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I've finally gotten around to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I listened to it on audiobook, because him narrating his stories is my preferred way to consume his novels.
It's a bit odd as a story because it ends with a beginning. We have no idea what Bod is going to do or be. It's the most extra D&D backstory ever. I feel like he's going to wind up in The Honor Guard, but we really don't know. Also, a 15 year old with no family, social connections or degrees? That is going to be a challenge. The whole thing is like the backstory for hero.
I feel like Gaiman has pulled that before, stories that are more like prologues. Not to this degree, though.
Bod's complete lack of connection to his old house is interesting. He claims Bod as his true name and isn't really concerned with who his family was as people. This is a bit jarring since they were murdered by people after him, but it's also good for a children's book as it's very careful about not upsetting adoptive kids with talk of birth family being the 'real family', or anything that could imply it. He's a bit sharp about all that, but I think for good reason.
The idea that he'll rejoin the community of The Graveyard when he dies is a nice one.
I am really glad that the book didn't have maturing sexually and being attracted to a girl as the reason for his leaving or as an ending to the book. It's been ages but I think that is what the film of The Jungle Book did. This novel is sort of a retelling of The Jungle Book.
*google break* Um, yeah it looks like the film had 'discovering girls' as the ending but it doesn't look like the book did.
I am glad things went differently than the Disney film of The Jungle Book, but I am also not a fan of mind wipes. But I get why Silas, as a guardian of the borders, did what he did. I also like that Scarlett was a real character and not resigned to being a plot device.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It just left me with a lot of 'but what about ... oh I guess ... but what?' sort of feelings. I kinda of wanted to talk about the book with people, but I am a decade late.
It's a bit odd as a story because it ends with a beginning. We have no idea what Bod is going to do or be. It's the most extra D&D backstory ever. I feel like he's going to wind up in The Honor Guard, but we really don't know. Also, a 15 year old with no family, social connections or degrees? That is going to be a challenge. The whole thing is like the backstory for hero.
I feel like Gaiman has pulled that before, stories that are more like prologues. Not to this degree, though.
Bod's complete lack of connection to his old house is interesting. He claims Bod as his true name and isn't really concerned with who his family was as people. This is a bit jarring since they were murdered by people after him, but it's also good for a children's book as it's very careful about not upsetting adoptive kids with talk of birth family being the 'real family', or anything that could imply it. He's a bit sharp about all that, but I think for good reason.
The idea that he'll rejoin the community of The Graveyard when he dies is a nice one.
I am really glad that the book didn't have maturing sexually and being attracted to a girl as the reason for his leaving or as an ending to the book. It's been ages but I think that is what the film of The Jungle Book did. This novel is sort of a retelling of The Jungle Book.
*google break* Um, yeah it looks like the film had 'discovering girls' as the ending but it doesn't look like the book did.
I am glad things went differently than the Disney film of The Jungle Book, but I am also not a fan of mind wipes. But I get why Silas, as a guardian of the borders, did what he did. I also like that Scarlett was a real character and not resigned to being a plot device.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It just left me with a lot of 'but what about ... oh I guess ... but what?' sort of feelings. I kinda of wanted to talk about the book with people, but I am a decade late.
