Official TCU Book Club

[marke]

[anna]

In case any of you Brits shop for books by cover art (like me)


Marke I must personally thank you: having had this book in my possession for almost two weeks (I personally thank you too Nathan for a truly great birthday present), I had not yet opened its pages (as I had planned to read it during my imminent holiday in the USofA). But after all the hype surrounding it on the forum, last night I picked it up for a quick flick. 107 chapters later (well, not 107 chapters, but chapter 107) I realised I’d read one third of the book in one ‘flick’!

Amazing. Believe the hype!

My mind defiantly has a tendency towards logic and reason over feelings and emotion, when it comes to thinking ‘things’ through. Christopher’s uncomplicated yet deep way of looking at life intrigues me enormously. Take the Monty Hall problem, for example – so obvious, yet not logical at first glance!



 

[anna]

I know some of you have already read this book, so come on now, post a review / comment?

If you need something else to stimulate a response, try:

The Curious Incident of the WMD in Iraq  - Rohan Candappa

I don't really like to recommend a book without having read it myself, but my Dad's girlfriend (whose literary opinion I respect) assures me this is a fantastic read. "One of the best 'spoofs' [she's] ever read - really spot on!"

[Sophie]

my dad received the latter for his birthday and from the odd chuckle that resounds from his 'reading chair' in the corner of the living room, I think he concurs!  

[Sophie]

yey, I'm now an advanced person and have three splodges!

[Zooey]

Ok, calm down.  I don't think we really need to be talking about "splodges" in the Literary Forum, or really in any forum, for that sake.
There are more appropriate places to discuss that sort of thing, even if is perfectly natural and need not be a point of embarassment that your body is making changes.  You are growing up, yes, but grown-ups don't always talk about how they are growing up, you see, because sometimes that is considered impolite.
It's okay, though.  We all make mistakes.

[Cedric]

Now that it is Official, i've been wondering why no one has said anything about the book, except show the cover.  That is fine, but i'm pretty sure they don't talk only about covers at book clubs.  Or splodges for that matter.

a few days ago, i finished reading the book.  I am completely taken with it.  It is the best book i've read since the last best book i've read.  

i have two little cousins that  are 5 and 7, dimitri and nikos.  They are both have a form of autisism.  i.e.  dimitri's teachers (he has three), had to write a typed letter and send it home with him.  He sat at a table with about 12 of his fellow students and told them that he wished he had a bomb to blow them all up.  It's a very sad story.  Later that week in mississippi, a five year old (black) was arrested and thrown in a police car with hand cuffs on for saying the same thing.
 So upon reading the book, i had a little knowledge of autisim.  I'm around my cousins quite bit.  Don't get me wrong, neither of them are as extreme as Christopher, but they have their problems.

I thought the book was brilliantly written through the mind process of a genius 15 year old autistic boy.  I had to keep telling myself that the author was 30 or something and none of this did happen, or at least to him.  

 incredible.


GRADE:  A+

[Guest]

Oh yes. It's SO GOOD. I gave it to everyone for Christmas.

[Iris]

I bought the book in the airport in Tampa, FL before beginning my return trip from Christmas with the Kent clan. I didn't get a chance to start reading it until last night. Now I wish I had forced myself to read instead of sleep on those flights! I love it! Extremely good writing and a spellbinding (now I sound like one of those quotes on the book jacket) story. The only reason I quit reading when I did last night, was that I was reading in bed and I couldn't keep my eyes open any more.  

[skepticaloptimist]

Now that a sufficient amount of time has past, I feel that I can comment on what I thought to be the most impressive aspect of this story without ruining it for those that have not read it yet because you should have all now read it.  Nevertheless:
SPOILERS

There...

I was totally amazed by the author's ability to essentially hide the plot, while still having what was actually quite a compelling plot.  It didn't occur to me until I was nearly finished with the book that though Christopher is the narrator, he is not actually the central character within the actual story.  It is not about the death of the dog except as far as that death is related to the breakup of Christopher's parents and the subsequent fallout.

Also, everything about his train ride is brilliant.

[Zooey]

It was so good that I couldn't believe it wasn't a movie.

[Iris]

The more I read, the more I love this book!!

[Iris]

After arriving home last night at about midnight, I stayed up and finished the book. I hate that feeling when you finish a good book. You really want to keep reading to find out what happens, but you don't want it to be finished because that means you have to find something that is an equally good read (although I have quite a stack of books waiting to be read, so it shouldn't be TOO much of a problem). Anyway, I really enjoyed it, although I'm paying the consequences of reading into the night, since now I'm at work and quite bleary-eyed and having to actually use my brain, which would much rather be still at home in a catatonic state. The only complaint I have is that, in the end, it seemed that it came to a rapid close. But, maybe from Christopher's perspective, it would have been that way.  

[Sophie]

My mum is now reading my copy.  My mum doesn't read books so this is a big deal.  Recipes and teletext maybe, but a book.. not in my lifetime.  
Not only is she enjoying it but as a consequence she has borrowed more.  Yey for Mark Haddon!  Another suggestion please.  

[unknownperson]

I just started our book as china spent part of her gift cirtificate to buy it for me. I love that girl. This book is realy great. It just feels right when you read it. It feels like a child who you love dearly is trying to tell you a story that means so much but he has no way to say it like it should, so when he says all that he can then the truth is that suddenly he says it the best way posible.