Book Review: The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

Much as I love Neil Gaiman, I have always preferred him as a writer of graphic novels and children’s picture books. In American Gods, I felt that his wonderful imagination, plot and characters slightly outstripped his talent with prose – he is a good writer, but maybe not a great one, in full-length adult fiction.


With The Graveyard Book, on the other hand, I didn’t have this problem, perhaps because it is in a different category again – a full-length prose book for older children (recommended for 9-12-year-olds). Or at least, that is the intended audience, but I would say it stands up very well to being read by adults. And I can’t be the only one who thinks so, as it is available in an alternative cover, as the Harry Potter books were, for adults who are embarrassed to be seen with something ‘childish’. However, I don’t think there’s any shame whatsoever in enjoying this sweetly macabre tale.

For an adult, it is a short and easy read, but nevertheless an enchanting one. As for children, I think I would have loved it when I was young. Gaiman credits his young readers with the ability to cope with a little darkness, and the book is all the better for it. Nobody Owens, or Bod for short, is an orphan, whose whole family were murdered when he was a baby. He escaped and was adopted by some friendly ghosts. He grows up in a graveyard, and all the resident ghosts become his friends and educators, but as he gets older he begins to yearn to explore the world of the living. However, his family’s murder is still out there, and he has unfinished business with Bod.

The book is structured as a series of interconnected short stories, snapshots of Bod at different ages, growing up and experiencing more dangers, first in the graveyard, and then the world outside. The graveyard folklore and magic that is a part of Bod’s day to day existence is typical of Gaiman – a wonderfully imaginative mixture of charming and spooky. Bod’s adoptive parents and many of the other ghosts are quirky and heart-warming, while other characters are much darker. There is plenty of adventure, but this is also a book about a boy growing up and becoming independent, told in a way that will resonate with readers. On both levels, this book can be enjoyed by both children and adults.