 "Avoid Buttons at All Cost..." | 2009-11-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1L7ZY3EZE307A |
| Neil Gaiman has written a deliciously, wickedly scary book for children, very reminiscent of master children's book writer Roald Dahl. The heroine, young Coraline, is an explorer by her very nature. During a particularly boring day, Coraline borrows an old key from her mother and unmasks a door that leads her to a scary adventure that includes her "other mother," a wicked, evil creation with button eyes who wants Coraline to live with her forever. In the course of the adventure, Coraline must rescue three children who have lost their souls to the "other mother" and also Coraline's very own parents, who have been taken captive. Along the way she meets a talking cat who becomes her dear friend and rescuer. I can't wait to read more of Neil Gaiman. He is most famous for his The Sandman comics, which have been wildly popular for years. |
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 "Seen the Movie? Read the Book. And vice versa, and so-on-and-so-forth.........." | 2009-11-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A19TTKTYF1YXYX |
When I first began seeing ads for a movie called "Coraline" I said to myself, now there's something Tim Burton must be involved in. The eerie, angular characters, the distorted sense of reality, the dark foreboding world the characters inhabit - all of these, to me at least, screamed Burton. But no. This delightfully oddball tale sprang from the mind of none other than Neil Gaiman, a writer with whom I'd been acquainted in-name-only for several years now. Gaiman first came to my attention by way of his association with H.P. Lovecraft, an author he and I share an immense appreciation for. I read his introduction to a collection of Lovecraft stories published by Del Rey and made a mental note to investigate his work. And then some years went by. While shopping at Walmart back in February, I came across a "book version" of this new movie I'd been hearing about, and lo, I recognized the author's name. It was now the proper time for Gaiman and I to get reacquainted.
Coraline tells the story of young Coraline Jones, who relocates to a rather isolated old home who's large rooms and floors have been divided into flats. Her neighbors are, of course, a bit eccentric to say the least and young Coraline spends her first few days exploring the house, grounds and her neighbors and finally exhausts each of these in turn. What is that that is said about idle hands being the devil's workshop? Coraline, hoping for some playtime or at least playtime suggestions from her harried parents, stumbles upon the door to an alternate universe and there our story really takes off.
Within the first few pages I was struck by some minor yet noticeable allusions to that greatest of absurb, frightful children's tales: Alice In Wonderland. We have a secret entrance to a world where things don't quite make sense, and a Cheshire cat as our fearless, erm, guide. Their are further allusions along the way, but rest assured this is no mere copycat tale. Gaiman introduces his own brand of wicked vision, his own plot twists and turns, while still maintaining Carrol's sense of the absurd. And Gaiman's poem songs are superb.
I recently read a few of Gaiman's short stories from Smoke and Mirrors. These are earlier stories and while some are good, some, to me, show the writer still gaining his footing, attaining his voice. What is striking about Coraline, is the sureness of Gaiman's delivery. His sentence structure is now taught, his descriptions crisp and quick. In S&M, he mentions that one of the stories was inspired by his desire to create a Raymond Carver story. For those unfamiliar with Carver, he wrote in a very terse style, short sentences, deadly sharp, much in the manner of Hemingway. This is what we have here: Gaiman's style distilled to pure essence. Gone are the extensive adverbs and awkward asides that characterized lesser of his early stories.
Parents reading this with their children may be struck by the portrayal of Coraline's parents: two humdrum people, their minds perpetually entwined with a glowing pc monitor, their rumps perpetually ensnared in a computer chair. Anytime Coraline asks a question, she is left to feel that she is interrupting, that really her parents have no time for her. While I can sympathize w/ the parents at my ripe old 31 years of age, I can see where many children can identify with this scenario, seemingly screaming yet their parents hear not a peep. This also provides the perfect catalyst for Coraline's departure and initial acceptance of the "other" mother and father. Compared to the movie, I do feel that parts of Coraline's character reversal in terms of how she views each set of parents was a bit rushed, where it was allowed to develop more gradually in the movie thus seeming more realistic. This said, I must also say I feel that the movie version did a better job, overall, of presenting Gaiman's vision in a way I feel he actually intentioned. But while the movie is astounding, the book is a fabulous read as well. There are certain insights which Gaiman offers that came only be gleaned from perusing his prose.
In closing, I can't think of a book/movie adaption combo that better serve each other. If you've only read the book, be sure to see the movie; if you've only seen the movie, read the book. If you've done both, for heaven's sake, do it again! |
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 "A chilling kids story that will give even grown-ups goosebumps" | 2009-10-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2S94GQRQVVBXY |
There are authors that I love for their use of language -- a gifted wordsmith doesn't always have to have a great story to keep my attention. And then there are writers that are actually storytellers. Neil Gaiman falls into the latter category. In his telling of "Coraline", he uses a clipped, choppy style that absolutely drove me crazy... until I got sucked into the imaginative and undeniably scary story.
This is the stuff of nightmares: Coraline is a young girl with less-than-attentive working parents. Like any spunky heroine, Coraline goes on adventures that quickly get her into trouble. The story begins when Coraline and her family move into a new home, an old rambling estate broken into three flats. Of the 14 doors in the house, only 13 go anywhere... or so it seems.
There are lots of things that go bump in the night in this book, but Gaiman really goes outside of the box with his scares. If Stephen King took a stab at retelling "Alice in Wonderland," it might read something like "Coraline." Even as a "grown-up," it touched on a level of buried-deep fear and revulsion that will stick in my memory banks for awhile. (insert shiver here)
The book jacket touted "Coraline" as a book for all ages. While I agree that any adult reader will be reeled in by the dark and imaginative fairy tale and that even young readers could probably handle the vocabulary and length of the novel... I'd strongly disagree with the editors' recommendation for readers as young as age 8. As a kid with a wild imagination, this would have kept me up nights. Lots of them. As an adult with an imagination that has only slightly tamed over the years... it still might keep me up tonight. |
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| "Creepy Coraline" | 2009-10-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2TCA14XLTD14M |
This is a book that begs to be read aloud. I read it once and now I can't wait to read it to my little cousins. Neil Gaiman creates an alternate world in which Coraline is wanted by her "other mother". She must somehow figure out a way to get back into the real world with her real parents. She has the help of what she thought was a boring stone and also, the black cat. It was very interesting to see how Coraline gets out of the alternate world, and how she gets her parents back. And even after all this, how she takes care of her "other mother" for good. Even though this is a YA book and I'm 26, I was still a little scared while reading the story :)
This book is very creative and I can see why Gaiman is such a popular author. This was the 3rd book I've read by him and I can't wait to read more. |
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| "Very Enjoyable" | 2009-10-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39PXVL09OSH4I |
Coraline Jones and her family move to a new house just before school starts with a couple of weeks. Their house is divided into three apartements, 2 retired actresses live in one and a 'crazy' old man lives in the upper one. Coraline Jones, the explorer, goes through the house and yard and discovers the well she's been told not to go close to and the abandoned tennis court.
Coraline finds a locked door in their parlour but when her mother opens it, they find that it leads to nowhere - just a wall. One day, when her mum and dad are out, she unlocks the door and finds that it has changed into a corridor. She goes in and at the other side finds another house, like hers, with the 'other' mother and father.
The other mother and father look like her parents but have black buttons for eyes. Their hosue is almost similar except for a few differences. Coraline leaves them and goes back to her house, but then returns. And when she returns, the other mother locks the door, and now Coraline needs to find a way to get back home.
This was my firs Gaiman book. I picked up 2 years ago but just got round to reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am going to read more Neil Gaiman books. I was quite engrossed in this book; the writing style, plot, kept me from shoving this book to the boring list |
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| "Those buttons give me the willies" | 2009-10-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2VWGLT380E60S |
This is a delightfully creepy adventure that I'd recommend to anyone, not just kids! It is humorous, imaginative, sinister, and even downright frightening. Neil Gaiman sure knows how to play with our imagination. The artwork is downright creepy, but fascinating to look at. You won't be able to look at shiny black buttons or a needle and thread in the same way again. Button eyes.... ran chills up and down my spine.
Coraline - the movie comes out in 2009. It looks like Dakota Fanning will do the voice for Coraline and Terri Hatcher will do the voice for Coraline's mother and "other mother". I can't wait to see it - especially since Henry Selick (The Nightmare before Christmas) is directing - I am a big fan of his. |
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