Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Graveyard Book by: Neil Gaiman


Bibliography:
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. 2008. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780060530921
Plot Summary:
A baby escapes the knife of the murderer Jack by climbing out of his crib and tottering out of his house and up the hill to the graveyard. However, Jack murders the boy's family, leaving the child an orphan. The inhabitants of the graveyard, ghosts, vampires, and the like, name the boy Nobody, Bod for short, and raise him as their own. They provide protection for Bod from Jack, who continues to look for the boy.
Critical Analysis:
Although this was the winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal, I did not find it all that interesting. The first chapter is exciting and an attention grabber, but beyond that there is not much to remember. The book starts with a gruesome murder in which the only survivor is a small baby which manages to escape to a nearby graveyard. This was shocking and certainly gets the reader to read on. However, the shock factor quickly goes downhill from there. This is part low-fantasy and part high-fantasy. The low fantasy aspect of the story is what makes it interesting and scary. The fact that the novel is set in the real world is what is disturbing. When Bod travels to the world of Ghulheim it gets less real and less disturbing. Many libraries classify The Graveyard Book as Young Adult, but I think it would find a much wider audience in the Juvenile section. The black and white illustrations are a nice touch by Gaiman and give the reader a look into the world of Bod.
Review Excerpt(s):
Kirkus Reviews:
"Wistful, witty, wise-and creepy. Gaiman's riff on Kipling's Mowgli stories never falters, from the truly spine-tingling opening, in which a toddler accidentally escapes his family's murderer, to the melancholy, life-affirming ending."
Publisher's Weekly:
"As the boy, called Nobody or Bod, grows up, the killer still stalking him, there are slack moments and some repetition-not enough to spoil a reader's pleasure, but noticeable all the same."
Connections:
If you like The Graveyard Book, try the Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket series. Also, try Coraline , also by Neil Gaiman.

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