Coraline
Ratings840
Average rating4.1
This was freaky, and I liked it! I wasn't quite sure what to think of it at first, but by the time things started getting interesting, it was hard to put down.
This is a popular, well-known middle grade book (though, I suppose to most the movie is better known) that I've had the pleasure of revisiting recently. Still an absolute joy to read...an eerie, haunting, and disturbing joy, but a joy nonetheless. Gaiman always writers masterfully, and even though Coraline is geared toward a younger demographic, I loved it.
P. Craig Russell is one of my favorite working artists, and I'll sing his praises until I'm hoarse. He has a particular skill with prose adaptations. This book, while markedly different from the film adaptation, is no less successful, and in some arenas moreso.
i had an absolute blast reading this book. it is a bit different from the film, but the core aspects are still there and gaiman's writing is still as captivating and terrifying as it was when it was first published.
This is a good children’s book that is still enjoyable to read as an adult. It is dark (but not too dark) for a kid’s book and that is what makes it good. Kids don’t always need to read books that shoot rainbows at them. The dark material would have captivated me as a kid.
I had watched the film before reading the book, so I have Keith David’s voice in mind whenever the Cat talks. Which I am 100% ok with as I love David’s voice acting. I did constantly compare the book to the film even when I tried not to. If I had read the book first, I wild have like it more, but I enjoy the film too much. The film is a good companion that gets the feeling of being a child and wanting to explore that the book does well.
Wonderful and at times truly creepy. I love Gaiman's writing style and hearing it read in his own voice. I especially love how he voices the rats!
Praise to the author for writing this in such a succinct, to-the-point fashion - I was never bored and the plot just kept plotting.
I'm very surprised...I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I know it's all subjective and some people adore this book, and I can understand why. I guess this book just wasn't for me. I feel like maybe if I had first read this book when I was younger, I would have been in love with it.
I was certainly very interested in the book and was excited to read it. I've dabbled in some of Neil Gaiman's other works, and I enjoy them a lot. Coraline definitely has this really intriguing “comfy gothic” premise, if I had to try and describe it. I think the main problem is that I just wasn't a fan of the prose. Everything is very dejected, very dry, very to the point. There was no emotion in the writing. It was like reading someone's grocery list, in a way.
I'm very affected by how the prose presents the story. I can't get into the story if the prose is dry and emotionless. I didn't feel any sense of urgency, any real danger from Coraline's journey. I wonder if it's because the book is a bit more universal and not strictly for adults, but some of my favorite books are like that. Matilda by Roald Dahl is my favorite book of all time, and it's considered a children's book. But there's so much emotion and feeling in how the story is narrated, it still delights me as an adult. I didn't really feel that from this one.
There were definitely parts that were quite spooky and descriptions that I thought were legitimately creepy, which were my favorite parts. At times, the book did have good atmosphere that I was thought was engaging to read. And I will say that there was never a part in the book where I got bored and didn't want to go on. The story was compelling enough to make me want to read on and see what would happen...it was just a dry, humorless experience.
I know these are all subjective thoughts, but I thought I would write them down to be as honest as possible. Someone I know in real life has this as their favorite book of all time, and it's not like I don't understand why. I guess in the end, there were just too many things in this book that made it not tailored for a reader like me. Which is just a bit disappointing, since I was quite hyped to read this book and also really respect Neil Gaiman's craft.
It's so weird, though. This book is beloved and has won many awards. Maybe it really is just a case of me waiting too long to read it? I guess I'm the odd one out here.
A smart and interesting take a on children story. The subtle horror of it all gives you chills and the helping cat was a very nice touch. Coraline is a protagonist you can't help but love and root for. Her interesting look on life is written to perfect.
The sickening other mother is such a scary touch. Her character overall is insanely creepy and probably one of my favorite antagonist ever.
Overall this tory is written perfectly and can be a fast but easy read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror or just likes the Coraline movie in general.
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Well, I???ll tell you one thing: Neil Gaiman knows how to tell an interesting story!
This was a fun and fast read!
Would recommend if you liked other Neil Gaman's books.
i was not expecting much but it was fun :) gaiman's letter on coraline is a nice cherry on the top
read for halloweekend: set around halloween/gives halloween vibesneil gaiman is a good story teller and i'm sure i would like this more if i didn't see the movie. the pacing of this book compared to the movie was just so off to me because everything was happening so quickly, it didn't have time to first develop coraline as a character and second give that creepy eerieness and tension the movie has. this isn't a bad book by any means especially since it's for children but it's still disappointing
Final thoughts based on notes:
As a quick read, it's a perfect story to kick off spooky season with. If you love the movie then you will definitely love the book just as much. It was a lot of fun seeing how similar the book and movie are, as well as things that were done differently.
I've found the best way to watch something that is a film adaptation of a book is to space out enough time that you've forgotten almost everything there is to the plot. And it works vice versa as my experience goes reading this novella. This is my second book by Neil Gaiman, and I loved viewing the world through the lens of a child again. Gaiman's characters aren't foolhardy, bumbling about the world. They're relatable, which makes reading about them quite an experience.
I love the movie Coraline with my whole heart but I had never read the Coraline book before today. I'm so glad I decided to pick it up. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Neil Gaiman and he really brought that extra something to the experience. I obviously knew what was going to happen because I've seen the film so many times, but the book is even more unsettling than the movie and I loved that. 5 stars.
This is a somewhat scary children's (maybe middle grade) story - our POV character finds a portal to a somewhat different dimension and has to be brave and use creativity to save herself and others. In the end, she realizes that real life is quite interesting after all, and love isn't about always getting what you want. Well done.