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A review by jenbsbooks
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
3.25
I think, maybe I wasn't in the mood for YA right now? I just DNFed another YA and was SO close to calling this one a DNF also (at about halfway). I glanced over the rave reviews, some that said the second half really pulled it all together ... so I decided to finish. Unfortunately, still "ehh" for me.
I went with the audio - I see there are two. I went with the one narrated by the author. He is good, but the music, oh please, please STOP THE MUSIC between chapters. It was literally painful. I'd have to stop and take the earbud out. The music interludes were loooooong, and then overlapped as the narration started up again.
Ironically as there was the awful music added ... when there was music in the story, one of the characters singing, the songs were "patter speak" and I hated that. I understand the issues ... the narrator may not have a good singing voice, or as in this case, the narrator is a man and the character singing is a woman (as hard as voices are in general, it's even more difficult to transfer that voice to song). I don't know if the "songs" here were even real ones (or if a melody would have had to be created). I understand the issues, but still, I wanted the little song portions sung, the patter speak felt so unnatural.
While I went with audio , I had the Kindle and physical book as well. I like to have the text to turn to, for reference, for reading, for making notes and highlights. Here - there were a lot of pictures/illustrations. The illustrations actually made the book feel even MORE YA/MiddleGrade though, which might be good if that's the audience (although reading the reviews, so many adults seem to love this one as well). Despite the young feel, it starts off with the murder of a father/mother/daughter and attempted murder of the baby boy. I drew back a little at the start - yikes!
The first half just seemed an odd collection of events ... I guess most things did come together in the end. 3rd person/Past tense throughout - mostly from the POV of Bod (his name reminded me of some show, where they called someone "Bud" and while I can't remember, it distracted me the whole time). We do get a omniscient overview at times, as well as a peek into the mind of some other characters.
I wonder if I would have liked the full-cast audio better ... or reading it myself better. Would I have liked it more in my younger years? Would I come to appreciate it more in a bookclub/school setting where meanings and layers are uncovered more? I did find some publisher's discussion questions online ...
Discussion Questions
1. From the opening lines, Gaiman hooks readers with a distinct narrative voice and a vivid setting. Discuss how both of these elements serve the story.
2. There is a rich tradition of orphans in children’s literature as well as a tradition of child-of-destiny themes in fantasy literature. Discuss how Bod fits squarely into both categories.
3. The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock? What do these characterizations suggest about human nature?
4. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean are frequent collaborators. How do the illustrations contribute to your reading of The Graveyard Book?
5. If you are familiar with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, discuss how The Graveyard Book is reminiscent of Kipling’s classic tale. How does a familiarity with The Jungle Book enhance the reading of The Graveyard Book?
6. At the close of the novel, Mrs. Owens sings about embracing the human experience: “Face your life / Its pain, its pleasure, / Leave no path untaken” (p. 306). How does this theme resonate throughout the novel?
7. “A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy” (p. 29). How is death the great democracy? How does Gaiman explore the relationship between the dead and the living?
8. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. How does this graveyard come together to raise this particular child? Describe the special mentoring relationships that Bod has with Silas and Miss Lupescu.
9. Boundaries—between the living and the dead, between the graveyard and the world—are an important part of the novel. How does Bod test these boundaries? What are the consequences of Bod’s actions?
10. Bod’s human interactions are limited to a short-lived friendship with Scarlett and a brief stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us?
11. What do you think of the advice that Bod receives from Nehemiah Trot, the dead poet: “Do not take revenge in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until the hour is propitious” (p. 233)?
12. How does The Graveyard Book compare to Gaiman’s first novel for young readers, Coraline? Much of Coraline’s success can be attributed to its strong and diverse following. What are some of the characteristics of Gaiman’s writing that make it appealing to young and old alike?
13. Like much of Gaiman’s work, The Graveyard Book manages to fuse elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and mystery into a single story. Identify examples of these elements and discuss how they work together. How might the story read differently if one or more of these elements were removed?
I went with the audio - I see there are two. I went with the one narrated by the author. He is good, but the music, oh please, please STOP THE MUSIC between chapters. It was literally painful. I'd have to stop and take the earbud out. The music interludes were loooooong, and then overlapped as the narration started up again.
Ironically as there was the awful music added ... when there was music in the story, one of the characters singing, the songs were "patter speak" and I hated that. I understand the issues ... the narrator may not have a good singing voice, or as in this case, the narrator is a man and the character singing is a woman (as hard as voices are in general, it's even more difficult to transfer that voice to song). I don't know if the "songs" here were even real ones (or if a melody would have had to be created). I understand the issues, but still, I wanted the little song portions sung, the patter speak felt so unnatural.
While I went with audio , I had the Kindle and physical book as well. I like to have the text to turn to, for reference, for reading, for making notes and highlights. Here - there were a lot of pictures/illustrations. The illustrations actually made the book feel even MORE YA/MiddleGrade though, which might be good if that's the audience (although reading the reviews, so many adults seem to love this one as well). Despite the young feel, it starts off with the murder of a father/mother/daughter and attempted murder of the baby boy. I drew back a little at the start - yikes!
The first half just seemed an odd collection of events ... I guess most things did come together in the end. 3rd person/Past tense throughout - mostly from the POV of Bod (his name reminded me of some show, where they called someone "Bud" and while I can't remember, it distracted me the whole time). We do get a omniscient overview at times, as well as a peek into the mind of some other characters.
I wonder if I would have liked the full-cast audio better ... or reading it myself better. Would I have liked it more in my younger years? Would I come to appreciate it more in a bookclub/school setting where meanings and layers are uncovered more? I did find some publisher's discussion questions online ...
Discussion Questions
1. From the opening lines, Gaiman hooks readers with a distinct narrative voice and a vivid setting. Discuss how both of these elements serve the story.
2. There is a rich tradition of orphans in children’s literature as well as a tradition of child-of-destiny themes in fantasy literature. Discuss how Bod fits squarely into both categories.
3. The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock? What do these characterizations suggest about human nature?
4. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean are frequent collaborators. How do the illustrations contribute to your reading of The Graveyard Book?
5. If you are familiar with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, discuss how The Graveyard Book is reminiscent of Kipling’s classic tale. How does a familiarity with The Jungle Book enhance the reading of The Graveyard Book?
6. At the close of the novel, Mrs. Owens sings about embracing the human experience: “Face your life / Its pain, its pleasure, / Leave no path untaken” (p. 306). How does this theme resonate throughout the novel?
7. “A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy” (p. 29). How is death the great democracy? How does Gaiman explore the relationship between the dead and the living?
8. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. How does this graveyard come together to raise this particular child? Describe the special mentoring relationships that Bod has with Silas and Miss Lupescu.
9. Boundaries—between the living and the dead, between the graveyard and the world—are an important part of the novel. How does Bod test these boundaries? What are the consequences of Bod’s actions?
10. Bod’s human interactions are limited to a short-lived friendship with Scarlett and a brief stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us?
11. What do you think of the advice that Bod receives from Nehemiah Trot, the dead poet: “Do not take revenge in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until the hour is propitious” (p. 233)?
12. How does The Graveyard Book compare to Gaiman’s first novel for young readers, Coraline? Much of Coraline’s success can be attributed to its strong and diverse following. What are some of the characteristics of Gaiman’s writing that make it appealing to young and old alike?
13. Like much of Gaiman’s work, The Graveyard Book manages to fuse elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and mystery into a single story. Identify examples of these elements and discuss how they work together. How might the story read differently if one or more of these elements were removed?