The Graveyard Book

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It's a hit!

There are so many good things to say about this book. It's like the Jungle Book, except instead of the boy living in the jungle and being raised b... (show more)

There are so many good things to say about this book. It's like the Jungle Book, except instead of the boy living in the jungle and being raised by wolves, he is a boy living in a graveyard being raised by ghosts. He can see in the dark, "Fade," "Dreamwalk," and haunt people like a ghost can. Though he is human, he walks the border between living and dead.

This book encourages its adults readers to look beneath the surface of things, past our perceptions of reality and into a world that may or may not exist, as a child would do. The world of the ghosts, their stories, tombstones, personalities, etc are fascinating, and quite often amusing. Bod's interactions with his "parents" and his "guardian," and his perpetual search for a place in the world, are touching, for everyone who raises him loves him, despite their entirely separate states of being. I don't think this book would frighten children (although some of the illustration are a little scary), but it is a great novel for adults as well.

Another unique work from Gaiman (does one expect less?) and better, I thought, than Coraline (the only other children's book I've read by him). The ending is sad, but not in a tragic sense--just that feeling we all get of childhood slipping away and the adult world looming close. A very creative and unexpected wrap-up, though not the twist I expected from the build-up I felt near the end. Definitely recommend this to everyone, especially those interested in darker material. (show less)

 

 

by Courtney K

No, it's a flop!

I seem to be in the minority: most people who read this book seem to love it. It's been nominated and/or won numerous prizes, some of them prestigi... (show more)

I seem to be in the minority: most people who read this book seem to love it. It's been nominated and/or won numerous prizes, some of them prestigious. Moreover, The Graveyard Book seemed to have an interesting premise: a boy is raised by ghosts after his family is murdered. To boot, the whole book is told in a series of interconnected short stories. Sounds pretty good, eh?

To digress: I liked The Sandman and Neverwhere. When story and characters are compelling enough, shortcomings such as wooden dialog and unintentionally silly melodrama fade away.

Not so in The Graveyard Book. The short stories are only loosely connected, which would be okay if they were strong pieces unto themselves, but they're not--characters fall flat, dialog drags, melodrama and unoriginal ideas abound. I can't imagine this appealing either of the target audiences (children or teenagers--it's been marketed for both).

85% of the book bored me, and even the engaging sections were sloppily written and needed the hand of a good, forceful editor. Sorry, Neil--I like you, but I just can't endorse this poorly conceived novel. (show less)

 

 

by Emily Dezurick-Badran

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  As my friends know, I'm not at all a fan of the horror genre, but somehow I manage to be a fan of Neil Gaiman anyway, and this book (winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal) makes clear why. Because it's a children's book, the violence isn't as extreme as in his books for adults--sure, a very creepy assassin kills the protagonist's parents and sister in the opening pages, but without the graphic descriptions Gaiman might have included elsewhere. After that, the idea of a toddler being rescued and br... (show more)

  As my friends know, I'm not at all a fan of the horror genre, but somehow I manage to be a fan of Neil Gaiman anyway, and this book (winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal) makes clear why. Because it's a children's book, the violence isn't as extreme as in his books for adults--sure, a very creepy assassin kills the protagonist's parents and sister in the opening pages, but without the graphic descriptions Gaiman might have included elsewhere. After that, the idea of a toddler being rescued and brought up by the residents of a graveyard (even named by them), eventually finding his identity and getting ready to take his place in the world of the living, is irresistible. Sights that would scare other children are normal to Bod (short for Nobody), so they become normal to readers as well. Gaiman also recognizes that graveyards like Highgate Cemetery are fascinating places--here, he goes beyond wondering about the stories of people memorialized on the stones to make them engaging characters who can care about a boy in need of help. Wordplay, as in the society of Jacks and in Nobody Owens's name, adds to the enjoyment. Now I want to see the British edition and its different illustrations. (show less)

   

  by Andelys Wood on Nov 25, 2009 at 04:08PM

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  Gaiman, intentionally or by accident, set himself a plot challenge in The Graveyard Book - trapping his protagonist in a cemetery, closing off the two classic plots (someone goes on a trip; someone comes to town.) As a result the book feels static, even claustrophobic, in the early chapters, as Gaiman struggles to force events upon Nobody "Bod" Owens, who, incidentally, acts improbably grown-up and articulate in scenes where he's supposed to be five years old. The book gains momentu... (show more)

  Gaiman, intentionally or by accident, set himself a plot challenge in The Graveyard Book - trapping his protagonist in a cemetery, closing off the two classic plots (someone goes on a trip; someone comes to town.) As a result the book feels static, even claustrophobic, in the early chapters, as Gaiman struggles to force events upon Nobody "Bod" Owens, who, incidentally, acts improbably grown-up and articulate in scenes where he's supposed to be five years old. The book gains momentum at the midpoint on the heels of a startlingly moving set piece about a Dance Macabre between the living and the dead, and the final chapters more than make up for the first half, as plot elements wound up early in the tale spring into motion like traps. A melancholy closing scene brings the book to a fitting conclusion - sentimental, but not heavy-handed. Interesting exploration of what it means to be a monster - and a good scary new monster to boot. Recommended. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Oct 21, 2009 at 04:52PM

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