Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Lovely Fairy Tale
Coraline lives with her preoccupied parents in part of a huge old house--a
house so huge that other people live in it, too... round, old former
actresses Miss Spink and Miss Forcible and their aging Highland terriers
(We trod the boards, luvvy) and the mustachioed old man under the roof
(The reason you cannot see the mouse circus, said the man upstairs, is
that the mice are not yet ready and rehearsed.) Coraline contents herself
for weeks with exploring the vast garden and grounds. But with a little rain
she becomes bored--so bored that she begins to count everything blue
(153), the windows (21), and the doors (14). And it is the 14th door that--
sometimes blocked with a wall of bricks--opens up for Coraline into an
entirely alternate universe. Now, if youre thinking fondly of The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe or Alices Adventures in Wonderland, youre on
the wrong track. Neil Gaimans Coraline is far darker, far stranger, playing
on our deepest fears. And, like Roald Dahls work, it is delicious. Whats
on the other side of the door? A distorted-mirror world, containing
presumably everything Coraline has ever dreamed of... people who
pronounce her name correctly (not Caroline), delicious meals (not like her
fathers overblown recipes), an unusually pink and green bedroom (not
like her dull one), and plenty of horrible (very un-boring) marvels, like a
man made out of live rats. The creepiest part, however, is her mirrored
parents, her other mother and her other father--people who look just like
her own parents, but with big, shiny, black button eyes, paper -white
skin... and a keen desire to keep her on their side of the door. To make
creepy creepier, Coraline has been illustrated masterfully in scritchy,
terrifying ink drawings by British mixed-media artist and Sandman cover
illustrator Dave McKean. This delightful, funny, haunting, scary as heck,
fairy-tale novel is about as fine as they come. Highly recommended.
(Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson
Personal Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
THREE QUICK POINTS:
* Point 1: This book is absolutely riveting. Who knew I'd ever use the term
riveting to describe a short novel penned for third-graders?
* Point 2: I'm sure some children will wind up with nightmares after reading
it (or having it read to them). I can't deny that I'm a huge fan of horror and
creepy stories; my library as a youth (and even today) tells this tale. But,
reading Coraline definitely sent a few chills up my spine...more so than
some of the adult novels I've read.
* Point 3: Coraline is a splendid reminder that we (children and adults
alike) are all capable of great courage. Coraline has a real child's
personality-not some fantasized version of one-which made her
courageous adventures incredibly relatable. I was able to see much of
myself, when I was a child, in her and watching her dig deep to find her
courage made me want to dig deep and rediscover my own.
SHORT SYNOPSIS:
A young lady named Coraline (not Caroline. Coraline) Jones, having just
moved into a new flat with her parents, found herself embarking on a
frightening and exciting adventure. Since her parents were usually
preoccupied, Coraline took it upon herself to explore the new house and its
grounds. One afternoon, however, it's pouring down rain, so she cannot go
and explore outside and she is bored. Her father suggests that she explore
her flat and that's when Coraline finds a locked door. She manages to get
the key and open it up. Inside she discovers a dark corridor. Curiosity
struck and she soon found herself in a room that looked very much like her
own--furniture and all. In that world, she discovered that she had an "other
mother" and "other father". In fact, that world--at first sight--seemed much
more interesting and fun than her real world. But, Coraline soon learned
that things weren't as they appeared in that other world.
MY THOUGHTS:
It would be quite easy to finish Coraline in a single sitting and not
necessarily because of its short length, but because the story pushes you
forward. You constantly want to know which new adventure she'll discover,
which new creature will jump from the shadows, and how she'll get herself
out of the nightmare she's in.
Although this book doesn't get deeply into gory details (there are a few
droplets of blood, but nothing worse than a child would see if she were to
watch a stray cat hunting a mouse or bird in the field), it's certainly creepy
enough to make you want to put the lights on if you're reading it in the
dark.
The book built suspense...
"[The other mother] picked Coraline up and pushed her into the dim space
behind the mirror. A fragment of beetle was sticking to her lower lip, and
there was no expression at all in her black button eyes.
Then she swung the mirror door closed, and left Coraline in darkness."
...and deposited paranoid thoughts in the corner of your mind (was that a
shadow I just saw crawling along the wainscoting? or I could have sworn
something just moved behind the chair.). Not only that, it showed the
reader that all of the frightful creatures and circumstances could be
handled effectively with some measure of wit and courage.
This story was masterfully told with subtle undertones. For instance,
Gaiman never tells us explicitly what creature Coraline is facing, but it's
alluded to. (Hint: Pay attention to the cat's narration.) Coraline's mother
and father, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, the crazy old man that lives
upstairs (he does have a name, but I don't want to spoil the story by giving
it away), the black cat, and Coraline herself are all crafted with care. They
each display distinct, unique, and sometimes fanciful, but believable
personalities.
Although there were illustrations throughout, they didn't all speak to me.
For the most part, they did add to the chilling effect of the story, but a few
seemed misplaced. Frankly, the story would have been just as good
without the illustrations, but they were a nice touch--especially for younger
readers.
It's my belief that Coraline is the type of book that could get more kids
involved with reading. It appeals to their curious spirit, wild imagination,
and it delivers the message that the things that go bump in the night can
be conquered.
"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist,
but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." -G. K. Chesterton
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