Christopher, he narrator and main character of this short novel, is 15 years old and a high-functioning autistic. Of course, you’re never told that outright, but it’s easy enough to deduce from the narrative style, Christopher’s behavior and the circumstances of his life (special school and so on). What’s remarkable about this book, though, it that it’s not about a boy with autism. It’s a bout a mystery that begins with the discovery of a murdered dog in a neighborhood garden, and as the story unfolds, we learn about what it must be like to live with autism—to not fathom emotion, to think with inescapable logic about everything, to be unable to deal with too much of the world at once. As readers, we grow to understand and empathize with Christopher, but never to pity him, because the story is never allowed to degenerate into maudlin sentimentality. Instead, it is told with objective straightforwardness that is sometimes ruthless, allowing a rare, engaging and ultimately affirming glimpse into an alien world – ours, as seen through the eyes of an autistic.

I read this book in less than 24 hours; it was a quick read, but not a fluffy one. There’s a lot going on here, a lot more than one would predict from the opening few chapters. And I will say that, while it’s good, it’s not exactly what I was expecting. The book starts off as a murder mystery with a twist: the investigator – and author of the book – is a fifteen-year-old boy with Autism, and the murder victim is his neighbor’s dog. But the book is about much more than that; to put it another way, there’s more than one mystery going on (and to say anything else would be spoilerful). Author Mark Haddon’s technique is really good, bordering on almost too tricky-cute sometimes, but it really helps the reader get into the mindset of a narrator with Autism as best one can. Though some might disagree, I thought it was a very eye-opening, if not entirely authentic as the author is not, himself, Autistic. It’s good, but a lot different than I was expecting, and I don’t think as deserving of some of the hype it had recieved when it was released. It’s good, but not life-alteringly so.

Possibly my favourite book ever. Read it.

I greatly recommend this book which I read the third week of April of 2008. It is very interesting, literate, and paints a good portrayal of some family’s lives. It also conveys what people with autistic like traits go through in their daily thought processes. Please read this you will most likely love it!

I loved this book, it was something completely different from what I usually read and it had a refreshing quirkiness and bluntness to it. I loved all the little details, the maps, the explainations, the prime numbers. I’m glad I bought it to read instead of getting it from the library – I’ll definately read it again.

I found this book to be utterly pretentious and overrated, especially the main character, who did not seem autistic as much as completely lacking in personality. The chapters being in prime numbers was just annoying.

Worthwhile only for people who are totally unfamiliar with autism. If you, like me, are interested in it and picked up the book hoping to gain more insight into the disorder, or (again, like me) you like murder mysteries and hoped to get a really fresh and interesting take on the genre, you will probably be disappointed by what amounts to fluffy gimmick lit.

Another book that was bought because I was hanging around the airport waiting for a flight. You know the stalls, they have some Dan Brown (yechhh) novellas, some self-help/brain improvement books, some magazines etc.

And this little gem. Written from the perspective of an autistic boy it will drag you in and take you along for the ride. And a good ride it is. It was finished before my flight even took off.

I particularly liked how we never got a complete picture of the other characters in the book. We saw Christopher’s father, mother, and other adults just as he saw them.

I liked it. Autism is both a blessing and a burden. I am reminded somewhat of Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, which also involves autism, though perhaps to a more serious degree. I agree with many, if not all of the things which Christopher discusses.

This was one of my favorite books ever! And that is saying a lot because I work in a library and I read ALOT!

Before I start talking about this book, I have to say that I sat down to read for 20 minutes before bed. Nearly 2 hours later, I’d read 185 of the 226 pages. Then I sat down as soon as I came home from lunch today to finish it. It’s that gripping.

On one level, it’s a murder mystery, but overall it’s a trip into the fractured mind of an autistic boy, and the traumas of his life that he can’t quite feel. If it doesn’t make your throat constrict with tears at least once… well… It’s fascinating to look at the world from a whole new angle, one where the looks on people’s faces mean nothing, where metaphors are nothing but baffling lies, and where the world closes in on you regularly to a point where you just can’t cope…

It’s fascinating to see ourselves reflected in the way the general public reacts to the main character. Do we lack so much understanding? Do we lack that much empathy?

This book is amazing and touching and drags you along at a breakneck pace.

I’m glad I don’t have to review this book for money, because I’m not quite sure how much more I can say.

This story was a hit amongst all of the members of my book club. Normally we don’t have consensus on all of us either liking or disliking a particular book. Different areas of the book generated a good 2 hours of conversation about how the book had impacted us in thinking about autism.

And when we look at things we think we’re just looking out of our eyes like we’re looking out of little windows and there’s a person inside our head, but we’re not. We’re looking at a screen inside our heads, like a computer screen. (p.116)

This is a tough book to write a traditional review about simply because it’s so unusual. It’s not a story in the usual sense, but an account of life (fictional; written by an author who works with autistic people) written in the voice of a 15-year-old autistic boy named Christopher.

I read this book quickly – in less than a day – and it kept me interested from beginning to end. It’s an easy read because the language is clear and simple. But the carefully constructed plot keeps the pages turning. I found it thrilling to view life from such a vastly different perspective. I even learned some new things.

Throughout the book, I found myself become so absorbed in Christopher’s world and point of view that I felt, like he often did, that the adults around him were acting irrationally. It definitely made me think.

This book stayed with me long after I finished – I even had dreams about it. I recommend it.

This book does a convincing job of adopting the voice of a teenage boy with autism through the use of diagrams. However, despite its stylistic strength, I found it lacking in substance. This would be a great book to read at the airport or on the beach. Not so good if you’re looking for a book that’s going to leave a lasting impression on you. I really don’t understand why everyone raves and raves about this.

My father-in-law and sister-in-law both recommend this book. It is worth reading. It’s told from the perspective of the 15 year-old autistic boy. Presumably he’s a “highly functioning” autistic because he’s very good at math and seems relatively functional and other areas.

A review I read on Amazon.com, supposedly written by an autistic man, said that this was the best portrayal he’d read of what it’s like to be autistic. It felt very insightful, and was interesting, sweet and unique.

When I read excerpts of this book on Amazon.com I noticed that there were a bunch of in-line pictures. They weren’t superfluous illustrations, but rather were part of telling the story. Given that, I was concerned that listening to it on audio wouldn’t work. I ordered both the printed and audio version from the library. It turns out that the audio version is very well done and they do an excellent job of making sure that the content of the pictures is incorporated in the storytelling. You wouldn’t actually know that there are drawn pictures in the book; you would just think there were written descriptions like you hear. Perhaps you miss out on the quirky and unusual nature of the in-line pictures, but you don’t miss anything substantive. So if you like listening to audio books, don’t let that stop you.

The style of writing in this book is very different than most books. Short sentences, dry humor. Its an interesting read, everyone will be able to relate to the autistic character..he questions everything and wonders about everything every human being thinks about in his mind but never says outloud and i guess after reading it, youre relieved that ur not alone. It was definetly a good read.

I’m so happy this book became popular. There are so many misconceptions of what autism is, and this helps people see it from the inside (even if it IS fiction.) I’ve recommended this book, lent it out, and even been recommended to read it by a bunch of people…I laughed and told them I had read it, but it’s worth another read :)

I read this because my brother is autistic and I heard it was a good account of what autism is like. Maybe so, maybe not. There were some interesting facts about the world, but I wouldn’t say this is terribly engrossing or well-written.

Sometimes reads like a fact-sheet of what makes a person autistic rather than a believable account from this point of view. That said, a good light read from an interesting point of view.