It is hard for someone who isn’t living with Asperger’s Syndrome to think the way an Asperger’s suffer does. In the “The Curious Incident…” Mark Haddon gives the reader an inside view of what it’s like to live in the mind of a person with Asperger’s Syndrome. The way Christopher has the inability of understanding jokes or metaphors (he admits that he “cannot tell jokes” due to the fact that he doesn’t
“understand them.” is just one of the qualities that contribute to my appreciation of the novel.
Secondly, Haddon’s writing style in the novel is different to those who use traditional writing techniques. Without the use of lies, metaphors or jargon, Haddon has written a book which has such child-like structure but has the sophistication that makes any reader appreciate it. Short, simple and straight-forward sentences get the point across, without having to overdo-it with too much description or information. Simple sentences and one word answers are just some more qualities that contributes to my appreciation of The Curious Incident…
My final point is the images that accompany the text. Throughout the novel, the reader is often shown images which enhance the situation where Haddon cannot possibly describe. With a character like Christopher, where everything he describes is so literal and intense, images are the only ways to describe what Christopher is thinking or doing. The best example of this in the novel is pages 108 and 109. Christopher is having a sensory overload and cannot deal with all the signs that surround him in London.
In conclusion, there are many qualities that make any reader appreciate this particular novel. For the reasons stated above, this novel possesses many qualities which will make any reader appreciate it and read it time and time again.