Gaiman, N. (2008). The Graveyard Book. NY: Harper Collins
Nobody Owens is a strange kid, with a strange name, and a strange home. He lives in a graveyard with his adoptive parents, who happen to be ghosts and all of his playmates have been dead for over a hundred years. He survived an attack that took the lives of his parents and sister, which is terrifying way the story starts. Once his new home is established, the story takes a choppy turn and jumps years ahead at a time to see Bod at varying ages. He faces many dangers, mostly outside of the graveyard, but the murderous man Jack makes a reappearance and Bod must fight back this time.
Textbook Assignment #5 - Evaluation Criteria
Style - Not surprisingly, the style of The Graveyard Book is dark, spooky and at times, creepy. Gaiman tells of a boy who escapes a murder only to grow up in a graveyard, raised by adoptive ghost parents. There are certainly some tense moments, starting with the murders at the beginning, followed by several close encounters with creatures, living and dead, that want to harm the boy, Bod. It would seem that Gaiman has an appreciation for all things related to death in his descriptions of the graveyard, the inclusion of the dance of the macabray, and in his development of the ghosts themselves. His lack of fear in his writing creates a relaxed portrayal of something that otherwise could be quite horrifying.
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