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A review by chainsawmochi
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I have long been a fan of Neil Gaiman's works. "Good Omens" has sat at the top of my favorite books list for years, since college at least. Likewise, the film version of "Coraline" has been a personal favorite since I first watched it. One would think that I would have read the book version of "Coraline" at some point, but for some reason, I simply had never picked it up.
Recently, I saw that it was available online through the Libby App, via my local library. On a whim, I borrowed the lone copy available and dug in. Life got in the way, as it tends to do; it took me far too long to actually manage to read the entirety of the book. It's not a very long novel, as it is classified as a children's book. Yet every moment spent not reading it was maddening. I wanted so deeply to delve back into the world of "Coraline," back into Gaiman's blunt yet whimsical prose.
Finally, while I was watching for a doctor's appointment today, I finished the book. "Coraline" is a five-star read, no doubt about it. Gaiman has a wonderful ability write in the way I remember thinking as a child. Everything is very matter-of-fact, yet there is magic there, in those words. He crafts a beautiful, disgusting, haunting world that suits Coraline's character very well. I viewed her story as a story of growing up too quickly, of yearning to still be a child, of learning to slow down and appreciate the small things. The things that make us mothers and fathers, children and family. The things that make us human, boring, normal, and unique. Coraline's world is full of juxtapositions and non-sensical parallels. She begins as a child that no one listens to--but by the end, she realizes she was not listening, either.
"Coraline" comes highly recommended if you have an afternoon or two to spend in a world very much like our own, with a few extra shadows and a few extra nightmares at the edges.
Recently, I saw that it was available online through the Libby App, via my local library. On a whim, I borrowed the lone copy available and dug in. Life got in the way, as it tends to do; it took me far too long to actually manage to read the entirety of the book. It's not a very long novel, as it is classified as a children's book. Yet every moment spent not reading it was maddening. I wanted so deeply to delve back into the world of "Coraline," back into Gaiman's blunt yet whimsical prose.
Finally, while I was watching for a doctor's appointment today, I finished the book. "Coraline" is a five-star read, no doubt about it. Gaiman has a wonderful ability write in the way I remember thinking as a child. Everything is very matter-of-fact, yet there is magic there, in those words. He crafts a beautiful, disgusting, haunting world that suits Coraline's character very well. I viewed her story as a story of growing up too quickly, of yearning to still be a child, of learning to slow down and appreciate the small things. The things that make us mothers and fathers, children and family. The things that make us human, boring, normal, and unique. Coraline's world is full of juxtapositions and non-sensical parallels. She begins as a child that no one listens to--but by the end, she realizes she was not listening, either.
"Coraline" comes highly recommended if you have an afternoon or two to spend in a world very much like our own, with a few extra shadows and a few extra nightmares at the edges.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, and Body horror