The Graveyard Book Review
The premise of this book was enough to make me want to read it. I’m extremely glad for that, because it was such a spectacular novel.
I can’t believe I didn’t realize this, but the concept of this book must be loosely based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. It’s not a direct parallel to Kipling’s masterpiece, but the similarities are there, most noticeably with the title. It’s not like there’s a companion character for every Jungle Book personage, though. You’ve got a Mowgli, a Bagheera and a wolf pack, but there’s no real Shere Kahn, no Kaa, no King Louie, or anything like that.
The story is about a baby boy whose family is murdered by a shady killer. The baby rolls away and ends up in a graveyard one night, and a family of ghosts decide to adopt him. The boy grows up in the graveyard and learns things from the ghost–fading, dreamwalking, etc–until he reaches his teenage years.
From there, I don’t really want to ruin anything. Gaiman does a good job of playing around with this concept, exploring what would happen with such a character in such a setting. And of course, he does eventually have to face off with the man who murdered his parents.
I listened to this on audio, but I’ll definitely get the printed version. I do recommend the audio for one major reason: there’s a beautifully fitting interlude between the chapters, an uppity tune played on a Spanish guitar that brings images to mind of a Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. It was just too perfect. Plus, Gaiman himself read the book, so the characters had voices exactly as the author intended.
Pick this book up, sit back and enjoy. It’s amazing.
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Customer Reviews
Growing Up in a Graveyard – Jamie –
The coldblooded murder of an entire family leaves only one survivor: a toddler who wanders into a nearby graveyard before the killer can get to him. Bod is taken in by the graveyard folk and given the “freedom of the graveyard”. Now, possessed of supernatural powers and superhuman senses Bod wanders among the dead. As he grows older Bod grows more curious about the outside world. However, the mysterious killer is still on the loose and still out to get the escaped child.
As an adult I didn’t hold out much hope that I would enjoy a children/young adult novel, however, because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaimen I decided to attempt The Graveyard Book. I am surprised and delighted to report that my assumptions were entirely wrong. Gaiman is a master storyteller who manages to write children’s literature without making it childish. The prose are every bit as witty as Gaiman’s adult novels and his voice is every bit as captivating.
The Graveyard Book reads something like a television show. It moves through different episodes of Bod’s life which lead to the final resolution and aid not only in Bod’s growth but his struggle against the man who killed his family. It is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Neil Gaiman fans will love it and new readers will find that they have an new favorite author!
Couldn’t Put it Down! – N. M –
A little toddler woke up at night and used his recently acquired skill – walking – to leave his little room and out of the open front door in the middle of the night. As this was happening, the man Jack was busy killing the boy’s parents and 7 year old sister and then, went looking for him.
The little boy walks to a graveyard and the ghosts there save him. His dead mother’s ghost implores them to protect him and tells them that the murderer is not far away. The ghosts of the graveyard appoint him a mother and father and a guardian (who might be a vampire). As the man Jack approaches the graveyard, the guardian Silas manages to distract him.
The little boy is called Bod – short for Nobody Owens – and is raised by the loving Mr. & Mrs. Owens. His guardian Silas brings him food and books, and appoints him different teachers from the graveyard to teach him all kinds of skills and knowledge.
The ghosts of the abandoned graveyard are Bod’s friends and family and as he grows, he yearns to join the real world and to experience school. The man Jack is, however, still out there in the real world, hunting for the little boy. And as Bod joins a real school and manages to get in a scrape or two, he seems to only attract danger more and more.
The Graveyard Book is a delightful little read. I couldn’t put it down and finished it one sitting. Although the book has closure and has a satisfying ending, I find that I want to know more about what’ll happen to Bod Ownens.
hardback.. – L. Walker –
Because of limited space and a life spent moving from place to place, I own few books. I have found only a relatively small number of books worth having as hardback; this novel now joins my small club of truly wonderful books, which also includes books such as Jane Eyre, The Book Thief, Frakenstein, As I Lay Dying, Moby Dick and a volume of everything Chaucer. This odd assortment makes up the ‘thinking’ books, the stories that take me by the hand and lead me into new worlds with new thoughts.
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