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lilith_knight's review
3.0
3.5*
I love anthologies. Sometimes, I even prefer them to actual full-length novels. Combine that, with Neil Gaiman (for whom I have an inextinguishable love) and it seems to be the perfect match.
Unfortunately, this was not as an exciting read for me, as I initially expected. Even though I liked most of the stories (I mean, it's Gaiman, alright), I didn't love them. To give credit where credit is due though, all of them were particularly unique and peculiar, in true Gaiman fashion.
But let's take a look in each story separately, shall we?
Coraline (3*): this is perhaps Gaiman's most notorious short story, partly due to the (excellent in my opinion) stop-motion movie, that is very Tim Burton-esque. Young C-o-raline (not C-a-roline) moves to a new home and discovers a secret door to an other dimension where there is an other mother and an other father that do their best to please her (more than her actual parents do). What seems like a paradise though, soon enough turns into a horrible nightmare.
I must admit, I read that story years ago when I first bought the book, so I didn't bother to re-read it again (yeah, I know I cheated), but I clearly remember that I wasn't that impressed overall and I kind of prefer the movie adaptation tbh (which is very close to the book).
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds (3.5*): this is a noir retelling of popular nursery rhymes. Yes, you read that right. Little Jack Horner is a midget private eye, hired by a mysterious femme fatale, to investigate the murder of her brother, Humpty Dumpty, in the corrupt Nurseyland.
That one was really fun, but since I'm not familiar with nursery rhymes in general, I had to look them all up to actually understand the references (gods bless Wikipedia!). The ending though felt a little bit rushed, hence the lower rating.
Troll Bridge (2*): here the title is self-explanatory. A young boy encounters a troll under a bridge that wants to eat his life and makes a deal with him.
This one is one of the shortest stories in the collection and one of my least favourite ones. I just didn't care much about the story and there was nothing particularly interesting about it.
Don't Ask Jack (3*): a Jack-in-the-box that might or might not be evil/cursed.
Certainly creepy, but too short of a story to hold much substance. The shortest in the collection. Also I came to realize that Neil Gaiman looooves the name Jack (appearing also in The Witch's Headstone).
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge (3.5*): the members of a private rogue's club in a fantasy land discuss the perfect con.
This was interesting enough and quite the fun! Not much to say about it, can't complain.
October in the Chair (4*): the months of the year tell stories around a bonfire. Dedicated to Ray Bradbury.
I really enjoyed this one, even though it was quite sad. Interestingly enough, I almost instantly forgot about it. Good story though.
Chivalry (5*): an old lady finds the Holy Grail in a thrift shop and an Arthurian knight tries to retrieve it.
This one was pure perfection! I loved it to bits and felt the urge to re-read it again and again! It was so funny and light-hearted, it really made me feel warm and mushy on the inside! Kind but bossy old ladies give me life! <3
The Price (4*): a black cat protects a family from something malicious hidden deep in the woods.
I really liked this one too. It had the right amount of creepiness in it, but it was also quite sad (being a cat lover and all).
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (4*): two teenage boys end up in a party full of strange, otherworldly girls.
This story was recently been made into a movie, and a comic (which was, not so symptomatically, my first read of the year). The writing was beautiful in this, and the story was peculiar and lots of fun.
Sunbird (2*): a gastronomy club sets out on a mission to Egypt in order to hunt and then cook the mythical Sunbird.
This story was too long in my opinion, to the point where I got seriously bored and just wanted it to end already. The idea was interesting enough, along with the big plot twist, but I just didn't care from a point and on. Definitely, my least favourite of the collection.
The Witch's Headstone (4*): this story is Chapter 3 of The Graveyard Book (my favourite Neil Gaiman book so far -gotta read them all!). Young Bod goes to a perilous mission to buy a gravestone for his witchy friend.
If you haven't read The Graveyard Book yet, you should definitely do that! It's an amazing heart-warming short book, about a boy raised by ghosts, and this story is no different.
Instructions (4.5*): just a poem about the beauty and the magic of fairytales that put a smile on my face.
To conclude this review, Coraline and Other Stories was an interesting anthology. It didn't blow my mind, but it certainly was an entertaining read!
Recommended.
I love anthologies. Sometimes, I even prefer them to actual full-length novels. Combine that, with Neil Gaiman (for whom I have an inextinguishable love) and it seems to be the perfect match.
Unfortunately, this was not as an exciting read for me, as I initially expected. Even though I liked most of the stories (I mean, it's Gaiman, alright), I didn't love them. To give credit where credit is due though, all of them were particularly unique and peculiar, in true Gaiman fashion.
But let's take a look in each story separately, shall we?
Coraline (3*): this is perhaps Gaiman's most notorious short story, partly due to the (excellent in my opinion) stop-motion movie, that is very Tim Burton-esque. Young C-o-raline (not C-a-roline) moves to a new home and discovers a secret door to an other dimension where there is an other mother and an other father that do their best to please her (more than her actual parents do). What seems like a paradise though, soon enough turns into a horrible nightmare.
I must admit, I read that story years ago when I first bought the book, so I didn't bother to re-read it again (yeah, I know I cheated), but I clearly remember that I wasn't that impressed overall and I kind of prefer the movie adaptation tbh (which is very close to the book).
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds (3.5*): this is a noir retelling of popular nursery rhymes. Yes, you read that right. Little Jack Horner is a midget private eye, hired by a mysterious femme fatale, to investigate the murder of her brother, Humpty Dumpty, in the corrupt Nurseyland.
That one was really fun, but since I'm not familiar with nursery rhymes in general, I had to look them all up to actually understand the references (gods bless Wikipedia!). The ending though felt a little bit rushed, hence the lower rating.
Troll Bridge (2*): here the title is self-explanatory. A young boy encounters a troll under a bridge that wants to eat his life and makes a deal with him.
This one is one of the shortest stories in the collection and one of my least favourite ones. I just didn't care much about the story and there was nothing particularly interesting about it.
Don't Ask Jack (3*): a Jack-in-the-box that might or might not be evil/cursed.
Certainly creepy, but too short of a story to hold much substance. The shortest in the collection. Also I came to realize that Neil Gaiman looooves the name Jack (appearing also in The Witch's Headstone).
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge (3.5*): the members of a private rogue's club in a fantasy land discuss the perfect con.
This was interesting enough and quite the fun! Not much to say about it, can't complain.
October in the Chair (4*): the months of the year tell stories around a bonfire. Dedicated to Ray Bradbury.
I really enjoyed this one, even though it was quite sad. Interestingly enough, I almost instantly forgot about it. Good story though.
Chivalry (5*): an old lady finds the Holy Grail in a thrift shop and an Arthurian knight tries to retrieve it.
This one was pure perfection! I loved it to bits and felt the urge to re-read it again and again! It was so funny and light-hearted, it really made me feel warm and mushy on the inside! Kind but bossy old ladies give me life! <3
The Price (4*): a black cat protects a family from something malicious hidden deep in the woods.
I really liked this one too. It had the right amount of creepiness in it, but it was also quite sad (being a cat lover and all).
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (4*): two teenage boys end up in a party full of strange, otherworldly girls.
This story was recently been made into a movie, and a comic (which was, not so symptomatically, my first read of the year). The writing was beautiful in this, and the story was peculiar and lots of fun.
Sunbird (2*): a gastronomy club sets out on a mission to Egypt in order to hunt and then cook the mythical Sunbird.
This story was too long in my opinion, to the point where I got seriously bored and just wanted it to end already. The idea was interesting enough, along with the big plot twist, but I just didn't care from a point and on. Definitely, my least favourite of the collection.
The Witch's Headstone (4*): this story is Chapter 3 of The Graveyard Book (my favourite Neil Gaiman book so far -gotta read them all!). Young Bod goes to a perilous mission to buy a gravestone for his witchy friend.
If you haven't read The Graveyard Book yet, you should definitely do that! It's an amazing heart-warming short book, about a boy raised by ghosts, and this story is no different.
Instructions (4.5*): just a poem about the beauty and the magic of fairytales that put a smile on my face.
To conclude this review, Coraline and Other Stories was an interesting anthology. It didn't blow my mind, but it certainly was an entertaining read!
Recommended.
trude_am's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
fragwai's review
3.0
Most of the stories where five stars however quite a few seemed less than his usual standard.
fionab_16's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
_lunaria_'s review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
coleyreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I don’t know if my loving the film has impacted this reading experience but I absolutely loved Coraline. The “other stories” however were a hit or miss! Some I liked and others I genuinely skipped.
Coraline is one of those staple stories from my childhood that bring me so much joy and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to get round to the book. This is also my first Neil Gaiman and I really gelled with the writing style. It was airy and thoughtful but also solid and direct. It took me right into Coraline’s world, and the world of the “other mother”. My brain couldn’t help but play the little exploration song while I read this. 5/5⭐️
Now for the other stories… here are the ones I enjoyed!
- Troll Bridge
- Don’t Ask Jack
- October in the Chair
- Chivalry
- The Price
- How to Talk to Girls at Parties
The rest I read and disliked or started reading and skipped. Mostly because they were boring. All these stories took on elements of fairytales, whether it was characters, settings, ideas etc. which I liked. Sadly, though, I need to deduct a little half star to honour my dislike of some of the stories.
This hasn’t put me off Neil Gaiman and I’m going to pick up more of his work soon!
Coraline is one of those staple stories from my childhood that bring me so much joy and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to get round to the book. This is also my first Neil Gaiman and I really gelled with the writing style. It was airy and thoughtful but also solid and direct. It took me right into Coraline’s world, and the world of the “other mother”. My brain couldn’t help but play the little exploration song while I read this. 5/5⭐️
Now for the other stories… here are the ones I enjoyed!
- Troll Bridge
- Don’t Ask Jack
- October in the Chair
- Chivalry
- The Price
- How to Talk to Girls at Parties
The rest I read and disliked or started reading and skipped. Mostly because they were boring. All these stories took on elements of fairytales, whether it was characters, settings, ideas etc. which I liked. Sadly, though, I need to deduct a little half star to honour my dislike of some of the stories.
This hasn’t put me off Neil Gaiman and I’m going to pick up more of his work soon!
clifford19691's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
fletchie's review
5.0
I bought this book mainly for Coraline, but there are some delightful short stories in here as well.
Coraline was fantastic, and nothing short of what I've come to expect from one of the most imaginative and original contemporary fiction authors out there. I've often heard it described as a 'faerie tale for adults', but see no reason why a great number of children wouldn't or shouldn't enjoy the story just as much as I did.
The collection of short stories was also great. None of them are longer than about twenty pages and a few come in at under ten. Regardless of length, they show the same imaginative scope as Coraline, and still manage to fully entertain. I've recently read Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of Gaiman's short stories, and there was a little bit of overlap between that book and this. I view it as a testament to Gaiman's writing style and ability to engage with the reader that I didn't skip these stories over, stories that I had the privilege to read and enjoy fairly recently. I felt compelled to read them again, and I found myself just as, if not more entertained than the last time I read them.
Even if you just read the book for Coraline, which is a fantastic standalone story in itself, I urge you to finish it off and read the accompanying short stories. It is most certainly worth your time.
Coraline was fantastic, and nothing short of what I've come to expect from one of the most imaginative and original contemporary fiction authors out there. I've often heard it described as a 'faerie tale for adults', but see no reason why a great number of children wouldn't or shouldn't enjoy the story just as much as I did.
The collection of short stories was also great. None of them are longer than about twenty pages and a few come in at under ten. Regardless of length, they show the same imaginative scope as Coraline, and still manage to fully entertain. I've recently read Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of Gaiman's short stories, and there was a little bit of overlap between that book and this. I view it as a testament to Gaiman's writing style and ability to engage with the reader that I didn't skip these stories over, stories that I had the privilege to read and enjoy fairly recently. I felt compelled to read them again, and I found myself just as, if not more entertained than the last time I read them.
Even if you just read the book for Coraline, which is a fantastic standalone story in itself, I urge you to finish it off and read the accompanying short stories. It is most certainly worth your time.
elise04's review
3.0
Coraline is my favourite film, so as much as it saddens me to say as I much prefer reading books first, it was always going to be hard for the book to live up to the film, and I was never going to be able to read it without drawing comparisons between the two. The extra scenes in the book (despite the events occurring at a much faster rate) were excitingly creepy and I found there was a much deeper plot line in the book. The mentions of the tunnel being “very old and very slow” got me thinking more about the origins of the beldam and I thought a lot more about who the children were, and who the cat was while reading the book. It was incredibly intricate, so even reading it as an adult it was still thoroughly creepy and enjoyable, even though it is a children’s book. The film will always hold a special place in my heart, and I like how coralines character was further developed in longer scenes in the film but after reading the book, I wish they had included more of the mystery surrounding the beldam and the tunnel in the film.
saymore's review
3.0
I wish children's ghost stories, horrors and creepy folktales were way more prevalent in media because they're loved by kids and adults alike. I can't get enough of them, and Neil Gaiman definitely writes some of the best out there!
Coraline was definitely 5/5 and I really enjoyed all of the other stories too but, as with all short story collections, not every one is perfect.
Coraline was definitely 5/5 and I really enjoyed all of the other stories too but, as with all short story collections, not every one is perfect.