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wombat929 's review for:
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
We read The Graveyard Book for February in my Speculative Fiction reading group. It tells the story of Nobody Owens, a boy who survives the murder of his family by toddling into a cemetery, where he's watched over and cared for by a group of ghosts and a few other mysterious denizens of the netherworld beyond the realm of the living. It's a delightful re-telling of Kipling's The Jungle Book, with ghosts.
Some thoughts:
* This is vintage Gaiman, with perfectly crafted mysterious worlds and systems of the supernatural. I kept waiting for Sandman or someone from American Gods to show up. The villains have the creepiness that we've come to expect in his novels, and Bod brings just the right amount of pluck and luck to the story. There are a couple frightening moments, but the story's poetic feel and jaunty main character keep us from fearing much on his behalf.
* I really enjoy the episodic style of the book, with a bunch of stories involving incidents in the boy's life. These evolve into a complete story, but they also stand alone as episodes. It harks back to Kipling's original (from what I understand), but with the Gothic sensibility Gaiman wields so effectively.
* My favorite moment in the book comes from the touching story of Bod trying to do right by a young woman killed for being a witch and buried without a headstone in the potter's field next to the graveyard. The creepy antiques dealer and the harrowing moments surrounding the story work very well.
* The artful architecture of the small details works quite well, with things revealed in passing returning with significant consequence as the story unfolds. I liked this quite a bit though I found many of the reveals predictable in ways I'm inclined to think were intended. When young readers can anticipate developments, does it give them a feeling of accomplishment or success over the book?
* Several of the stories hit crucial and important ideas about how young people should act. In particular, Bod's experience with bullies and with the antiques dealers would encourage children to think about the ethics of "getting involved." I'm also pleased to see a nod to progressive education in the diverse teaching styles of Bod's mentors. The idea that he's only interested in what Ms. Lepiscu has to offer connects nicely with my understanding of contextualized knowledge and self-motivated students bringing much more value to the endeavor.
A delightful book; well worth a read.
Some thoughts:
* This is vintage Gaiman, with perfectly crafted mysterious worlds and systems of the supernatural. I kept waiting for Sandman or someone from American Gods to show up. The villains have the creepiness that we've come to expect in his novels, and Bod brings just the right amount of pluck and luck to the story. There are a couple frightening moments, but the story's poetic feel and jaunty main character keep us from fearing much on his behalf.
* I really enjoy the episodic style of the book, with a bunch of stories involving incidents in the boy's life. These evolve into a complete story, but they also stand alone as episodes. It harks back to Kipling's original (from what I understand), but with the Gothic sensibility Gaiman wields so effectively.
* My favorite moment in the book comes from the touching story of Bod trying to do right by a young woman killed for being a witch and buried without a headstone in the potter's field next to the graveyard. The creepy antiques dealer and the harrowing moments surrounding the story work very well.
* The artful architecture of the small details works quite well, with things revealed in passing returning with significant consequence as the story unfolds. I liked this quite a bit though I found many of the reveals predictable in ways I'm inclined to think were intended. When young readers can anticipate developments, does it give them a feeling of accomplishment or success over the book?
* Several of the stories hit crucial and important ideas about how young people should act. In particular, Bod's experience with bullies and with the antiques dealers would encourage children to think about the ethics of "getting involved." I'm also pleased to see a nod to progressive education in the diverse teaching styles of Bod's mentors. The idea that he's only interested in what Ms. Lepiscu has to offer connects nicely with my understanding of contextualized knowledge and self-motivated students bringing much more value to the endeavor.
A delightful book; well worth a read.