Neil Gaiman
October 20th 2008 (UK)
Bloomsbury
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completelynormal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack - who has already killed Bod's family.
Master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel about life and death, love and growing up, and finding family in the most unlikely places.
I finally read my first Neil Gaiman book! And it was really really good! I finally get why everyone thinks Neil Gaiman is awesome (though that episode of Doctor Who he wrote kinda already had me convinced... And OMG have you seen the Series 5 part 2 trailer?! It is going to be AMAZING.) The Graveyard book really isn't like a lot of books that I've read, not just because of the story but because of the writing style. It's written in the way that it feels like it's meant to be savoured, you know? Like, it's not a fast paced book, but it was just really nice to read.
The story itself is really heavily influenced by The Jungle Book, only, y'know, in a graveyard, which made it kind of awesome because graveyards are cool places and friendly ghosts are the best. Which another thing I liked about it, it wasn't the ghosts that were the bad guys, it was the live people who wanted him dead. And, this is kind of irrelevant, but for those uber nerds who have ever watched Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, the Jacks of All Trades kind of reminded me of Marik and all of the Steves... Yeah, I know, I need a life... ;p
I really liked Bod, it was really interesting because the book spans pretty much the first 15 years of his life, so you get to see how he grows up and the general shenanigans he got up to, but my favourite character was Silas, definitely. I don't know why, but he just... was. He acted all aloof about everything all the time, but he loves Bod really (like a father loves his son, obviously.) And I really liked Liza Hempstock too. I liked her more than Scarlett anyway... Not that I didn't like Scarlett. It's just, the end of the last chapter put me off of her a bit...
The Graveyard Book was a very different, intriguing book, which I kind of loved. It wasn't the sort of fast-paced book that I couldn't stop reading, but I really enjoyed reading it nevertheless. Everything about the writing and the story was just really nice to read. If any of that made sense.. ;)
Didn't know about this book's connection to The Jungle. I've never read The Jungle, but I liked The Graveyard book! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes yes, it makes sense! We too loved The Graveyard Book (and Gaiman's episode of Doctor Who!). We also loved Stardust, if you're looking for another good read.
ReplyDeleteyay!!!! :D awesome review! I LOVED this one too! Ive read Coraline and his first Sandman volume and I have American Gods on my tbr but I really want Stardust! Neil Gaiman is a legend!
ReplyDeleteI was apprehensive until you said it was like The Jungle Book, but in a graveyard. That sounds awesome!
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