I've read this book so many times! Its about a boy called Nobody Owens, and his story as he finds his family's murderer while being brought up by ghosts.
This is a such a cool concept! How did the book end up so boring?
It’s Harry Potter but in a cemetery and without the worldbuilding or character development. I added a star because this is a children’s book, and I might have enjoyed it more at a different age. Even if you suspend disbelief for a great many things, the disjointed plot and separate short-story chapters don’t flow and don't add much to the story.
This "Jungle Book"-inspired young adult fantasy by Neil Gaiman was pleasant, but nothing particularly profound.
The central premise, in which an orphaned toddler is adopted by the residents of a cemetery, is an interesting one, but the details of such a living arrangement felt insufficiently explored. The quirky antagonists of the story likewise felt underdeveloped and sort of a rehash of the much more interesting Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from "Neverwhere."
While I won't label it a flaw, per se, I did find it a bit jarring every time the Internet or other trappings of modern society were mentioned, as the book's voice has a very Edwardian feel (much like the artwork of Edward Gorey).
I didn't dislike this book, but it definitely felt like one of Gaiman's lesser works. It could be a worthwhile recommendation to boys and girls in late elementary school, but for the adult reader …
This "Jungle Book"-inspired young adult fantasy by Neil Gaiman was pleasant, but nothing particularly profound.
The central premise, in which an orphaned toddler is adopted by the residents of a cemetery, is an interesting one, but the details of such a living arrangement felt insufficiently explored. The quirky antagonists of the story likewise felt underdeveloped and sort of a rehash of the much more interesting Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from "Neverwhere."
While I won't label it a flaw, per se, I did find it a bit jarring every time the Internet or other trappings of modern society were mentioned, as the book's voice has a very Edwardian feel (much like the artwork of Edward Gorey).
I didn't dislike this book, but it definitely felt like one of Gaiman's lesser works. It could be a worthwhile recommendation to boys and girls in late elementary school, but for the adult reader or fan of Gaiman there's not much to sink your teeth into.
I must confess I was skeptical about this one. I have mixed feelings about Neil Gaiman -- I love Good Omens and the Coraline film, but was not thrilled with American Gods (great concept, so-so execution) or Sandman (bored). I'm so glad I gave The Graveyard Book a chance, as this book is a true pleasure.
It's about family, growing up, life, and death, but it doesn't feel weighty. It's funny, especially the gravestone epitaphs and the run-in with the truly terrible poet. It manages a truly creepy moment as it approaches the climax when Mr. Frost becomes the man Jack that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I teared up a little at the end as Bod leaves the graveyard for the last time, the ghosts having faded away. I loved that each ghost had a speaking style based (sort of) on attested usage …
I must confess I was skeptical about this one. I have mixed feelings about Neil Gaiman -- I love Good Omens and the Coraline film, but was not thrilled with American Gods (great concept, so-so execution) or Sandman (bored). I'm so glad I gave The Graveyard Book a chance, as this book is a true pleasure.
It's about family, growing up, life, and death, but it doesn't feel weighty. It's funny, especially the gravestone epitaphs and the run-in with the truly terrible poet. It manages a truly creepy moment as it approaches the climax when Mr. Frost becomes the man Jack that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I teared up a little at the end as Bod leaves the graveyard for the last time, the ghosts having faded away. I loved that each ghost had a speaking style based (sort of) on attested usage from their lifetime.
I loved also the not-quite-a-novel, not-quite-short-stories feel of the book, a style I tend to favor (Trainspotting, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, etc). Per Neil Gaiman, he was inspired by the Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book 1 & 2, which also comprise an episodic coming-of-age tale.
Update, Dec 2022: Holds up well on rereading, although this time I found it choppier than I remembered: as if each chapter was written as a standalone mini-episode, then they were assembled into a book as an afterthought. A great book to read on a drizzly winter day.
It reflects poorly on me that I could even speak of this in the same sentence as the infinitely-more-sophisticated [b:Lincoln in the Bardo|61070577|Lincoln in the Bardo|George Saunders|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652218586l/61070577.SY75.jpg|50281866]; it’s even worse that I could prefer this one. So be it: I am the person I am, not the one I wish to be.
Another of Gaiman's great works. I can't get enough of his storytelling abilities. Somehow he is able to create vivid images of most unimaginable places in my mind. A great adventure of a boy growing in in a graveyard and being raised by ghosts after his family is murdered in the dark of the night.
This was my first Neil Gaiman book. As stories go, I think it only deserves three stars. It took a long time for me to be interested in the character. But it is exceptionally well written, and reading the words on the page was a pleasure. As a piece of writing, it's well crafted. So it's better than a run-of-the-mill three-star book. Hence, four stars.
Of course, as a book by Neil Gaiman, there is no way this could be anything less than great. It is. But, it being by Gaiman, it still somehow disappoints.
The story is very episodic, and it is clear from very early on that each subplot will be important in the great resolution. Every character has a specific role to play, and only a handful of them are unexpected. Especially some of the chance encounters are so brief and unresolved that they really feel like puzzle pieces to be inserted in their place later on. That's a little sad and surprisingly sloppy, since it can be felt that the story has been constructed with great care and even more love – for the characters and for the places. Every little story is fun to read, and filled with a sparkling sense of wonder. It is only in putting them together …
Of course, as a book by Neil Gaiman, there is no way this could be anything less than great. It is. But, it being by Gaiman, it still somehow disappoints.
The story is very episodic, and it is clear from very early on that each subplot will be important in the great resolution. Every character has a specific role to play, and only a handful of them are unexpected. Especially some of the chance encounters are so brief and unresolved that they really feel like puzzle pieces to be inserted in their place later on. That's a little sad and surprisingly sloppy, since it can be felt that the story has been constructed with great care and even more love – for the characters and for the places. Every little story is fun to read, and filled with a sparkling sense of wonder. It is only in putting them together that it feels laboured.
The ending is unsatisfactory to the point that it calls for a sequel, and that's maybe where the book's greatest chance lies: if everything could be made whole in a second book, then there would be no reason to complain. But as it stands, this is probably Gaiman's weakest work to date – at least pertaining to the plotline.
A wonderfully macabre and touching tale of Nobody Owens and he childhood as a member of a graveyard. Truly an amazing read that ranks up there with some of the very best writing that Nail Gaiman has ever done. And that's saying a lot!
