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The Graveyard Book | 
 enlarge | Author: Neil Gaiman
Creator: Dave Mckean
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $8.00 (44%)
New (30) Used (8) Collectible (1) from $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 34
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 0060530928
EAN: 9780060530921
ASIN: 0060530928
Publication Date: October 1, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
It takes a graveyard October 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Imagine Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book"... but replace the animals with ghosts, ghouls, werewolves and other such supernatural creatures.
Such is the concept of "The Graveyard Book," which cleverly turns Kipling's classic story into an exquisitely-written, darkly witty fantasy. While it starts as the assorted supernatural adventures of a young boy raised by ghosts, the story slowly evolves into a beautifully ghastly confrontation between Nobody Owens and the people who want to do him harm.
"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." A man named Jack kills an innocent family at night -- except for a baby boy, who toddles out to the graveyard.
With the approval of the Lady on the Grey, the Owens ghosts adopt the boy, whom they name Nobody (or "Bod" for short), and the mysterious not-dead-or-alive Silas is appointed his guardian. Bod slowly grows up, but his upbringing is hardly ordinary -- he is taught by a Hound of God, wanders into the horrific realm of Ghulheim, watches a danse macabre, and befriends a witch's spirit from the Potter's Field.
But the man named Jack is still out there, and for some reason he (and the organization he works for) still wants to kill Bod. And though Silas and the ghosts are trying to keep him safe, Bod is becoming curious about the world of living humans -- and about the man who murdered his family. And when they come for him, he'll be ready.
The world of Neil Gaiman is never a safe place -- it's always painted in shadows and shades of grey, and something horrible may be lurking around the corner. And the world of "The Graveyard Book" is no exception to this -- it's filled with strange supernatural creatures, hellish red cities with decayed moons overhead, and midnight parades where ghosts dance with the living.
The world of the graveyard is an intriguing one -- moonlight, crumbly headstones, a little stone church, and a creepy barrow where the Sleer lurk. From a lesser author this would be kind of boring, but Gaiman's beautiful prose brings it to life ("There was a silent implosion, a flutter of velvet darkness, and Silas was gone").
And Gaiman explores Bod's childhood with dark humour ("Can you imagine how fine a drink the black ichor that collects in leaden coffins can be?") and adventure. But the tone changes as Bod grows older, especially with the creepily professional Jack and his cohorts slowly closing in on him. It's a coming-of-age tale, and a bittersweet, sometimes terrifying one.
Bod himself is a lovable kid, who slowly explores first the world of the graveyard and then the world of the living. He's both ruthless and kind, sweet and strong. The mysterious Silas -- whose true nature is only revealed late in the book -- serves as a kindly but stern mentor, who pretty clearly loves young Bod like a father.
And there's a pretty wide supporting cast -- Bod's childhood friend Scarlett is rather bratty, but the ghosts make up for that. The snappy, witty witch Eliza, the kindly Owenses, Mother Slaughter, the fussy Mr. Pennyworth, and the schoolteacherish substitute guardian Miss Lupescu all round out the cast. And with only a few lines, Gaiman makes them seem practically real.
"The Graveyard Book" is a beautifully written, bittersweet coming-of-age tale with some moments of pure creepiness. A magnificent fantasy story, which is not to be missed.
Not precisely a happy ending October 9, 2008
I say that The Graveyard Book did not have a precisely happy ending because I was so sad when I finished...because I would never again get to spend time with these characters. I was happy for them, but very sad for myself.
I'd read that Neil said it was the first book he'd written that he was satisfied with. As a long-time fan of his, this made me want to read it that much more, and when I did I read it in a single morning before (college) classes. He has managed to riff on the Jungle Book without that book ever intruding on this reading experience--I only ever thought of parallels later.
All I feel I can say about this book without spoiling is that I absolutely can't wait to have children, so that I can read this to them. It is mysterious, delightful and wonder-full. This easily ranks in my top ten list of favorite children's books, alongside things like The Little Prince and Zen Shorts.
This book is delicious! October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The only problem with this book is that it ends. It is a good ending though.
There is another problem, and that is how to clone Neil Gaiman so that we can have more books-per-year from this amazingly talented writer.
Read this book! or Listen to Neil Gaiman on the audio book, he does an excellent job narrating the novel, and navigating through all the voices of the exquisite characters of the book. And if you've not read "Fragile Things" it is a must as well.
Kindle edition October 9, 2008
Delighted to see that the Kindle edition contains McKean's illustrations and that they hold up well. The book itself is a delight; go and read some other reviews, watch the author read it at [...] and then buy some copies for your friends.
excellent for both young adults and elders October 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Graveyard Book isn't just a middle grade book - just as the inspiring Jungle Book can be enjoyed by adults, so can Gaiman's well-composed scary-but-not-too-scary novel.
The opening scene is the most chilling in the book - after murdering the rest of the family, the 'man Jack' stalks the infant, and the descriptions are indeed spine-tingling. That might disturb the younger readers, but once you get past the first chapter it settles into a less-scary tale. It has some other moments of conflict and fright, but I never got the feeling that Bod was truly in peril in those, and while Gaiman certainly describes those well the shivers were less than from the opening scene.
Gaiman does what too few authors do - stretches the language and the mind of the reader, even in a book marketed for young adults. He does this not in an uncomfortable, 'what am I reading' way, but in a manner that raises the curiosity, by throwing in an interesting word or phrase that scratches at the mind and enriches the reading experience. He doesn't waste opportunities, from something as simple as mentioning the epitaph on the various tombstones as each inhabitant is encountered, or by taking something that could be simple such as ghouls and making them comical characters while retaining their horror. He seldom settles for the expected or happy-ever-after endings, and the result is more believable and satisfying.
This was a fast-paced and very enjoyable read, and is highly recommended for young and old.
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