My thoughts on this book are… messy. On one hand, it is refreshing to see a book narrated entirely by a character with ASD. On the other hand, Haddon did not research prior to writing the book, saying “imagination trumps research.” Plus, the novel doesn’t even commit to the diagnosis. There exist many undiagnosed kids and adults, but it felt peculiar in these particular circumstances that Christopher, our narrator, never even has the possibility floated. On one hand, what Christopher puts up on the regular, such as verbal abuse from people who simply don’t understand him, is a sad reality of people with ASD. On the other hand, as it’s through his perspective only, and it rarely seems to have any sort of lasting impact on him, it doesn’t feel as cautionary or critical as it could’ve/should’ve been. On one hand, the father and mother well represent the two sides of the coin when it comes to parents dealing with a child with ASD, one patient yet imperfect and the other at their wit’s end. On the other hand, both of them, as well as many of the adults in the book, feel like they only fail Christopher, ending the book on a dour note. It seemed intended to be an uplifting ending of sorts, but that would require handwaving away so much extra baggage first. On one hand, it was interesting seeing a different take on a whodunit, with it being told from Christopher’s perspective and being a dog who was murdered, as opposed to a human. On the other hand, Christopher doesn’t so much uncover the truth as he is told it in disappointing fashion.
Which leads me to my main sticking point with the book, and one that requires me delving into heavy spoiler territory. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED! Once Christopher began to unravel the goings on with his parents and the neighbors, I think I mentally checked out of the book, at least halfway. It was such a convoluted mess that I had to fill my fiancee, who’s never read the book, and who never will, in on the basics, just so I could then rant to her about it and have her confirm to me that, yes, it is stupid. So, what starts this whole mess is Christopher’s mother having an affair with the next door neighbor. From there, his father takes the “she’s dead to me” approach a little too far, telling him first that she was in the hospital, and then that she died. We’ve barely scratched the surface, and already the parent that seemed initially like the more level-headed of the two has revealed themselves to be quite the opposite. Oh, but that’s only the beginning! Naturally, after his mother moved away with that neighbor, leaving the neighbor’s wife alone, his father got too lonely and horny himself and started thinking the two of them also had something going on. Naturally, when she rebuffed his advances, he murdered her dog… and later thought it was advisable to confess this to his son… and that buying him a dog at the end of the book would be enough of a band-aid to make up for that, and everything else he’d done. Seriously!?
Christopher’s dad lied to him about his mother dying and murdered their neighbor’s dog, all because his feelings were too hurt. Yet the mother’s not parent of the year either, since even at the end, despite the tiniest bit of growth, she still seems to barely be able to stand her own offspring. And Christopher is now stuck going back and forth between them, because he’s not allowed to be on his own yet, and this is supposed to be a happy ending because dog and because yay, he passed his A level (that had him thinking of physically harming people out of frustration at one point???) with the highest grade. No, Haddon, I don’t think that makes for a happy ending. For me, it makes for an ending where Christopher has somehow managed to polish the turd he’s been given. Is that realistic? I guess? But I’d prefer something a little more uplifting or positive than that, thank you very much. I’d also love it if, you know, the neighbor learned about who murdered her dog, since that was the central focus of the plot for the first half of the book or so. Do you think that’s asking too much?
Anyway, read the book for a narrator that manages to come across as believably on the spectrum, despite Haddon’s lack of research. It’s enough of a rarity that it’s worth a try if you’re at all interested in that sort of thing. Just don’t be surprised if you too come out more than a little perturbed like me.