The two books I chose to read for this
course were “Wonder” written by RJ Palacio and “The curious incident of the dog
in the night-time” by Mark Haddon. I didn’t find many difficulties in
understanding because both of them are told by kids and young people in a
simple language.
“Wonder” tells the story of August, a
boy with a terrible facial abnormality who is sent for the first time to a real
school at the age of 10 and has to deal with bullying and with finding
acceptance and friendships.
“The curious incident of the dog in the
night-time” is about a Christopher, a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome who
wants to investigate and write a book about the murder of his neighbour’s dog.
This investigation leads him to an unexpected journey that will help him to
improve his behavioural problems and change his life.
Both books are told in 1st
person by their main characters but, in the first novel, there are also
different points of view from some of the people who are connected with August.
On the other hand, in the second novel, the only narrator who tells the story
is Christopher.
Moreover, both protagonists are kids in
spite of the fact that they have nothing to do with each other. August is a
clever and sensitive boy who always was hiding his face and who wants to be an
ordinary boy at school. On the contrary, Christopher is physically a normal
teenager but has serious problems of socialization due to his behavioural
difficulties. He can’t empathize with people and even understand his own
feelings. In addition, he has an extraordinary intelligence and he is brilliant
in physics and maths.
Personally, I prefer the novel “Wonder”
because I really enjoyed reading it. August is a touching boy and you will end
up loving him. Also, his story is more moving than Christopher’s. “The curious
incident of the dog in the night-time” is an entertaining book but it can be a
bit difficult to understand Christopher’s mind. In some parts, when he starts
to talk about the maps he does and his mathematical thinking, I lost my train
of thoughts. However, reading both books was a pleasant experience for me and I
had a good time. I think I made the right decision choosing them.
