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A review by laura_c_
Coraline and Other Stories by Neil Gaiman
2.0
2.5*
Coraline: Obviously the main event. I actually thought the film was a bit of an improvement on the book, establishing a creepier atmosphere and better tension, but not sure how fair my judgement is coming to a children's short story as an adult.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Really not my cup of tea. I don't like the hardboiled detective trope and I wasn't much invested in the fairytales. Mercifully short.
Troll Bridge - A bit better, bleakish.
Don't Ask Jack - 2 pages, a bit of nothing.
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge - Not very exciting, and not as clever as it could be. Somehow the narrator manages to be insufferable despite only being in about 2 paragraphs and the Carthus perspective felt like a waste because he was irrelevant and his bit of the story didn't conclude.
October in the Chair - A concept that would have done well with lengthening into a series of short stories from each month, as in the setup but feels unfinished as is.
Chivalry - Inoffensive but not spectacular. What does Mrs Whitaker think she's going to do with a phoenix?
The Price - Cat gets beaten up by devil for people he doesn't know and the humans just accept that as fine without offering any help. Horrible.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties - An unpleasant premise of teenage boys trying to get laid combined with unintelligible sci-fi elements.
Sunbird - Sort of a less funny version on the premise of Pirates in an Adventure With Unicorns.
The Witch's Headstone - All of the more interesting background and subplots (the graveyard people, Jack) are skipped over so you end up with the least good bit of the story.
Coraline: Obviously the main event. I actually thought the film was a bit of an improvement on the book, establishing a creepier atmosphere and better tension, but not sure how fair my judgement is coming to a children's short story as an adult.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Really not my cup of tea. I don't like the hardboiled detective trope and I wasn't much invested in the fairytales. Mercifully short.
Troll Bridge - A bit better, bleakish.
Don't Ask Jack - 2 pages, a bit of nothing.
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge - Not very exciting, and not as clever as it could be. Somehow the narrator manages to be insufferable despite only being in about 2 paragraphs and the Carthus perspective felt like a waste because he was irrelevant and his bit of the story didn't conclude.
October in the Chair - A concept that would have done well with lengthening into a series of short stories from each month, as in the setup but feels unfinished as is.
Chivalry - Inoffensive but not spectacular. What does Mrs Whitaker think she's going to do with a phoenix?
The Price - Cat gets beaten up by devil for people he doesn't know and the humans just accept that as fine without offering any help. Horrible.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties - An unpleasant premise of teenage boys trying to get laid combined with unintelligible sci-fi elements.
Sunbird - Sort of a less funny version on the premise of Pirates in an Adventure With Unicorns.
The Witch's Headstone - All of the more interesting background and subplots (the graveyard people, Jack) are skipped over so you end up with the least good bit of the story.