The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon in order to fulfill one of my genre requirements—mystery. However, the book was more than just a mystery. In fact, the mystery stated in the title was solved just half way through the book. It was about a 16 year old boy named Christopher and his journeys: his journeys through taking “Math Level A”, finding out who murdered his neighbor’s dog and his ultimate journey of finding his mother. Each was a bit of a mystery in itself but together, each part of Christopher’s story created an interesting inscrutability.
The novel was narrated by Christopher, which is particularly interesting because of Christopher’s unique thought processes. It seems as if Christopher has a mental disorder, for he has difficulties with social skills but is an intellectual genius. His take on his world is different than how I would have ever viewed things. While reading, one must often look at something with different perspective, rather than Christopher’s, to discover the true significance of what is occurring. Because of Christopher’s distinct narration, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a fascinating book, putting the world in new light.

Nanny Returns

Taking a break from oppression in Afghanistan, I chose to return to New York and decided to read the Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. The book was mediocre in comparison to its prequel, The Nanny Diaries. Expecting a continuation of a college student’s journey after being forced out of the archetypal upper Manhattan nanny life style, I was surprised to be greeted by the same character, Nan, 10 years later and married. The book returns to the same family (the Xes) as its prequel, showing the results of a child growing up in such a life. It was interesting to re-meet Grayer, the child Nan nannied. He drops by unannounced, drunk, to uncover why the only person he looked up to as a child—Nan—had left him. I think while the neglecting of infants by their parents (creating the job of a nanny) is commonly acknowledged, the often unfulfilled need for love teenagers experience without parents that are around is often un-thought of. However, I would have liked to see the end of Nan’s struggles through college as she searches for a job after nanny-ing.