Reviews

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The Play by Simon Stephens, Mark Haddon, Ruth Moore, Paul Bunyan

graciekontak's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jackiereadsalot's review against another edition

4.0

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows Christopher Boone, a 15 year old who likely is autistic. (The adaptor did not want him to be called autistic). Christopher finds a dead dog in his neighbor’s yard which leads to a series of events as he is accused of killing the dog, then later begins to investigate who really committed the act. As he investigates, he comes out of his comfort zone a bit as he questions his neighbors. During his investigation he also uncovers some tough personal issues within his family. The entirety of the story also coincides with the reading of his personal journal by his school counselor.

At first, I found the play tough to follow along. I found the abrupt switch from narration to the scenes unfolding hard to decipher between. After reading comments from my fellow peers that it could be that since it’s told from the mind of someone who is autistic it was likely done this way on purpose. It did help a bit with reading. I did find the dialogue itself easy to grasp. I felt the play did a great job at showcasing various aspects, emotions and the handling of those emotions very well. It gives readers a good perspective on how someone with autism may view different situations.
I was unaware the play dealt with animal cruelty. It is a personal trigger of mine and I had a hard time with some of the scenes because of this. Aside from those scenes, they play itself was ok. I do not think it would be one I would find myself drawn to go see in theatre. I found it annoying that one minute his parents would be good with him, understanding his limitations on physical touch and knowing how to speak with him in a manner that is respectful to him. Then the next mixture they just seem to think only of themselves. I also did not like how the police officer at the beginning of the play handled the situation. I feel like he only arrested him out of pure annoyance.

Overall, I can see why many would find it enjoyable but this one simply wasn’t one I would find myself intrigued to read/watch again.

thelittlebirdie's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

flannelshirt's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sturmykins's review against another edition

2.0

To be fair, I only read the play and did not see it, but I much preferred the book. I feel like so much was lost in the adaptation to a play.

peytonhouston_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

rebeccagh's review against another edition

5.0

Incredibly well crafted, by far the most ingenious and detailed script I've read. The attention to such small details of Christopher's big personality really comes through in the script layout and the scene changes. A really enjoyable read

amiably's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

this is fine as a piece of literature, but i struggle to see how it would be adapted from page to stage. the note to leave all characters on stage at all times (how would the talking ones stand out?? lighting??) combined with having to transition from set to set without pause makes it seem difficult to stage. i'll definitely watch it eventually though, really want to see what choices others made.
also,

there's one scene where the hallucination of ed, who represents christopher's doubts about himself, appears in the train station. obviously this is my interp of the play, but i feel like this would lose meaning irl and the audience wouldn't understand ed's not actually there.

also, the author of the original book this play was based on did no research on asperger's, so take it with a grain of salt. i'm not sure about the adapter.

jennchandler's review against another edition

5.0

I have read the book, seen the play, and now I've read the script. In case you can't tell, I think it's pretty great.

allexxah's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0