The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
YA fiction. 312 pp.
HarperCollins. 2008.
flap copy:
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.
There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy—an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.
But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breath-taking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
There is, apparently, this cult of Neil Gaiman out there. I only know this because every now and again I hear whispers of this master who must be worshiped and adored. Having never read anything by him previously, and seeing this book in the Devil's Den, I asked Sean where I should begin. Of course, he hadn't finished Graveyard yet, so he recommended something else. But then I saw that he loved and adored this book, so I got it.
I must confess to being very pleased with this book. It has a slow start as far as pacing goes, but the writing really is quite lovely. And the characters are drawn rather well. I like the layout, with the novel being composed of a number of short stories that tie together to reveal the overarching plot and denouement. Overall, it works quite nicely. And I think it is also a rather appropriate seasonal book.
Now, if you're into audiobooks, Gaiman apparently narrates the official audio. Or you can even go to his site and download video of him reading the entire novel while on his book tour.
Other reviews:
Books & Other Thoughts | Cecily | Boingboing
4 comments:
You should read Coraline. And Death: The High Cost of Living. And the entire Sandman series.
What is this cult you speak of and how many children do I have to sacrifice to join?
It would appear to me that you've already sacrificed enough children. But that's just my guess.
I have an extra Coraline book that you can have, if you want it. I can't remember why I have an extra Coraline book. Maybe it's mandatory with Coraline.
But, if you don't won't read my Coraline book, you should at least read someone's Coraline book, or get your own. :)
Maybe you have an extra because you're supposed to give it to me.
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