The Graveyard Book

Update, Dec 2022: Holds up well on rereading, although this time I found it choppier than I remembered: as if each chapter was written as a standalone mini-episode, then they were assembled into a book as an afterthought. A great book to read on a drizzly winter day.It reflects poorly on me that I could even speak of this in the same sentence as the infinitely-more-sophisticated [b:Lincoln in the Bardo 61070577 Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652218586l/61070577.SY75.jpg 50281866]; it's even worse that I could prefer this one. So be it: I am the person I am, not the one I wish to be.

This was a good, but very average book for me. I see the appeal, and I enjoyed the story overall, more so during the second half because that was when all of the scattered events that happened previously started to make sense.

But some of the magical and whimsical elements seemed quite convenient to me, and the motivations behind the jacks didn't make much sense to me. I get the overall gist, but the reasonings seemed haphazard; it was as if Neil Gaiman was trying to think of something on the spot to justify the Jacks' actions.

The ending didn't make much sense to me either from a logistical standpoint.

I suppose I didn't feel very strongly about this upon completion, but this was still a fairly solid read and despite the few discrepancies I noticed, I did enjoy my time reading it :)

In the middle of the night, a baby escapes being murdered and finds his way into a graveyard. There, the ghosts of the graveyard adopt him and name him Nobody Owens – Bod for short. The book tells of his adventures being raised by ghosts and how he deals with going back and forth between the real world and the ghoul world. All in the while, his killer is still on the loose and hoping to find Bod again one day and seek revenge. This book features black and white illustrations at the beginning of all the chapters.

There are a lot of different characters in this book, and while some are interesting, it is hard to keep up with them all as they come and go fairly quickly. Also, while this book is marketed as a kid's book, it has very adult themes in it, like murder. There's no gruesome detail, but it may be too much for some younger teens to handle. Since this book is based off of The Jungle Book, it would be a good project for teens to read both books and compare their stories.

For a lot of people, this is one of Gaiman's best. I kept putting it off for no real reason, despite Gaiman being one of my favorite authors. I finally listened to the audiobook, and oh man.

First, an aside. I listen to Tim Ferris's podcast, and that man has been hyping the audiobook for this for eons. Since the dawn of time. And I should have listened to him because it definitely is one of the best audiobooks experiences I've had. The cast is phenomenal and really heighten an already fantastic story.

But onto the Graveyard Book. This is ostensibly a retelling of the Jungle Book, but I would have never picked up on that. This book follows a boy named Nobody Owens (“Bod”) who grows up in a graveyard after his family is killed and is being taken care of by a “spirit” (or is he?) named Silas. Think Harry Potter but if Hagrid was instead a ghost. Bod learns some Skillz that only ghosts n ghoulies can usually learn, and he is generally happy, but wants to learn about the rest of the non-Graveyard world, and find out what happened to his family.

The book is short, so I'll leave it at that. This is Gaiman at his best, he really shines with short books about children discovering magical worlds/realms. Ocean at the End of the Lane and Coraline were both fantastic as well. Ocean may have edged this one out a bit for me, but I'd have to reread to be sure. Definitely in my top three Gaiman along with American Gods.

9.5/10

I did get a little emotional at the end. Watching Bod grow up and eventually leave his home for new adventures was heartwarming and interesting. I'm my mind Bod is now a travel blogger who visits remote villages and tribes all over the world to learn their cultures. He's living his best life for sure.

What can I say. This was a magical experience, and spooky in just the perfect way. Neil Gaiman is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite authors. I loved the mystery, the ghosts, the beautiful writing and characters. I more than anything had a lot of fun. Yes, there is a lot of tragedy at the heart of this story, but there is also so much love and sacrifice that comes from it. Neil Gaiman is the king of middle grade spookiness in my opinion, and I can't wait to read more from him.

This was a fairly entertaining little book in the same vein as Lemony Snicket. It's dark enough to be striking and mysterious, yet it isn't overly macabre. It deals with topics like death and loss in a mature, optimistic way. Something was missing, though. The characterization was missing that special quality that would help me remember these colorful folks after closing the book. It also lacked suspense, an important quality in a story about murder, ghosts, and graveyards. It is clear that Gaiman is skillful with prose, and I would probably enjoy some of his adult works much more.

A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.

Bod, a human boy, is sent to the graveyard to live in an attempt to elude those who would kill him. All of his companions, including his adopted parents, are dead. Bod is educated and kept safe for many years until, one day, his would-be killers return.

I'm not a scary-book-person and this will never be on my list of favorites as a result. But, if you are such a creature, The Graveyard Book just might be on your top ten list.

I loved it. Neil's writing is simple yet paints just enough of the picture where I can fill in the rest on my own and have it seem real. The cast for the recording was outstanding. Funny story, I tried multiple times to get through the first chapter, but I always seemed to pick moments when I was very tired and the narrator's voice is so soothing that it would put me to sleep. This was my first dive into Neil Gaiman and I plan on enjoying more of his writing in the future.

Leaves behind a nostalgic taste in the mouth, like childhood snacks. As usual, left with wanting more. It ended right where it should have. The penultimate chapter was a bit of a rush to the finish, but the sweet sadness of the final chapter more than made up for it. Poignant, makes a person think about a life and the death that comes after it, makes a person want to value it. Regardless, would recommend for a bright, quick, intellectual read.