History YMMV / TheCuriousIncidentOfTheDogInTheNightTime

* UnfortunateImplications: Recently, the book has garnered a lot of backlash for [[http://disabilityinkidlit.com/2015/04/04/review-the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time-by-mark-haddon/ the stereotypical portrayal of autism and the fact that all the abuse he endures is normalized]], especially the fact that Christopher is blamed for all the events that happen in the book.

** Related to this is the fact that some fans of the book use Christopher's status as having an AmbiguousDisorder, rather than being specifically named as being autistic, as a means of deflecting any criticisms that autistic readers may have. When people praise it, he's autistic; when people want to criticise it, suddenly he's not and people are just reading too much into it.

* CaptainObviousReveal: Readers will pick up on certain plot revelations, such as [[spoiler: Mr. Shears' affair with Christopher's very-much-alive mother]] pretty early into the story. [[TropesAreNotBad On the other hand, part of the book's appeal is seeing Christopher piece together this information as he slowly begins to understand other people.]]

** Similarly, many autistic people, or people with Asperger's, if you define them as being significantly different, have felt that Christopher isn't a realistic depiction of someone with either.

*** This is no dream or whish, it is a phantasy. Accusing him of this is like accusing a woman of phantasising about rape for orgasms. She never really wants to get raped, nor does Christopher really whish for all mankind to die.

* JerkassWoobie:
** Christopher is a difficult person, but his familiar issues are heartbreaking.
** [[spoiler:Christopher's father. Even though he did kill Wellington, just look at the man; his wife leaves him, leaving him to take care of Christopher by himself. Later, Chris hates him for lying about Chris's mother, and doesn't talk to him for a long time, leaving his father to ''sit on the floor next to Chris's bedroom''. This guy needs a hug for all he's been though.]]
** His mother, as well. She did abandon her son and her husband, because of being unfit to deal with having an autistic child, and it is clear in some letters that she blamed Christopher for the divorce, for driving her off the wall, so on, but we cannot help but feel sorry for her as well. She does feel remorse for hitting her son previously, most likely possibly due to convincing her that she could not be good enough of a mother for him, and she does feel anger at Ed for having hidden the letters from Christopher. She also threw Mr. Shears out after he yelled at her son, accused him of being selfish, and wanting him to go. She too wanted to hug Christopher, but could not. Though their negativity towards their son is not justifiable, it is at least understandable, and it is truly out of pure love, and mostly just due to overwhelming frustration.

* TheWoobie: The elderly neighbor, to an extent, she does show Christopher that she is a friend, and she certainly acts like one, supportive, caring, but unfortunately, he rejects her, because he does not trust her, and in general, most people. This does not stop her from caring though.

** Christopher carries a Swiss Army Knife at all times and is not afraid to kill in self defence! Given what he perceives to be a “threat” (i.e people actually trying to help him at the Tube station) this could lead to him attacking somebody in the future.

** Christopher carries a penknife at all times and is not afraid to kill in self defence! Given what he perceives to be a “threat” (i.e people actually trying to help him at the Tube station) this could lead to him attacking somebody in the future.

* CaptainObviousReveal: GenreSavvy readers will pick up on certain plot revelations, such as [[spoiler: Mr. Shears' affair with Christopher's very-much-alive mother]] pretty early into the story. [[TropesAreNotBad On the other hand, part of the book's appeal is seeing Christopher piece together this information as he slowly begins to understand other people.]]

* TheWoobie:
** And later, [[spoiler:his father. Even though he did kill Wellington, just look at the man; his wife leaves him, leaving him to take care of Christopher by himself. Later, Chris hates him for lying about Chris's mother, and doesn't talk to him for a long time, leaving his father to ''sit on the floor next to Chris's bedroom''. This guy needs a hug for all he's been though.]]
*** [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown And he'll probably never get that hug]] (at least not from Christopher, who hates touching/being touched.)
*** However, he knows enough about Christopher to recognize the extremely restrained gestures of affection he occasionally gives, and to him it is clearly an in-universe CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when Christopher actually does acknowledge his presence after everything that's happened.
%%** Christopher
** His mother, as well. She did abandon her son and her husband, because of being unfit to deal with having an autistic child, and it is clear in some letters that she blamed Christopher for the divorce, for driving her off the wall, so on, but we cannot help but feel sorry for her as well. She does feel remorse for hitting her son previously, most likely possibly due to convincing her that she could not be good enough of a mother for him, and she does feel anger at Ed for having hidden the letters from Christopher. She also threw Mr. Shears out after he yelled at her son, accused him of being selfish, and wanting him to go. She too wanted to hug Christopher, but could not. Though their negativity towards their son is not justifiable, it is at least understandable, and it is truly out of pure love, and mostly just due to overwhelming frustration.
** The elderly neighbor, to an extent, she does show Christopher that she is a friend, and she certainly acts like one, supportive, caring, but unfortunately, he rejects her, because he does not trust her, and in general, most people. This does not stop her from caring though.

** Subverted, though many of the characters, namely his parents and neighbors put blame on him. They (especially his parents) later take responsibility for what they have done to him, for example when [[spoiler:his father buys him a new dog, as way his way of making up for killing Wellington a dog friend Christopher had, and his mother kicking Mr. Shears out, just to have her son move in with her, her way of apologizing for having abandoning him.]] It is also not said if his parents ever receive blame from each other or from anyone else, hence why his parents argue much. I read this review and I think the reviewer is missing many good things that this book does include, such as his relationship with his parents, the elderly woman who talks often to Christopher, and the teacher.

** Subverted, though many of the characters, namely his parents and neighbors put blame on him. They (especially his parents) later take responsibility for what they have done to him, for example when [[spoiler:his father buys him a new dog, as way his way of making up for killing Wellington a dog friend Christopher had, and his mother kicking Mr. Shears out, just to have her son move in with her, her way of apologizing for having abandoning him.]] It is also not said if his parents ever receive blame from each other or from anyone else, hence why his parents argue much.]] I read this review and I think the reviewer is missing many good things that this book does include, such as his relationship with his parents, the elderly woman who talks often to Christopher, and the teacher.

** Subverted, though many of the characters, namely his parents and neighbors put blame on him. They (especially his parents) later take responsibility for what they have done to him, for example when [[spoiler:his father buys him a new dog, as way his way of making up for killing Wellington a dog friend Christopher had, and his mother kicking Mr. Shears out, just to have her son move in with her, her way of apologizing for having abandoning him. It is also not said if his parents ever receive blame from each other or from anyone else, hence why his parents argue much.]] I read this review and I think the reviewer is missing many good things that this book does include, such as his relationship with his parents, the elderly woman who talks often to Christopher, and the teacher.]]

** Inverted at the end, his parents do own up to their mistakes.

** The elderly neighbor, she does show Christopher that she is a friend, and she certainly acts like one, supportive, caring, but unfortunately, he rejects her, because he does not trust her, and in general, most people. This does not stop her from caring though.

*** However, he knows enough about Christopher to recognise the extremely restrained gestures of affection he occasionally gives, and to him it is clearly an in-universe CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when Christopher actually does acknowledge his presence after everything that's happened.

** His mother, as well. She did abandon her son and her husband, because of being unfit to deal with having an autistic child, and it is clear in some letters that she blamed Christopher for the divorce, for driving her off the wall, so on, but we cannot help but feel sorry for her as well. She does feel remorse for hitting her son previously, most likely possibly due to convincing her that she could not be good enough of a mother for him, and she does feel anger at Ed for having hidden the letters from Christopher. She also threw Mr. Shears out after he yelled at her son, accused him of being selfish, and wanting him to go. She too wanted to hug Christopher, but could not. Though their negativity towards their son is not justifiable, it is at least understandable, and it is truly out of pure love.