The Chapter Chapter: Just about to start it

Georgina

Has anyone read it or want to read it with me?

I’ve been recommended it by a friend but not sure if I trust her!!

Anna

I really want to read this book – it has been recommended to me by a few people. I heard from someone who also has Asperger’s Syndrome that they were a bit annoyed about the book because everyone who they met who had read it suddenly seemed to think they were an expert onthe subject! However, they thought that it was a truthful account and recommended it anyway – which I guess says a lot!
As soon as I have finished The Book Thief (am nearing the end, with tissues at the ready) I will get onto this one!

Elizabeth

I spotted a second-hand copy of The Curious Incident recently – and now wish I’d bought it! Having flicked through it a number of times in various shops, I’d like to track down a copy and read it properly, alongside other club members :)

Georgina

Well…I read it and is definitely worth a look. Easy to get through pretty fast or when on public transport as you can easily pick up where you left off. let me know if you get hold of a copy and we can compare notes. Does give you good insight into aspergers i think but i guess everyone is different so you can’t generalise from one account.

Elizabeth

Glad to hear that this novel lives up to the hype – I will try and track down a copy. Yes, it’d be great to discuss our responses to it.

Anna

OK, should be getting a copy of this to read this week. Am very excited!

Anna

I have just finished this book! I really enjoyed the style and was also really impressed by the way the story was so gripping, particularly as you moved towards the end, despite the fact that most of the events were actually nothing out of the ordinary, had they been happening to anyone else. By this time you’d got enough ‘inside the head’ of the protagonist to be able to identify with his feelings and see things from his perspective.
I also (perhaps guiltly) quite liked the fact that it was quite short and I could read through it in a couple of days (mainly on the bus too!).
I loved the inclusion of the mathematical explanations and problems too.

Elizabeth

I’ll have to get my skates on and buy a copy! I’ve been engrossed in Fingersmith recently, but once I’ve finished it, I’ll see if I can move on to Curious.

Lisa

I would definitely recommend reading this book. I found it really absorbing and like Anna said, although it was about quite mundane things the way it

Elizabeth

Sounds great! I’m going to scour the local bookshops and charity shops for a copy…

Jonathan

edited

XX

I loved this book. It was a really absorbing read. At its heart, it’s a good old fashioned detective story; but what really got me hooked was the way Mark laid out the pages with symbols and clues and bullet points … it really made me think of the ‘novel’ in a new and interesting way.

Anna

Yes – I definitely agree about the innovative layout. It worked very well, particularly I think, as it reflected a more child-like or naive way of writing a novel – i.e. just doing what felt natural (i.e. adding in diagrams/pictures to explain things where that was easiest) rather than following the received wisdom as adult novelists tend to do.

XX

You’re right, Anna. There’s just something very imaginative about the character who isn’t able to express himself in words, so he uses pictures and maps and diagrams. It’s very interesting

Anna

http://www.markhaddon.com/monty%20hall.htm
This is a great link to Mark Haddon’s website where you can find out about the Monty Hall problem!