My first encounter with Neil Gaiman was reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and I was astonished by his geniality. The Graveyard Book was my next book, and after that, Coralina. I enjoyed reading each of them.
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane begins with the middle-aged man returning to his hometown for a funeral. Driving through the village, many memories are emerging, especially his friendship with a peculiar girl, Lettie. Lettie lived with her mother, Ginnie Hempstock, and grandmother, Old Mrs Hempstock, on an estate near the Ocean, which was actually a pond. Here, all childhood innocence ends, and the main character, the boy, now an adult, grows up rashly after a series of unusual events.
The narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane tells his story, and we slowly get to know his family. He remembers things from a distance; his memories are fragile and shrouded with mist; the story reveals itself slowly, layer after layer.
His parents have a tenant, an opal miner, who accidentally kills his kitten and subsequently kills himself in the family car. This event, still in the everyday world, is the beginning of a terrifying shift in the nature of things. One of the terrors of childhood is the realisation that parents are not necessarily strong or understanding. Especially when they take a new tenant hired to care for children while they work.
“Ursula Monkton was an adult. It did not matter, at that moment, that she was every monster, every witch, every nightmare made flesh. She was also an adult, and when adults fight children, adults always win.”
The narrator, whose name we never learn, remembers how, instead of adults, a girl named Lettie helped him in a difficult situation. A very peculiar girl. Unusual, like her grandmother, Old Mrs Hempstock, and mother, Mrs Hempstock, every memory connected to them is strange and shrouded with mystery.
It is a melancholic, nostalgic novel, soaked in horror, that emerges from the fantasy ocean. This is a touching book; the author explores identity and what makes us who we are. For the boy in the novel, childhood events are deeply repressed in his subconscious, some because of the human mind’s self-defence mechanism, some because of magic and the beyond-life in all of Gaiman`s work. He is the master of atmosphere and is brilliant in describing characters. He is particularly interested in young characters and children’s perspectives, which he dealt with in his other books. Gaiman addresses the child’s age because, at his age, everything is magical and possible.
Neil Gaiman Essentials Book Set
from: Juniper Books
The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book begins with multiple murders. On the night Jack murders a family in their beds, their toddler runs out into the night, pursued by the murderer, and finds his way into a cemetery. The ghosts there chase away the murderer and, after much argument, decide to raise the boy.
The ghosts and other supernatural residents in the graveyard hide the boy from the killer, and the shady Silas – not quite dead, but not quite alive either – takes the man Jack aside, escorts him calmly out of the graveyard and erases his memory. The boy is adopted by ghosts of Mr and Mrs Owens, and Silas appoints himself the boy’s guardian. Silas is the only one who can leave the graveyard and bring back food. They name the boy Nobody Owens, short for Bod.
From the start, Bod is given “the Freedom of the Graveyard“, allowing him to learn terrific ghost tricks such as „the fade“, where he can disappear from sight even when someone is looking right at him. For his own safety, he’s not allowed to leave the graveyard. But there is plenty to explore, including an ancient grave where the slithering Sleer awaits the return of “The Master”, the dangerous “ghoulgate”, which leads to a terrifying, chaotic otherworld, and the unconsecrated part of the graveyard where Bod finds a friend, the ghost of a young witch named Liza.
The author introduces us to a very relatable character, a boy who grows from 18 months to 14 years, increasing his power and confidence but retaining the innocence of one who doesn’t know the world. He gives his character touching relationships with his ghostly parents and his guardian, Silas, and though he has some scary adventures with ghouls and snake-like tomb guards, the graveyard world is never nearly as frightening as that of the living, especially to a boy who has been raised there.
“It’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.”
The boy was raised in a graveyard and was happy there, so no matter where you live, you can feel satisfied if you are surrounded by close friends and family. What you carry inside of yourself is essential.
Neil Gaiman writes for young people and adults; in the novel, he explores life and death, love, growing up, and finding a family in strange places.
Coraline
The story begins with Coraline, a young girl who has just moved into a new house with her parents. Coraline’s new neighbours are interesting: an old man who trains rats for a circus performance and two old ladies who are retired stage actresses.
Coraline is bright, curious, adventurous, brave, independent, stubborn to the point of recklessness, and not afraid of danger. She will not leave any mysterious doors locked and uninvestigated. Coraline sets out on a scary but exciting adventure out of boredom, driven by rainy days and parental inattention. As she begins exploring her new home, she finds a little door in the wall, but it’s locked, and she can’t seem to get it open. Once Coraline sees the key, she opens the door and discovers a wall behind them, but the next time she opens it, she finds a secret hallway leading to another world.
The story is intense and sinister, and yet really enjoyable. It kept my interest throughout and is well written, with good descriptions. I think it’s perfect for all ages, but it might be too creepy for very young readers. There were a few disturbing moments toward the end, and even as an adult, I found it gripping. But like Coraline said: “When you’re scared, but you still do it anyway, that’s brave.” I read the book to the end.
With his dark fairy tales, Coraline, The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Gaiman proves that he has mastered the art of writing perfect children’s books that appeal to adults. He is not afraid of making a kids’ book scary; he knows kids can handle it well. The “Other” world he creates is creepy and surreal, with a dreamlike quality – the kind of dream from which you wake up screaming. My favourite Neil Gaiman quote is, “A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.” and even if it is scary, you keep dreaming and reading.
The story is also full of humour and includes the Cat. I guess I have a weakness for cats. I adore the wisdom of book cats, their independence, and the slightly condescending attitude they give humans.
“We… we could be friends, you know,” said Coraline. “We could be rare specimens of an exotic breed of African dancing elephants,” said the cat. “But we’re not. At least,” it added cattily, after darting a brief look at Coraline, “I’m not.”
I loved the themes in this book! They really push readers, children and adults to think about their life choices and appreciate what they have. Not only that, but even though Coraline experiences much fear, she finds a way to be brave and fight for what belongs to her. She is actually very wise for her age, and I loved her.
For the past several decades, Neil Gaiman has enchanted and captivated audiences worldwide with his dark, imaginative tales and modern myths. In partnership with the author, Juniper Books is proud to present a set of five of his most iconic works.
Neil Gaiman Essentials Book Setfrom: Juniper Books
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