Use your imagination, and you'll see that even the most narrow, humdrum lives are infinite in scope if you examine them with enough care. Mark Haddon careexaminehumdrum Change image and share on social
As a teenager, I was always this strange mixture of kind of vice-captain of the rugby team and sensitive artist type the rest of the time. I was sent away to this public school in the middle of nowhere, and I think we managed to completely miss out on normal youth culture. Mark Haddon artistcaptaincompletely share on social
Appalling things can happen to children. And even a happy childhood is filled with sadnesses. Mark Haddon appallchildchildhood Change image and share on social
I better make the plot good. I wanted to make it grip people on the first page and have a big turning point in the middle, as there is, and construct the whole thing like a roller coaster ride. Mark Haddon bigcoasterconstruct Change image and share on social
I think the U.K. is too small to write about from within it and still make it seem foreign and exotic and interesting. Mark Haddon exoticforeigninterest Change image and share on social
If you came from Mars and tried to analyse British or American society through novels, you'd think our society was preponderantly full of middle-aged, slightly alcoholic, middle-class, intellectual men, most of whom are divorced from their families and have nothing to do with children. Mark Haddon agealcoholicamerican share on social
Children simply don't make the distinction; a book is either good or bad. And some of the books they think are good are very, very bad indeed. Mark Haddon badbookchild Change image and share on social
I think Britain has this tradition which suggests that if you make the readers laugh too much, you can't really be serious. Whereas, I think one of the functions laughter can perform in a book, as in life, is that it's a reaction to genuine horror. Mark Haddon bookbritainfunction share on social
If kids like a picture book, they're going to read it at least 50 times, and their parents are going to have to read it with them. Read anything that often, and even minor imperfections start to feel like gravel in the bed. Mark Haddon bedbookfeel share on social
A lot of roles for people with disabilities are quite patronising. It's a real pity when they are just used to give dull PC kudos to a drama, or when they're wheeled on in a tokenistic way without any real involvement in the plot. Mark Haddon disabilitydramadull share on social
