Neil Gaiman

Stardust — (1997) Available for download at Audible.com and made into a film.  Publisher: In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.

Stardust: Wondrously-told adult fairy tale

Neil Gaiman's Stardust chronicles the origin and life of the young Englishman Tristran Thorn, in particular his quest to retrieve, for the woman he fancies, a star that has fallen in the land of Faerie, which begins just beyond his village of Wall. But Tristran isn't the only one who seeks the star, and the star itself is much more than he imagined ...

Gaiman weaves a quickly paced, beautifully structured adult fairy tale— 'adult' because it doesn't neglect the human experiences of sex, death and time. His language is that of the gifted storyteller—clear, concise and lyrical, resonant with mythic lore and archetypes. I highly recommend this book (even as a new purchase) for fans of fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, and/or romance, as well as for those who simply enjoy a well-told tale.

It would be a disservice to an interested reader to make this review any longer. Do read this one. Five enchanting stars.   —Rob R.   Comments

Stardust: "Go, And Catch a Falling Star..."

If you like fantasy stories filled with magic, adventure and romance, but are getting sick and tired of boring, long-winded fantasy epics, then look no further than Stardust. There are no long histories, family trees or endless descriptions of culture, landscapes and back-story. This is just a sweet, simple fairytale told by a great storyteller. Though be warned — the original fairytales were not written for children, and Stardust follows in their literary footsteps, by including several violent, sensual and bittersweet scenes. It might be tempting to read this book aloud to children (particularly if you've seen the recent movie adaptation), but this is something I would strongly advise against!

Set in the Victorian Era out in the English countryside, the town of Wall is named so because of the simple-looking wall that divides our world from the realm of Faerie. The two worlds are kept strictly separate (or so the town officials would like to believe) except for a few days every nine years when a faerie marketplace crosses the wall, and Wall itself is turned into a bustling metropolis as travelers from around the world arrive to consort with the fey-folk. Neil Gaiman pours delicious detail into this mingling of two worlds, describing the fairy markets with such obvious relish that you'll be surprised how long the book takes to get to the "meat" of the story in the quest narrative (not that this is a bad thing).

It is at one such meeting of worlds that young Tristian Thorn is conceived. Eighteen years later (and unaware of his faerie-heritage) Tristian has been raised by his father Dunstan Thorn and fallen in love with Victoria Forester, a girl hopelessly out of his league. However, he manages to wrangle an agreement with her: for her hand in marriage, he will fetch her the falling star that they've both just seen fall from the sky.

Little does he know, that the falling star has been witnessed by several others in Faerie: a witch that desires the star to rejuvenate her and her sisters to their youth, and the princely sons of the realm of Stormhold, who are after a gemstone to solidify their claim to the throne, which is currently worn around the star's neck. These various story threads gradually converge as the story goes on, though the tale mainly focuses on the tempestuous relationship that forms between Tristian and Yvaine the star (who naturally takes the form of a beautiful young woman).

There are little subplots and threads of other stories strewn throughout the book, quite reminiscent of Michael Ende's use of the phrase: "that is another story and shall be told another time," in The Neverending Story, or of the collected fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, whose stories have a variety of characters who pop in and out of their tales, seemingly at random. But Gaiman's range of characters and little "plot tangents" serve to give one the sense that there is more going on in the world than the trials and tribulations of our two main characters.

If anything, the ending is a little anti-climactic (especially when compared to the aforementioned movie version) and the final line of the book doesn't pack quite the bittersweet punch that I think Gaiman intended, but ultimately this is a lovely little story that wouldn't feel out of place next to Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and Other Poems or the works of Lord Dunsany. If you've read anything by Lord Dunsany (a forerunner to Tolkien himself) then there's no reason not to enjoy Stardust — in fact Neil Gaiman himself pays homage to this early fantasy author by quoting his famous "beyond the fields we know" phrase from The King of Elfland's Daughter (and mentions the author in his dedication).

Stardust has recently been adapted into a movie, which in many ways improves on several aspects of its source material, particularly in a more climactic finish and the fleshing out of minor characters (although others suffer, such as Victoria, who really isn't such a bad sort in the book, but is portrayed as a spoilt little snot in the film). But Stardust was filmed with a more tongue-in-cheek air, in the tradition of The Princess Bride, and looses some of the mystery and delicacy that Gaiman infuses his story with: let's call it the "fey quality." And though the ending of the film was more satisfying, it's not quite as poignant or thought-provoking. In any case, I recommend both book and movie, and can attest that I own and enjoy both!  —Rebecca   Comments

Stardust on audio

Stardust is a charming novel and beautifully written. The language is simple, concise, and to-the-point (I appreciate not having to re-read convoluted sentences). If you're looking for a deep, dark epic that's heavy on description, characterization, political intrigue, and plot twists, this isn't it. This is a light break from the heavy stuff. It's fun and entertaining. The plot is quick and has a bit of the Princess Bride feel in that it's purposely a bit silly in places.

I listened to Stardust in audiobook format, which I highly recommend because Neil Gaiman himself is the reader, and he does an excellent job. His voice is smooth and pleasant and there are none of those little problems where the reader stresses the wrong word or uses the wrong tone because (s)he didn't realize exactly what the author was trying to get across. I really enjoyed hearing the author read his own book, and there was an interesting interview with Mr Gaiman after the story.

A fun and easy read, especially for Princess Bride fans. Try the audiobook!!  —Kat   Comments

Stardust: Overrated

Stardust has "bandwagon syndrome". In other words, someone, for some reason (in this case likely Gaiman's huge graphic novel success) is convinced a work is brilliant. Quite a few someones, in this case. The reader reaction to that tends to go either way...either it's enough to convince the reader the work truly is brilliant, or, like me, they're just unimpressed.

The fact is, it's very Fantasy Paint-By-Numbers. Trite and by the book to the core...you've seen all these things before and chances are you've enjoyed them more elsewhere. It's not even really written in a style that stands out in my mind for any reason.

What does stand out in my mind is that the three most exciting events of the whole adventure are summed up in 3 sentences. Literally. One for each event. I'm reading these sentences and thinking "Wow, these would be so interesting to read!" Only Gaiman doesn't go there. At all. Just those three disappointing, frustrating sentences. Like he got that far and just decided he was bored with writing it, so he was going to sum up those parts and finish it off.

And then he finishes it off. With what was probably one of the most unbelievable love stories I've ever read. The characters aren't that likeable to begin with...again, they're standard fantasy fare: Average villager boy with unexplainable longing discovering he is something more and beautiful haughty mysterious ice princess with a 'tude. Now, first you have to cut away the parts of the book they're not in, which is a fair bit of it. Then there's the fact that, for most of that, they absolutely loathe each other. Then WHAM! there's the ending and oh yeah, they're in love. What!? Because of course the bulk of the bonding they would have done for that love to be believable would have happened in those three events that we never get to see.

I probably should have known to steer clear. Nine times out of ten I'm utterly disappointed by this sort of book. My expectations were really high, considering all the praise Gaiman gets. And don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the heck out of Good Omens and I certainly have nothing against Gaiman himself. In fact he strikes me as one of few genuinely likeable, not nuts authors left in the business these days. And unlike many of them, he can structure a sentence and use punctuation. But Stardust is still one of the most overrated books I've ever read. —Beth   Comments

Good Omens — (1990) With Terry Pratchett. Publisher: According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter — the world's only totally reliable guide to the future - the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea. Which means that Armageddon will happen on a Saturday night. There will be seas of fire, rains of fish, the moon turning to blood and the massed armies of Heaven and Hell will sort it outonce and for all. Which is a major problem for Crowley, Hell's most approachable demon and former serpent, and his opposite number and old friend Aziraphale, genuine angel and Soho bookshop owner. They like it down here (or, in Crowley's case, up here). So they've got no alternative but to stop the Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse, defeat the marching ranks of the Witchfinder's army and — somehow — stop it all happening. Above all (or, in Aziraphale's case, below all) they need to find and kill the Antichrist, currently the most powerful creature on Earth. This is a shame. Because he's eleven years old, loves his dog even though it's really a Satanic hellhound under all that hair, really cares about the environment and is the sort of boy anyone would be proud to have as a son. He's also totally invulnerable, and a nice kid. And if that isn't enough, they've still got Sunday to deal with. . . All two of them.

Neverwhere — (1996) Publisher: Under the streets of London there is a world of which most people could never dream. When Richard Mayhew accidentally stumbles on this hidden city of monsters, saints, murderers and angels, he is catapulted from a safe and predictable world into one that is eerily familiar yet utterly bizarre.

Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions — (1998) A collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, including: an elderly woman who finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat in a second-hand store; and a stray cat who fights a terrible nightly battle to protect his unwary adoptive family from unimaginable evil.

Smoke and Mirrors: Gets under your skin

Neil Gaiman's place on my personal "favorite authors list" is cemented firmly by Smoke and Mirrors, a versatile collection of his short stories and narrative poems. There is a wide variety of "types" of story here, from fantasy to horror to mystery to wildly hilarious comedy. I liked almost all of them.

Neil Gaiman's two finest gifts are (1) humor, and (2) truly scary horror that gets under your skin rather than just grossing you out with gore. He flexes his humor muscles with such outstanding fare as "Chivalry" (the story of an old woman who buys the Holy Grail at a thrift shop), "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale" (about hit men with discount rates), "One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock" (about a young boy and his love for fantasy novels), and "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" (believe it or not, a funny Cthulhu story, about strange towns, getting drunk, and Things that live under the ocean).

As for horror, there is the story in the intro, "The Wedding Present," which is sort of a "Marriage of Dorian Gray," plus several other standouts including two of the narrative poems, "The White Road" (a montage of Bluebeard tales) and another, whose name I forget, about a woman who is vanished by a magician and never reappears. Truly creepy and hauntingly sad as well.

If you like psychological horror, dry humor, or anything of the sort, you'll love this.  —Kelly   Comments

American Gods — (2000) Publisher: After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the days, then the hours, then the hours, then the seconds until his release tick away, he can feel a storm building. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in apparently adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But they are being pursued by someone with whom Shadow must make his peace... Disturbing,gripping and profoundly strange, Neil Gaiman's epic new novel sees him on the road to finding the soul of America.

American Gods

This is a bad land for Gods...The old gods are ignored. The new gods are as quickly taken up as they are abandoned, cast aside for the next big thing. Either you've been forgotten, or you're scared you're going to be rendered obsolete, or maybe you're just getting tired of existing on the whims of people.

Shadow, just out of prison and with nothing to go home to, is hired to be Mr. Wednesday's bodyguard as he travels around America to warn all the other incarnations of gods, legends, and myths, that “a storm is coming.” There's going to be a battle between the old gods who were brought to melting pot America by their faithful followers generations ago, and the new gods of technology, convenience, and individuality.

That's the premise of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and it's just crackling with promise! But unfortunately, that's not really what this novel is about. It's what the novel keeps telling us it's about (and what many critics told us it was about), but it doesn't deliver.

Yes, there are plenty of gods, myths, and legends, and Gaiman does great things with some of them (e.g., Ibis the undertaker and Mr. Nancy) but most are never developed and a reader who has not read an encyclopedia of folklore probably won't catch all the clever allusions.

Yes, there's Neil Gaiman's characteristic style, which I always enjoy. His prose is clean, unvarnished, and exquisite. His characters are recognizable; His America is recognizable. In fact, this was the best part of the book (and what Gaiman does so well) — Shadow's roadtrip across the United States gave Gaiman plenty of opportunities to showcase his humorous insights into the human condition and, in this case, small-town American life. This was lovely, and I enjoyed these parts of the book.

The problem with American Gods was that the plot, meandering this way and that across the continent, never solidified. Shadow goes to this American town, meets a few gods and legends, goes to this other place, meets a couple more .... There are numerous short stories detailing the lives of these gods and the people who worshipped them, so we expect to see some of these folks again (perhaps at this coming battle), but we don't. A few weird mystical things happen to Shadow and we anticipate an explanation for those occurrences. Then there's a sub-plot involving Shadow's undead wife who asks Shadow to bring her back to life.

I don't want to ruin it for anybody, but let me say that the “storm” we're promised doesn't materialize. Every time there's a conflict, or a tight spot, someone suddenly shows up and, knowingly or unknowingly, takes care of it. Shadow (and his dead wife) figure out what the bad guys are going to do before they do it. Characters who we hoped might play a bigger role, and events that seemed to be significant, just fade away. The whole thing kind of fizzles. The plot twists at the end aren't clever or inventive — they just seem to be there to fit the role of “obligatory plot twist.”

The premise of American Gods has so much promise. I was anticipating some poignant social commentary on America and our habits of worship. After all, American Gods is a best-selling award-winning novel and I expect great things from Neil Gaiman. But it didn't happen this time and I really can't explain the critical acclaim for this novel. —Kat   Comments

Coraline — (2002) Ages 9-12. Available for download at Audible.com Publisher: The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring.... In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only it's different. At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

Anansi Boys — (2005) Publisher: God is dead. Meet the kids. When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts his father bestowed — before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life. Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is to day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun...just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie. Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion — he is able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Exciting, scary, and deeply funny, Anansi Boys is a kaleidoscope journey deep into myth, a wild adventure, and a fierce and unstoppable farce, as Neil Gaiman shows us where gods come from, and how to survive your family.

Anansi Boys on audio: Neil Gaiman + Lenny Henry = Twice the Entertainment

I love Neil Gaiman. You know that old 1960s footage of the all the American girls jumping up and down screaming hysterically when the Beatles visited the US? That's how I feel about Neil Gaiman. (Okay, maybe I wouldn't scream or pass out, but I sure think he's cool.) I like his style — his writing is easy, intelligent, well-edited, dryly humorous, and just plain charming.

Anansi Boys is no exception, and it's especially charming in audio format, thanks to Lenny Henry, an English stand-up comedian whose deep rich voice and character comedy is absolutely perfect for this novel which is based on the African/Caribbean mythology of the trickster spider god Anansi (introduced in American Gods). Henry's voices are brilliant (especially the old Caribbean women) and he had me literally smiling nearly all the way through the story. Actually, if it weren't for Lenny Henry, I'd have to say that I probably would only give this novel 4 stars instead of 4.5.

That's because this is not Gaiman's tightest work. It's about Fat Charlie, a Floridian turned Englishman, who was leading a rather dull life as an honest accountant until the brother he didn't know he had turns up and he finds out that they are both the sons of the god Anansi. This is all very entertaining, especially for a Floridian who enjoyed Charlie's travels to places I know, and Gaiman tells his humorous story with the usual charm:

Fat Charlie tried to remember what people did in prison to pass the time, but all he could come up with was keeping secret diaries and hiding things in their bottoms. He had nothing to write on, and felt that a definite measure of how well one was getting on in life was not having to hide things in one's bottom .... Nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen. More Nothing. The Return of Nothing. Son of Nothing. Nothing Rides Again. Nothing and Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman...

But at the end there were some things I still didn't understand: what exactly was the origin of Spider (I can't say as much as I'd like to about this because I don't want to spoil it), why weren't the other gods (and even Anansi himself) more fully characterized? The scenes involving the god-world were sketchy — we really get only a minimal understanding of Tiger, Anansi's eternal enemy — and Charlie's sudden understanding and acceptance of his powers happens too fast. And then there were some oddities that just didn't seem to fit in — like the ghost of one of Charlie's boss's clients.

But, even with these minor disappointments, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this novel because Neil Gaiman wrote it and Lenny Henry read it. Recommended, especially in audio format.
—Kat   Comments

Fragile Things: Short Fictions And Wonders — (2006) Publisher: A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night, taking one of the spectators along with it ... In a novella set two years after the events of American Gods, Shadow pays a visit to an ancient Scottish mansion, and finds himself trapped in a game of murder and monsters... In a Hugo Award-winning short story set in a strangely altered Victorian England, the great detective Sherlock Holmes must solve a most unsettling royal murder... Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams — and nightmares... In a Locus Award-winning tale, the members of an excusive epicurean club lament that they've eaten everything that can be eaten, with the exception of a legendary, rare, and exceedingly dangerous Egyptian bird... Such marvelous creations and more — including a short story set in the world of The Matrix, and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction — can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his terrifyingly entertaining dark sense of humor. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most unique writers of our time.

Fragile Things

This collection comes with 31 short stories and poems as well as an introduction that's as compelling as Smoke and Mirrors. Of all of Gaiman's collections, I think this is by far the most superior as it features more of his later work and has a more polished style.

I've also read several of the stories here before in various anthologies but it was great to revisit them as I wasn't the same reader I was several years ago. Reading them today, I enjoyed them more the second time around.

Here's my top three stories: "A Study in Emerald" is a hybrid between Lovecraft and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Gaiman parallels the original Sherlock Holmes story quite well while infusing it with his own unique elements.

"Sunbird," on the other hand, is quite mythic and having read this story the second time made it an even greater read as this is one of those stories that is seeded quite well.

"The Monarch of the Glen" features one of my favorite Gaiman characters from American Gods and, while I didn't quite get it the first time around back in 2004, reading it now made perfect sense and was quite an enjoyable experience. Overall, this is a fun collection that's not intimidating and is easily accessible. Gaiman's prose, in my opinion, has been evolving for the better and it's evident in Fragile Things

Oh, and you get poems to boot. —C.T.   Comments
FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review.

Interworld — (2007) With Michael Reaves. Publisher: Joey Harker isn't a hero. In fact, he's the kind of guy who gets lost in his own house. But then one day, Joey gets really lost. He walks straight out of his world and into another dimension. Joey's walk between the worlds makes him prey to two terrible forces — armies of magic and science who will do anything to harness his power to travel between dimensions. When he sees the evil those forces are capable of, Joey makes the only possible choice: to join an army of his own, an army of versions of himself from different dimensions who all share his amazing power and who are all determined to fight to save the worlds.

Interworld

In Interworld, Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves manage to tell a story that's full of science-fiction elements and concepts but is yet quite accessible to any reader, young or old. The premise is simple and isn't anything new as far as sci-fi tropes are concerned: a kid with no sense of direction discovers he can travel the multiverse. Of course during this short novel, various themes and issues are tackled without detracting from the story.

The strength of Interworld, I think, are the characters. Joey Harker, the protagonist, is quite sympathetic and compelling, yet he's not the only interesting character. There's the mysterious Jay, the wise Mr. Dimas, and the various cast of villains.

If there's anything lacking in Interworld, it's the sense that there's something more; Once you finish, you know it's begging for a sequel because the journey has merely begun.

Interworld can best be summed up with the following words: simple language, big ideas, lovable characters, compelling story. —C.T.   Comments
FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review.

M is for Magic — (2007) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a breathtaking collection of tales for younger readers that may chill or amuse, but that always embrace the unexpected:

• Humpty Dumpty's sister hires a private detective to investigate her brother's death.
• A teenage boy who has trouble talking to girls finds himself at a rather unusual party.
• A boy raised in a graveyard makes a discovery, and confronts the much more troubling world of the living.

M is for Magic

M is for Magic's title is an homage to the short story collections of Ray Bradbury and is a worthy successor. (Now if only we had 25 more short story collections to complete the alphabet.) Gaiman's stories in this collection are easy reads that both young readers and adults will enjoy. It has a diverse set of stories, everything from mystery to coming-of-age to horror. There's even a poem that managed to sneak into this collection.

Gaiman’s prose is quite easy to understand yet nonetheless charming. A welcome read for any occasion, although the hefty hardcover price might detract some people from buying it immediately. Personally though, I think it's well worth a hardback purchase. —C.T.   Comments
FanLit thanks Charles Tan from Bibliophile Stalker for contributing this guest review.

The Graveyard Book — (2008) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusualplace — he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings — like the ability to Fade. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really onething or the other. This chilling tale is Neil Gaiman's first full-length novel for middle-grade readers since the internationally bestselling and universally acclaimed Coraline. Like Coraline, this book is sure to enchant and surprise young readers as well as Neil Gaiman's legion of adult fans.

The Graveyard Book: A near-perfect gem of writing

Ignore the YA label slapped on this one if that gives you pause. Though that won’t be hard to do because The Graveyard Book opens with a hand in the darkness holding a knife wet with the blood of almost an entire family: father, mother, and older child. The knife lacks only the blood of the toddler son to finish its job. Luckily for the reader (and the boy) he escapes into a nearby cemetery where a mothering ghost convinces the cemetery community to protect him. Another reason to ignore the YA label, or better yet, to revel in it, is that Neil Gaiman’s YA-listed material is stronger than his adult work: tighter, more focused, more intense all around. All that holds true here and The Graveyard Book’s clarity and brevity, often seen as constraints in the category, only enhance the book’s impact.

Chapter One sets the premise, introduces the boy (Nobody), the murderer (Jack), Mrs. and Mr. Owens (Nobody’s new parents), Silas (a non-ghost resident of the graveyard who becomes Nobody’s guardian), and several of the 300 other ghosts. Chapter Two introduces a young girl (living) named Scarlett who becomes Nobody’s playmate for a while (her parents think he’s an imaginary friend) and Chapter 3 finds Bod (his nickname) meeting a tutor/guardian named Miss Lupescu whom Silas arranges for when he can’t be around. Both Scarlett and Miss Lupescu will play major roles.

This sets the pattern for the book as whole, which is episodic in nature: we get a discrete chapter, an adventure in the cemetery (Bod is forbidden from leaving for fear that someone still wants him dead) where Bod meets a new ghostly denizen, some resolution to whatever issue forms the crux of the chapter, then we jump ahead a few years for the next chapter.

The story is compelling and scary and tense at the start, mellows and becomes charmingly, winsomely captivating as Bod grows up, then turns tensely compelling once again as Bod decides to face his family’s murderer, who is creepy enough but has behind him some chilling characters. While some may feel the episodic structure and change in tone/mood detracts somewhat, I’d say the loss of intense plot momentum is more than compensated for by the sheer delight of those middle chapters, thanks to their sharp, efficient characterization; the way they subtly nudge Bod closer to adulthood, and the way his relationships with a few of the cemetery residents deepen over time.

The dead in Neil Gaiman’s book are more alive than many a living character I’ve read. Bod’s progress toward maturity is not smooth and relentless — he makes more than his share of mistakes, flashes lots of immaturity, brings inadvertent harm to those who love him. In short, he’s as real a child as one could ask for. But, like all children he eventually will have to leave the nest and face his own troubles. This is part of the book’s brutal honesty (consider the line “death is the great democracy” and ask yourself whether most authors would be so blunt with children) and thus its movement is inevitably bittersweet, made more so by the losses Bod (and the reader) suffers.

The Graveyard Book is a gem: small, precise, beautiful, a bit otherworldly, reflective, and like some gems, sharp enough to cut yourself on in places. Highly recommended.
—Bill   Comments

The Graveyard Book

There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.

With those words, Neil Gaiman plunges the reader into a shadowy tale. The Graveyard Book opens with Jack, a member of a secret association that has been tasked with killing the entire Owens family, stalking through the Owens house, knife in hand, seeking the last member of the family. But Nobody Owens, a toddler, has a fondness for climbing out of his crib and going exploring. On this night, his midnight ramble takes him to the cemetery up the street, and a ghostly couple takes custody of him, along with Silas, a mysterious figure who lives in the crypt. Silas is just one of many interesting characters that either live in, or are part of, the family Nobody creates for himself in the graveyard.

The Graveyard Book is strongest when it focuses on the fight between Nobody and Jack. That translates into a very strong beginning and ending, but the story stumbles in the middle. Neil Gaiman has said that his inspiration for this novel was Kipling’s The Jungle Book, but set in a graveyard. This structure of a series of connected vignettes hobbles the narrative flow of the story. While the chapters are mostly interesting in and of themselves, it seems to keep the tension from building throughout the novel, with each chapter having an internal story arc, rather than contributing to a greater narrative flow. While Gaiman does incorporate events from each of these chapters into the climax, making them all necessary to the narrative as a whole, it makes the book read more as a short story collection than a novel. That said, the chapter Danse Macabre would make for an amazing short story by itself. It was one of the most gripping, otherworldly episodes I have ever read.

The Graveyard Book is ostensibly a children’s book, but it is one that a parent or guardian should supervise. Any book that begins with a family being stabbed to death in their home is one that stretches the boundaries of standard children’s literature. I would recommend this for older children as a chapter book with their parents’ supervision, or older readers who enjoy an interesting take on the orphan coming of age fantasy trope.  —Ruth   Comments