Review for "The Graveyard Book"

Bibliography: Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. 2008. New York: HarperCollins. Print. ISBN: 978-0060530945

Critical Analysis

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." This is the first sentence of The Graveyard Book, and it is accompanied by double-spread black pages, and a hand stretching across, holding a long knife. Thus we are introduced to the murderer who will haunt the story, the murderer that kills an entire family in the first chapter, but somehow misses the baby boy. This baby, completely oblivious to the horrendous crime that is being committed, climbs out of his crib, down the stairs, and all the way up the hill to an old, forgotten graveyard.

Through the adventures of this child, who is eventually named, "Nobody Owens" we learn about the dead.  In The Graveyard Book we learn that the dead appear after dark, in the cemeteries they have been buried in, as benign, ethereal figures.  As Nobody grows up he learns the art of sacrifice, he develops independence and strength, and he overcomes naivete. The language used in the book has shades of the formality and romance of the ages gone by, and approaches the subject of death with a gentle, almost comforting touch. The imagery used in this story is as quietly beautiful and as  strangely inviting as a graveyard can be on a sunny afternoon.


Review Excerpts

Booklist: "There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages."

Kirkus Reviews: "Closer in tone to American Gods than to Coraline, but permeated with Bod's innocence, this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child."


Awards and Recognition

Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature
Carnegie Medal
Cybil Award
John Newbery Medal
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature

Connections

A way to help readers/students see the connection this story has to others is to help them recognize motifs, themes, and archetypes present in the story. Readers/students can first brainstorm together and see how many motifs or archetypes they can find in the story. Then, they can try to list other stories that they know of that have these motifs and archetypes. One common archetype that is found within The Graveyard Book is that of the gifted orphan. It would be fun to see how many motifs/themes/archetypes readers can find, and how many stories with similarities they can come up with!