GENRE 6: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Bibliography
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. Read by Neil Gaiman. Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. ISBN 9780061707414

Plot Summary
A family is brutally murdered in their beds by an assassin on a dark and misty night. The only survivor, an 18 month old boy, manages to escape by climbing out of his crib, bumping down the stairs, and walking out the door and into the graveyard across the street. As the assassin tracks the boy to the graveyard, Mrs. Owens, one of the graveyard’s ghostly inhabitants, sees the boy and realizes the danger he is in. Determined to adopt the boy in order to protect him, Mrs. Owens petitions the other inhabitants of graveyard and incites a lively debate. The debate ends when Silas, a mysterious figure in the graveyard, agrees to serve as his guardian. The assassin leaves the graveyard without finding his prey, but the inhabitants in the graveyard know it is just a matter of time before they see him again.

The boy, formally named Nobody Owens, thrives in the graveyard surrounded by love and ghostly inhabitants who do their best to impart their knowledge and wisdom. The freedom of the graveyard bestowed upon him at his adoption by the Owens allows Bod to learn ghostly talents that will prove handy as he continues to elude the assassin that murdered his family. As he grows older, Bod befriends a human girl named Scarlett and yearns to explore the world outside the graveyard. His attempt at attending school is cut short by an incident that places him in danger, and Bod realizes that the world outside the graveyard holds its own set of wonders and dangers.

Years later, a teenage Scarlett once again finds her way into Bod’s life. This time, their adventures in the world outside the graveyard attract the attention of Jack, the assassin who murdered Bod’s family. He, along with his associates, track Jack and Scarlett to the graveyard where the final chapter in the showdown between Bod and Jack plays out to its deadly end.

Critical Analysis
The audio book reviewed was an unabridged MP3 version downloaded from Audible.com with a running time of 7 hours and 43 minutes. The audio book’s narrator was none other than the book’s author, Neil Gaiman, who has also narrated several of his other books. Gaiman’s reading of The Graveyard Book is flawless and provides a listening experience that is truly engaging. The opening sentence of the narration immediately grabs the reader’s attention and draws the reader into the story. Gaiman does an excellent job of providing multiple voices for the many characters in the book, even going as far as to provide accents when appropriate, such as a Scottish brogue or a German accent. The emotions experienced by the characters throughout the novel come across in Gaiman’s narration and allow the reader to make a deeper connection with the characters, especially Bod and Silas.

The sound quality of the audio book was excellent. There was no background noise or static to hinder the listening experience. The pronunciations by the narrator were clear and done with the proper accents when naming cities. An interesting feature of this audio book was the amount of music found throughout the narration. There were musical interludes between chapters and one particular event in the book leads to the whole playing of a musical pieces. These effects add to the listening experience by setting the mood and tone for the book. The front matter of the audio book includes the name of the book, author, and publisher of the audio book.

Gaiman creates a story in The Graveyard Book that is timeless and transcends all age groups. Though the novel’s events take place in England, American readers quickly adapt to the descriptions, language, and style of writing as they lose themselves in a well-written story. Events in the plot flow chronologically and reader’s get a glimpse at Bod’s life during critical stages of development. As the main character, Bod is well-grounded and wise beyond his years. Though his reactions to some events and situations seem a bit unrealistic, reader’s quickly connect to Bod and find themselves hoping that everything thing is resolved in Bod’s favor at the end of the story. Gaiman’s creation of a graveyard filled with a motley crew of characters that nurture and teacher Bod adds charm to the book and makes Bod’s relationship with these characters the emotional center of the novel. The reader is saddened when Bod eventually has to cut ties with these characters, yet is comforted by the knowledge that Bod will never forget those who played such a vital role in his development into a young man who is ready to face life’s challenges. Gaiman includes some powerful themes in the book, including the notion of good triumphing over evil, the need to belong somewhere, the experience of growing up, the fear of the unknown, and the ability of love to overcome any obstacle.

The Graveyard Book is an exceptional book that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The experience between reading the print version of the book and listening to the audio book is completely different, and as such, I would recommend the audio book over the print version. It was somewhat difficult to become fully engaged with the print version, but the audio version drew me in at once and had me appreciating how well-received this book was. This novel is definitely recommended for middle school and high school students.

Review Excerpt(s)
2009 Newbery Medal Winner
2009 Audies Winner

VOYA - “Everyone who reads this book will hope fervently that the very busy author gets around to writing one soon.”

KLIATT - “Gaiman has a true gift for narrative and a delightfully light touch, and there are humorous details along with spine-chilling ones. YAs will race through this fine tale and enjoy every magical, creepy moment.”

AudioFile - “Neil Gaiman is one of the true gems in the audio industry. He’s a great writer who not only reads his own work well, but makes the listener reject any thought of having another narrator in his stead.”

Connections
- Discuss Bod’s reactions to the various adventures he undergoes and debate whether the author’s portrayal of Bod reactions and emotions is believable or not.
- Read Coraline, also by Neil Gaiman, and compare and contrast the plot and characters of the two books.
- Create a fictional graveyard of historical figures. Have students share what advice or wisdom those historical figures would share with someone growing up in the graveyard.
- Discuss the role of supernatural beings in Bod’s education and development. What lessons might he carry into his adult life from these beings?