The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – Mark Haddon

The first line of this novel left me with the impression that something was amiss. There was an obvious problem considering that there is a dead dog on the front lawn. The reader also gets a sense of the narrator’s straightforward and unforgiving logic. Both impressions proved to be consistent throughout the novel. The initial problem of the dead dog develops throughout the novel into deeply personal and complicated conflicts. Christopher also proves to be an extremely logic driven character and only makes sense of simple, direct, and completely logically events.

This opening line displays the author’s directness and open style of writing. The diction of the book is simple and straightforward. The first line also displays the young and child-like voice of the fifteen year old narrator.

Charlie: I’m writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.

The story centers around the narrator Charlie and a collection of letters he sends an anonymous “friend” as he calls he or she. The letters center around Charlie’s life changing experiences he encounters his first year of high school. The opening sentence gave me an impression that this character “Charlie” is vague but confused. Throughout some of the story I found myself lost in his vague descriptions and lack of realization. Also Charlie has a dark tone in many parts of the book. This adds to the overall tone of the book. The overall tone to me is how difficult it really is to grow up these days. I found myself having felt the same as Charlie did in the ups and downs of being a teen.

The first sentence is a forshadow of Sarah’s life that will soon come. The beginning of the book gives a little information about Sarah’s mother and her lifestyle. It is told in a childish way eventhough the reader can tell that the mother is a prostitute.This opening sentence gave me the impression that this is the budding of her liking men because that is all she has grown up seeing. Sarah doesn’t know a life without a man because her mother has always had one around.

The first sentence of this book begins with a flashback, to illustrate how the main character’s life developed into what she now lives. The opening left me with a sickly curious impression; it seemed at first that the “we”–all women–were refugees of some sort, perhaps in the future, when gymnasiums are not used (or so I assume). It also implied that these women were not there of their own free wills. I wouldn’t want to sleep in a gymnasium with hundreds of other people–the narrator probably doesn’t, either.
I guess this isn’t a pure impression of the first line, since I’ve already finished the book, but whatever. It held pretty true as I read: women subjugated into regulated servitude in the future, strict but unstable society and politics, et cetera.
And as for the style and diction, the first sentence is a good example. The author regularly writes with simple sentences and fragments, although the narrator, Offred, is not unintelligent. Her word choice is usually simple but powerful and very realistic.

And kudos to Beth for her choice of book. Neat-o.

“I remember the day it began because I was impatient for an important letter to arrive.”

The story is written from the main character’s point of view and it is his accounts of his journey helping Poe. It sets up the main character as being very impatient and losing track of things very easily and having a one track mind, which has continued throughout the entire book. Quentin, the main character tells the story as just that a story everything has already happened, and that can be seen in the way that Pearl writes. The grammer and style of writing seems to try and follow that which was present in the Antebellum period.

“Today I ducked into a drugstore and bought a notebook-this notebook right here I’m writing in.”

The story is written soley from the main character’s point of view, as it is essentially his diary that makes up the story. He records the details of his life and how he came to the mission he is now completing. It also follows along in present time narrative, meaning he writes as things are happening. This gave me the impression that the story would be somewhat one-sided toward the main character, however it was intriuging. By using this form, the author is not expected to use corect grammar, but rather shorthand at some points and that it may not include many views of the story.