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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Mini Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman (Published 2008)
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-genre: Urban/Supernatural
Completed: December 23 2010


The Graveyard Book is overwhelmingly delightful and delightfully English (made moreso by the fact that I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Gaiman himself). It is hauntingly magical in some passages, profoundly human in others.

Gaiman’s premise is brilliant in its originality and simplicity. The story is well constructed, with each chapter almost worthy of being a short story of its own. However it occasionally feels overwrought as key points of resolution are thoroughly foreshadowed. This can be forgiven for the sake of younger readers; the target audience. Yet as a result The Graveyard Book lacks the subtlety of plot and chilling reality that Gaiman’s adult works contain (such as American Gods). But are those elements really missed?

I recommend The Graveyard Book for readers of all ages who are seeking a traditional story-telling experience. The audio version in particular gave me a tremendous and nostalgic ‘fire-side’ feeling. 4 stars.

1 comment:

  1. The story focuses on the adventures of young boy named Bod who is raised by some colorful & fun inhabitants of a graveyard. While there is somewhat of a general plot, the story is mainly made up of Bod's mini adventures in the graveyard as he grows up over the years. If you enjoy a well done growing up story this is one of the best I read.

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