Book reviews
Can an apparent mystery turn out to be a realistic and ordinary story? The novel “The curious incident of the dog in the night time” by Mark Haddon, set in Swindon (England) in 19
98, is just the story of ordinary people but seen from a very special child´s eyes. The child´s mind, almost unable to sympathize with, is extremely logical. Consequently, his father´s life, sad and dull, ends up being even a great deal more painful.
Christopher, the main character, lives only with his father, owing to his mother death two years ago. However, he has no idea of how it happened. One day he finds a dog killed with a garden fork. Lots of questions about the killed dog make up the plot of this novel. Who and why killed the dog? Who owned the dog? Where is the other dog´s owner? In the meantime, Christopher´s life goes on going to school and making questions in order to reveal the dog killer.
Christopher, affected by Asperger syndrome, although this is not mentioned, tends to understand everything in a highly logical way. For this reason, he is particularly good at Mathematics. However, he is unable to show pity for his mother´s death, and to sympathize with his father´s problems. Christopher daily attends school, a special school, where is assisted by Siobhan. Siobhan, a psychologist, is the person who Christopher trusts the most, apart from Toby, who is his pet rat. Christopher´s father kept a good relationship with Mrs. Shear, one of the dog´s owners, but their friendship finished no long time ago.
The author simulates that the book has been written by Christopher. For this reason, it is unusually structured. Furthermore, it has some pictures which help us to understand Christopher´s feelings and sensations. Moreover, Mark Haddon uses the language properly, making the novel straightforward. Nonetheless, the novelist keeps the reader´s attention throughout the novel.
In my opinion this novel is bound to reward you, especially if you are either a teen reader or an upper-intermediate student of English. Besides, if you are a student of English, the author shows a wide range of daily and useful expressions, what makes the novel even more suitable for you.
by Faustino Alfaro (1º Avanzado)
'Wilt' by Tom Sharpe
This is t
he most hilarious novel I´ve ever read. It´s gripping plot leads you from different nonsensical situations to other really funny ones. In fact you won´t be able to give it up from the beginning to the last page.
These situations are focused on Henry Wilt, the main character, who works as an assistant lecturer en an English Tech. Every day he has to deal with his apprentices´ lack of interest and he has to bear their disrespectful behavior. And he isn´t very fortunate in his marriage because his wife Eva is always waiting for a better life. She dreams of meeting wise and rich people and becoming like them. And the worst part of all is that Henry is always being critized and patronized by his wife because he doesn´t know how to assert himself.
But suddenly everything turns into a mess when Eva meets a cool, attractive and cultured American couple, Sally and Gaskell Pringsheim.
One night Henry and Eva invited to a party in Pringsheim´s house and they realize that these cool hosts aren´t the kind of people the pretend to be.
An embarrassing misunderstanding makes Henry want to kill his wife with the help of an attractive inflatable doll.
From here on everything goes from bad to worse because Henry is charged with the murder of his wife by the absent-minded and stubborn police inspector Flint.
In spite of what you would think at the beginning, all of these events unexpectedly change Henry and Eva´s lives for the best in the end.
This is an amusing novel but sometimes it´s difficult to follow because of the vocabulary and the slang inside it, but I would highly recommend this rewarding book because it would make you feel closer to the real English.
by Mª Dolores González Castillo 1º Avanzado
