“The boundaries are always there—between the graveyard and the world beyond, between life and death, and the crossing of them.” – Neil Gaiman
In the world of sci-fi/fantasy, the hype has been über high for Gaiman’s latest creation, The Graveyard Book. Every review has been extra positive and full of praise. Between this novel and the upcoming release of the film version of the author’s Coraline, Mr. Gaiman seems to have holy light coming out of every orifice of his genius body. Not that I blame anyone for their praises; I’ll probably be first in line for the midnight showing of Coraline (Neil Gaiman + Henry Selnick * stop motion= sure excellence). However, all the hype was dimming my motivation to read the novel. I’m glad I decided to read it anyway.
The Graveyard Book details the early life of a boy named Bod as he grows up the only living person in an abandoned graveyard. When Bod was a baby, his family was murdered by a ruthless assassin clad in black and carrying a knife. Luckily Bod had wandered from his crib and into a nearby graveyard, and thus inadvertently escaped death’s clutches. The graveyard’s residents decide to raise the young child as their own (not trusting anyone to protect him well enough), naming him Nobody (Bod for short).
Bod grows up learning everything from 16th Century Writing to How To Fade, but despite his interesting education and living arrangement, he wants to be around those more like him—the living. With a supernatural assassin named Jack who refuses to give up, the unliving who watch over Bod prefer that the young boy stays close to home. The time comes, however, when Bod’s natural curiosity overcomes all else, and he ventures several times out into the world, causing Jack to eventually find the boy. The characters in the graveyard must band together to defeat the assassin before he can complete his mission.
Possessing a talent and imagination similar to perennial favorite Roald Dahl, Gaiman was meant for children’s lit. Like Dahl, Gaiman excels at truly creepy and imaginative children’s lit, which makes it great for readers who think they’ve outgrown the genre. These readers may be initially turned off by the illustrations that pepper the book, but I believe the illustrations add to the story. Illustrated by long-time Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean, the art is black/grey and white, rough but detailed, and slightly disproportionate in nature, adding to the spookiness of the tale.
Gaiman no doubt knows how to draw in an audience. He leads with short, active sentences that tell you exactly what’s going on. For example, the first line reads, “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.” With such a concise and active beginning statement, the reader cannot help but be intrigued, wanting to read more, to find out why a knife is involved, who’s hand is holding it, and if anyone has yet died. Each of Gaiman’s sentences builds on the last, pulling the reader in, inviting her/him to learn more.
Beyond that, the tale is well-written. With his writing style, Gaiman can make any story race along, even when little is happening or the events don’t seem connected. Each chapter is its own, self-contained tale, but Gaiman still creates one big story—great for bedtime reading, each chapter can be read separately, but there’s still that sense of anticipation as you start the next chapter.
Character development leaves something to be desired, but I wonder if that is purposeful. Though a third person point-of-view, the action is seen mainly through Bod. As a child and the only living (and modern) person in the graveyard, he doesn’t really understand much about the other, long-dead residents, who range from a 17th Century school teacher to his undead guardian who is hinted to be a vampire. Whether intentional or not, the lack of characterization works well. It allows the reader to focus on the different tales, rather than the various characters in the stories. Each chapter is a different adventure for Bod, where he meets new and interesting (though stereotypical) people.
However, there are several more rounded characters. The aforementioned vampire for one, with another being the ghost of a witch girl who has a thing for Bod the teenager. Surprisingly, Bod’s own ghostly adopted parents play a only a small part in the overall story, though they do make appearances from time to time. Conversely, the assassin Jack, though in the actual tale very little, makes his presence known throughout the book. He’s always lurking in the background, around a corner and just out of sight. With Jack’s threat looming, Bod’s story cannot really be free of him, so even though little is known about the assassin, he still plays a major role in how the tale and its characters are shaped.
Overall, a great, easy, and fun but creepy read. I’d recommend it to anyone with a little time on their hands. Alternately, you can go to Gaiman’s website and watch/listen to him read the entire book for free. Also, I’m adding the full front and back British hardback cover below. It is just too amazing not to show. Enjoy!
Age recommendation: 10/12+ (for creepiness)
Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars
Reviewer: Meagan
Quixoticirony 