The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book tells the story of Nobody Owens, a boy whose whole family is murdered in the dead of night when he is only a toddler. The man who holds the knife, Jack, wants to finish the job. But the toddler makes his way to a nearby graveyard, where the dead – and one who belongs neither to the living nor to the dead – decide to protect and raise him. Mr and Mrs Owen, who have been dead for a few centuries, become his adoptive parents, and the mysterious Silas becomes his guardian.

Over eight chapters, or stories, we watch Bod grow from a toddler into a young man. We watch him walk the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and gather knowledge about both. And in the end, we watch him learn the meaning of being alive.

Most of The Graveyard Book takes place, obviously enough, in a graveyard. There are ghosts aplenty, and there are older and perhaps more dangerous things. There are eerie moments and creepy bits. But the truly dark moments in this book have nothing to do with the graveyard or with the dead. This is a book where the haunted, cobwebsy things are the ones that can be trusted, the ones that feel safe.

In many ways, Bod’s story is a dark one. But more than darkness, The Graveyard Book is full of warmth. This is not a book that sugar-coats reality, but it’s a book full of tenderness and kindness all the same. It's a book where a graveyard can be a home because it’s much safer than the world outside. As the story progress, we feel Body’s change and growth, we watch him discover who he is and what he cares about. And we watch him leave the boundaries, move from the inbetween to life. We watch him leave the safety of his home. After all, we don’t want to be too safe, do we? If we are, are we truly alive? Life is full of risks, and if we don't take them there's only so much we can do.

The Graveyard Book, then, deals with themes like childhood, change, risks, courage, and the things you lose and the things you gain. And it handles them very well. Like all my other favourite authors who write for children, Neil Gaiman acknowledges and respects his reader’s intelligence regardless of their age. Take these two lovely passages, for example:

“You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over. You’ve made what you’ve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.”

And:

Bod said, “I want to see life. I want to hold it in my hands. I want to leave a footprint on the sand of a desert island. I want to play football with people. I want,” he said, and then he paused and he thought. “I want everything.”

The Graveyard Book is a subtle and intelligent book. It’s nuanced and full of important little details, but very accessible all the same. I loved all the nods to The Jungle Books. They add another layer to the story, but the reader doesn’t have to be familiar with Kipling to enjoy this book. For example, “The Hounds of God” is even more satisfying if you notice the parallels with “Kaa's Hunting”, the third story in The Jungle Book. But it’s perfectly enjoyable even if you don’t.

Then there are other details, like the surnames of the several Jacks, or the way the ghosts who died at different points in history speak. Paying close attention to the way language is used in this book makes it even more fun. And there’s the writing itself, of course, which is Neil Gaiman at his best. There’s just something so satisfying about a sentence like Nothing was said. Just a silence in reply, that echoed of dust and loneliness.

If I were to complain about anything, it would be about the fact that The Graveyard Book is too short. I wanted more of Bod, of Liza, of Scarlett, of Miss Lupescu, of Silas. I wanted the stories in between the stories. But the best writers know that it’s probably not a good idea to satisfy your readers completely. Longing stays with you. Unanswered questions stay with you for much longer than neat endings. The Graveyard Book leaves you wanting more without actually being inconclusive. And that's my favourite kind of ending.



Still, I already want to read it again.

Other opinions:
Orpheus Sings the Guitar Electric
The Written World
Jenny’s Books
Stuff as Dreams are Made On
Stainless Steel Droppings
Books & Other Thoughts
The Bluestocking Society
dreaming out loud
Melody's Reading Corner
Booknotes by Lisa
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Bart's Bookshelf
You Can Never Have Too Many Books
Bold.Blue.Adventure
Nothing of Importance
Fizzy Thoughts
The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Becky's Book Reviews
Hello, My Name is Alice
Sophisticated Dorkiness
Fyrefly's Book Blog
Valentina's Room
Katrina's Reads
Rhinoa's Ramblings
where troubles melt like lemon drops
somewhere i have never travelled
Tip of the Iceberg
Stella Matutina
Worducopia
Books of Mee
Book Zombie
Everyday Reads
A Book a Week
Kiss a Cloud
Passionate Booklover

(Let me know if I missed yours.)