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A review by rwalker101
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
5.0
There is horror in betrayal.
I recently watched the 1975 version of The Stepford Wives, a film about Joanna. Joanna has recently moved to a Connecticut suburb from their bustling home in New York City. She feels that her husband has been entirely ignoring her feelings concerning the move, and while she is trying her best to adjust, she feels that she simply does not fit in with the catalogue-perfect housewives of Stepford. Eventually, it is revealed that Joanna's husband has joined the local Mens' Association, with the intention of killing Joanna and replacing her with a perfect animatronic replica, something that has happened to the rest of the wives in Stepford as well. The film's text perfectly portrays the true horror of Joanna's situation, not simply the threat of death, but of that threat coming from the person who is supposed to be her nearest friend, her most intimate confidant.
There is a similar horror in Coraline.
The first time I read this book I was about seven or eight years old, probably 2004-ish, and I listened to it on a road trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Colorado. I don't remember being particularly scared in the moment. I was worried for Coraline, yes, and wondered how she would find where her parents had gone, but I didn't scream or cry out of fear. That night, however, as we camped deep in the Rocky Mountains, I dreamt that my uncle had adopted the appearance of the Other Mother, with black buttons sewn over his eyes, trying to coerce me to do something innocuous. Much like Coraline, my dream self refused, and my Other Uncle turned into a monster and began to pursue me. The dream terrified me. I didn't touch it again until I saw the movie at a friend's birthday party in 2010.
Children are, in a word, vulnerable. They cannot fully protect themselves yet. They are provided with parents and guardians and teachers who are meant to protect them until they can develop the skills to do it themselves. There is terror in finding out that your protector, the people responsible for protecting you, are actually intent on hurting you.
The way the Beldam imitates Coraline's mother, trying to lure her in with chocolates and entertainment and the promise of never being bored again, taps into this horror. It calls to a deep, primal part in every single one of us, the part that worries that those we love cannot be trusted, that being vulnerable will result in our harm. But the way Coraline responds is inspiring to adults and educational to children - she correctly identifies the imposter, and does what she can to get the people she knows she can truly love and trust back.
It's truly a masterpiece, and if your child can stomach the terror, they should absolutely read it. They will learn how to trust their instincts, and that it is possible to defeat those masquerading as people who care about them.
I recently watched the 1975 version of The Stepford Wives, a film about Joanna. Joanna has recently moved to a Connecticut suburb from their bustling home in New York City. She feels that her husband has been entirely ignoring her feelings concerning the move, and while she is trying her best to adjust, she feels that she simply does not fit in with the catalogue-perfect housewives of Stepford. Eventually, it is revealed that Joanna's husband has joined the local Mens' Association, with the intention of killing Joanna and replacing her with a perfect animatronic replica, something that has happened to the rest of the wives in Stepford as well. The film's text perfectly portrays the true horror of Joanna's situation, not simply the threat of death, but of that threat coming from the person who is supposed to be her nearest friend, her most intimate confidant.
There is a similar horror in Coraline.
The first time I read this book I was about seven or eight years old, probably 2004-ish, and I listened to it on a road trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Colorado. I don't remember being particularly scared in the moment. I was worried for Coraline, yes, and wondered how she would find where her parents had gone, but I didn't scream or cry out of fear. That night, however, as we camped deep in the Rocky Mountains, I dreamt that my uncle had adopted the appearance of the Other Mother, with black buttons sewn over his eyes, trying to coerce me to do something innocuous. Much like Coraline, my dream self refused, and my Other Uncle turned into a monster and began to pursue me. The dream terrified me. I didn't touch it again until I saw the movie at a friend's birthday party in 2010.
Children are, in a word, vulnerable. They cannot fully protect themselves yet. They are provided with parents and guardians and teachers who are meant to protect them until they can develop the skills to do it themselves. There is terror in finding out that your protector, the people responsible for protecting you, are actually intent on hurting you.
The way the Beldam imitates Coraline's mother, trying to lure her in with chocolates and entertainment and the promise of never being bored again, taps into this horror. It calls to a deep, primal part in every single one of us, the part that worries that those we love cannot be trusted, that being vulnerable will result in our harm. But the way Coraline responds is inspiring to adults and educational to children - she correctly identifies the imposter, and does what she can to get the people she knows she can truly love and trust back.
It's truly a masterpiece, and if your child can stomach the terror, they should absolutely read it. They will learn how to trust their instincts, and that it is possible to defeat those masquerading as people who care about them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment and Child death