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

Christopher discovers the dead body of a pectin his neighbours garden and sets out to find who is the culprit of such deed. This simple premise opens out to illustrate the life of an Aspergers Syndrome sufferer and the impact that has on their family. It also provides an insight into how Christopher is treated by society as he explores and investigates outside his immediate comfort zone and routine. 

Christopher's direct first person narrative creates a very powerful voice that speaks out to all those unfamiliar with the world of an Aspergers sufferer. The way that he strives to function within everyday life and the processes and logic he has to apply to get through the day is quite exhausting to read. 

It's a very easy book to read, save for the passages of mathematical problems and reasoning that pepper the narrative. But this is the first time I have managed to get my head around the Monty Hall problem, to the point where it hash started to make sense! I believe that I read this elsewhere in The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas, but no amount of slow re-reading made any sense to me at the time. 

Looking forward to seeing the stage production of this novel next month which has had fantastic reviews. 

What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn

Every character in this story, however minor some may be, is experiencing loss of some kind. For some it is the physical and emotional loss of a loved one, lost through a debilitating health issue or a death. Other have lost their way in their career or personal life. A relationship that's coasting and going nowhere or a job which is mid numbing and depressing. There is also a sense of people being trapped, having trapped themselves creating false barriers which keep them locked in their current predicament because of lost confidence and self esteem. 

There are lots of issues that everyone will be able to relate to in this novel. We all have that feeling from time to time that we may be treading water. O'Flynn's acute observations come across so well especially her descriptions of working in a record shop. How it makes people feel and behave and the kind of people that work there. These experiences are drawn from her personal previous experience of working in that environment. 

I hadn't come across her before and only discovered this book through my Book Club. It's a hard book to categorise as there are elements of all sorts of genres - mystery, detective, thriller and a little supernatural. Is what i would refer to as one of those slices of life that give you an insight how different people live and are affected by a common event. I'll definitely look out for her other books now and would recommend this to anyone who is perhaps between books and unsure what to pick up next.