Mark Haddon writes with a unique insight into the human psyche, exploring themes of difference and understanding. His stylistic prowess lies in his ability to draw readers into the minds of characters navigating conventional social norms. Drawing from his early work with autistic individuals, Haddon's narratives offer authentic and profound portrayals. His works are cherished for their intelligence and emotional resonance.
Created by Harvard students for students everywhere, each title in the 'Sparknotes' series contains complete plot summary and analysis, key facts about the work, an analysis of the major characters, suggested essay topics, themes, motifs, and symbols, and an explanation of important quotations.
The Sidebottoms, the nightmare neighbours of all time, have moved! Moved in next door to Ben's family... For the gang, Ben, Barney and Jenks, this is a state of emergency and calls for the one and only mighty Agent Z and a penguin...!
More mischief from those practical jokers, the Crane Grove Crew, by the author of the bestselling The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time .Ben’s repulsive cousin, T.J., comes to stay. He discovers an incriminating videotape of Agent Z activities and blackmails Ben into becoming his slave. Meanwhile, Ben, Jenks and Barney embark on their first film, entitled Invasion of the Killer Bananas. When T.J. disappears, however, the film points towards Ben, Jenks and Barney as murder suspects! In an attempt to clear their names, the boys use all the cunning of Agent Z to try and lure T.J. home and into the hands of the police…
Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.
The Modern Maverick will help you figure out your own definition of success and gives you the courage and tools to pursue it effectively.
Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.
From the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'Superbly gripping' Sunday Times'Terrifically compelling' Guardian'A brilliant collection' Daily MailAn expedition to Mars goes terribly wrong. A seaside pier collapses. A thirty-stone man is confined to his living room. One woman is abandoned on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Another woman is saved from drowning. Two boys discover a gun in a shoebox. A group of explorers find a cave of unimaginable size deep in the Amazon jungle. A man shoots a stranger in the chest on Christmas Eve.'The real redemption in these superbly gripping stories comes from their canny human detail, and the vivid, unsettling clarity they bring to our lives.? Sunday Times
In the ten essays in this book some of our finest authors and passionate advocates from the worlds of science, publishing, technology and social enterprise tell us about the experience of reading, why access to books should never be taken forgranted, how reading transforms our brains, and how literature can save lives.
Exploring the depths of Greek mythology, Mark Haddon reinterprets ancient tales with a modern lens. He delves into themes of love, mortality, and the human condition through stories like Eos and Tithonus, where eternal life becomes a burden, and the Minotaur's tale transforms into a poignant reflection on maternal love amidst patriarchal monstrosities. Other narratives address contemporary issues, revealing the timelessness of human struggles. Haddon's prose combines sharp observation with empathy, offering a rich tapestry that connects past and present experiences.
That Mark Haddon's first book after The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a book of poetry will perhaps come as a surprise to his legions of fans; that it is also one of such virtuosity and range will simply astonish them. The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea reveals a poet of great versatility and formal talent: all the gifts so admired in Haddon's prose are in strong evidence here - the humanity of his voices, the dark humour and the uncanny ventriloquism - but Haddon is also a writer of considerable seriousness, lyric power and surreal invention. Here are bittersweet love-lyrics, lucid and bold new versions of Horace, comic set-pieces, lullabies, wry postmodern shenanigans (including a note from the official board of censors on 18 certificate poetry), and an entire John Buchan novel condensed to five pages. The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea will consolidate his reputation as our most powerful myth-weavers and spell-makers, as well as one of the most outrageous and freewheeling imaginations at work in contemporary literature.
