h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon.

Ok, why am I reviewing a childrens book? and one that doesn't even have any wizards in it either? - Simply because it's fantastic*

I'm on study leave at the moment, if I fail these exams(and the resits) I'll have to drop out of university after four years, with more debt than a small African nation, and no hope of being able to afford another degree. I really don't have time to read books and write reviews. So why are you reading this. Firstly because this is a book that was so good I just had to buy it, I've been meaning to read it for ages, so when it was on special offer at my local Borders I couldn't resist.

The narrator, Chistopher is a fifteen year old with Aspergers Sydrome, or possibly autism. He understands Science and Maths, and is taking his Maths A level at the age of 15, but doesn't understand people. His approach to life is touchingly logical and naive. When his father tells him his mother has died of a heart attack, he askes if it was an embolism or an anyreusm.

He is writting a book because Siobion, one of the teachers at the Special School he goes to, said it he should write a book that he would like to read. He doesn't want to make up a story - because that would be lying - so he writes a murder mystery about the stabbing of his neighbours dog.

The writing style is very much Chrisopher's, he numbers the chapters in prime numbers because he prefers them. He thinks smilies and metaphors are lies so doesn't include them.

When describing his Maths A level he tells you his favourite question, and wanted to tell you how he solved it - but his teacher suggested that he included it as an appendix. Irriratly it was a genunie Maths A level - which I couldn't do, which only served to remind me that it's been five years since I did Maths A level#.

The mystery of the death of the dog skillfully unfolds into the mystery of many other things which means, like a real murder mystery - you can't stop reading.

Whlist reading I was convinced that this was a genuine narrative of a child with Aspergers syndrome so much so that I accepted all the details without questioning whether or not it was an accurate insight. I thought when I'd finished it that I'd genuinly understood how someone with Aspergers Sydrome could think, whether or not I could is a different matter.


*so you can see that this is going to be an impartiant review from the start.
#grade B - but I deserved an A.

Thanks Z, I'll do a bit of editing on the fabulous typo's though Particularly liked smilies instead of similes!

you lovely hardworking friend!

I was busy studing at the same time

It's okay, I'll only get jealous if you write better reviews than me! (Don't worry, the review's great)

Well I've also got to write a boring project on 'Reccurrence rates of urinary tract infections in women over 16, when treated with a 3 day course of antibiotics as opposed to a 5 day'

*crosses legs and gulps*

Just finished tinkering, shall put it up now!

Excellent! (Don't worry I'm not going near an actual woman, I'm just examining there notes)

OOH! Should be up today. How's the essay going?