The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

1. Bibliography:

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060530928.

2. Plot Summary:

An eighteen month old boy wanders into a graveyard after his family is murdered and is taken in by the inhabitants of the graveyard’s tombs and graves. Given the “Freedom of the Graveyard” Bod, short for Nobody, grows up in the security of the graveyard and is educated by the dead. When the murderous man Jack comes back to town to finish off the family, Bod gets help from the living and the dead and is finally able to safely leave the protection of the graveyard and explore the rest of the world.

3. Critical Analysis:

The story is told through a series of snapshots of the boy as he grows up, skipping the unimportant and focusing on key physical and emotional developments. The variety of dialect among the dead further illustrates their differences.

The graveyard setting is well developed and readers are able to navigate the headstones right along with the boy as he wanders the cemetery. Details regarding setting are provided well in advance to help make sense of situations later in the book. The inclusion of headstone engravings lends a unique quality to the graveyard atmosphere, making it more inviting.

Whether facing the Sleer, traveling through the ghoul gate or attempting to go to school, Bod is provided with opportunities to overcome obstacles. This sets the common fantasy theme of good triumphing over evil. A bittersweet ending provides the audience both sadness and hope for the future.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· 2009 Newbery Medal winner

· From SLJ: “Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.”

· From Booklist: “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming.”

5. Connections:

· Neil Gaiman author study using other works such as Coraline or Stardust.

· Compare to Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book to find similarities between the two stories.

6. Personal Response:

At first, the book seemed slow and uninteresting but as the chapters went along the story became more engaging. Although, the fantasy genre is not my favorite genre to read, I did enjoy the book. I was able to see some of the correlations between The Graveyard Book and The Jungle Book and after reading the author’s notes I gained a lot of insight into why Gailman wrote the book the way he did.