Kings of Their Own Ocean

by Karen Pinchin ’19JRN
Kings of Their Own Ocean cover
Good Books rating 4.25
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  • ID: 2640
  • Added: 2025-10-15
  • Updated: 2025-10-15
  • Reviews: 2
Reviews
magazine.columbia.edu · Unknown · 2025-10-21
brilliant 4.50

The reviewer found the book hilarious and heart-breaking, praising the author's portrayal of the protagonist's lifestyle with understanding. They recommend it to older readers, acknowledging its mature content.

The reviewer enjoyed 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' immensely, describing it as both hilarious and heart-breaking. They appreciated how the author, Mark Haddon, portrayed the protagonist's lifestyle with such intimacy and understanding. The reviewer's favorite character was Christopher's father, whom they described as a saint for his patience and understanding. They recommend the book to older readers due to its mature content, including swearing and harrowing accounts, but assure that it's not overly intense. The reviewer hopes others will enjoy the book as much as they did.

Quick quotes

    I really enjoyed this book and I thought it was hilarious and heart-breaking at the same time

    I thought that Haddon really portrayed Christopher's lifestyle in a very intimate way and with so much understanding.

    I would obviously recommend this book to older readers as it's not really a children's book but it's not that hard core!!

magazine.columbia.edu · Unknown · 2024-10-14
intriguing 4.00

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a unique and original novel told from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old with Asperger's. It provides an insightful look into the mind of someone on the autism spectrum, though it contains disturbing content and a traditional ending.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a standout novel for its originality and creativity. Told through the eyes of Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old with Asperger's, the story offers a profound insight into how someone on the autism spectrum perceives and interacts with the world. The narrative is both logical and emotionally detached, which is both fascinating and disturbing. The book's unique structure, with chapters numbered by prime numbers, adds to its distinctiveness. However, it contains strong language and disturbing themes that might not be suitable for younger readers. The novel's exploration of Christopher's world unraveling as he investigates a murder and deals with his own challenges is both intriguing and touching. While it falls short of being a perfect novel due to its traditional ending and familiar story elements, it is an important and clever read that deserves attention and discussion.

Quick quotes

    The book itself is covered with recommendations from Ian McEwan, Oliver Sachs, the Sunday Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent, The Times, the New York Times and more. They use words like ‘outstanding’, ‘stunning’, ‘superb’, ‘remarkable’, ‘impressive’, ‘exceptional’ and ‘brilliant’.

    This is supposedly a children’s book and won several children’s book awards but it’s also a novel that parents should read before letting their children read it because it contains all of the following swear words: shit, fuck, shitting fuck, cunt.

    It’s closer to a 5 than it is to a 4 but that’s the illogical Goodreads system we are given to rate with.

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