59267481 |
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a mystery novel written by British author Mark Haddon. It was published in 2003. The book's title comes from a famous line by the detective Sherlock Holmes.
This book won several awards. These include the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year. It also won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book. The book was released for both adults and children at the same time.
The story is told by Christopher John Francis Boone. He is a 15-year-old boy who loves math. Christopher lives in Swindon, England. The book describes him as having "behavioural difficulties." Some people thought the book was about Asperger syndrome, which is now part of autism spectrum disorder. However, the author, Mark Haddon, has said the book is not specifically about any disorder. He said it is about being different and seeing the world in a special way.
The chapters in the book are numbered using prime numbers. This is different from how most books are numbered. The book was first written in English. It has been translated into 36 other languages.
Contents
The Story of Christopher's Adventure
Christopher John Francis Boone is a 15-year-old boy. He lives in Swindon, England with his father, Ed. Christopher's mother, Judy, was believed to have died two years earlier.
One evening, Christopher finds his neighbor's dog, Wellington, dead. Wellington has been killed with a garden fork. Christopher is very sad about Wellington. When the police arrive, a policeman touches Christopher. Christopher gets scared and hits the officer. He is arrested but soon released with a warning.
Christopher decides to investigate Wellington's death. He writes down everything he finds in a book. During his search, he talks to an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Alexander. She tells him that his mother, Judy, had a relationship with Mr. Shears.
Christopher's father, Ed, finds the book and takes it away. Later, Christopher looks for the book in Ed's room. He finds letters from his mother that are dated after she supposedly died. This makes Christopher very upset. He becomes unable to move or speak for a while.
Ed then tells Christopher the truth. His mother, Judy, is alive and lives in London with Mr. Shears. Ed also admits that he killed Wellington. He did it because he was angry after an argument with Mrs. Shears. Christopher decides he must run away to live with his mother.
Christopher has a difficult journey to London. He avoids police and feels sick from the crowds and trains. Finally, he finds his mother's home. His mother is very happy to see him. Mr. Shears, however, is not pleased.
Soon after arriving, Christopher wants to go back to Swindon. He needs to take his mathematics A-Level exam. His mother, Judy, decides to leave Mr. Shears. This is because Mr. Shears becomes unkind to both her and Christopher.
After a disagreement, Judy agrees that Ed can visit Christopher. These visits are short and happen daily. Christopher is still cautious around Ed. He hopes his father will be punished for killing Wellington. Ed gives Christopher a puppy. He promises to earn back Christopher's trust. Christopher says he will take more exams and go to university. He passes his math A-level with excellent grades. The book ends with Christopher feeling hopeful about his future.
What the Book is About
Understanding Differences
The author, Mark Haddon, talked about writing the book in 2003. He said he researched the London Underground and Swindon Railway Station more than Asperger syndrome. He gave Christopher about 9 or 10 rules to live by. Haddon believes there is no "typical" person with Asperger syndrome. He wanted to make Christopher feel like a real person.
Haddon also states on his website that he knows "very little" about Asperger's. He says Christopher was inspired by two different people. Neither of these people had a disability. Haddon has said he "slightly regrets" that the term Asperger's syndrome appeared on the book's cover. He feels it made people think he was an expert on the topic.
Figurative Language
Christopher often mentions that he finds it hard to understand some metaphors. A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else, even if it's not literally true. For example, if you say "the world is a stage," that's a metaphor. Christopher gives an example from another novel: "I am veined with iron, with silver, and with streaks of common mud." This means the person feels strong like iron, valuable like silver, and ordinary like mud. The author, Mark Haddon, said this quote was from Virginia Woolf.
Different Ways to Tell a Story
The novel uses many different ways to tell its story. It includes maps, diagrams, pictures, and even smileys. These are not just decorations. They are very important for understanding the story. This means the book uses many "modes" or forms of communication.
Other Versions of the Story
The Play Version
The book was turned into a stage play. Simon Stephens wrote the play. Marianne Elliott directed it. The play first opened at the Royal National Theatre on August 2, 2012. Luke Treadaway played Christopher in the first show.
The play later moved to the Apollo Theatre in London. In December 2013, during a show, parts of the ceiling fell. About 80 people were hurt. The play then reopened at the Gielgud Theatre in June 2014.
Mickey Rowe was the first openly autistic actor to play Christopher Boone. He wrote about his experience in a book. The play has also been performed in other languages. These include Spanish in Mexico City and Hebrew in Tel Aviv. A French version opened in Paris in 2015. A Danish version opened in 2019. The play began a 10th-anniversary tour in the UK and Ireland in 2021.
The Movie Version
The rights to make a film of the novel were bought by Brad Grey and Brad Pitt for Warner Brothers. In 2011, Steve Kloves was set to write and direct the movie. However, as of 2023, the film has not yet been made.
There is also a Bengali-English movie based on the novel. It is called Kia and Cosmos. In this film, the main characters' genders are swapped. The story is about the killing of a cat named Cosmos.
See also
In Spanish: El curioso incidente del perro a medianoche para niños
