Thursday 4 August 2011

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman


I've never felt inclined to read any of Neil Gaiman's works before. But after reading a review of The Graveyard Book by my friend, Bookface, I was sold. 


From what she wrote, it sounded like something right up my alley. That said, I've tried reading some of the books she reviewed, and have personally found that she is a far better writer than some of the award-winning authors themselves. There were some books where the characters and plot were far more interesting in her own words than in the books themselves. 


So I approached the book somewhat hesitantly, trying not to have too high an expectation of it. Imagine my delight when I was hooked right away at the first sentence. It was one of those can't put down books, and I finished it within twenty-four hours. I started it on a Sunday afternoon at a hotel in Cherating, and finished it by the next afternoon. Had I not gone out on any activities, I would have finished it even sooner! 


That may not mean much to others, but it meant that I had enjoyed the book so thoroughly that my nose was buried in it every available second that I had to spare.


What's the book about, you ask. The Graveyard Book is about a boy called Nobody Owens (Bod for short) raised by ghosts and neither dead nor alive creatures in a cemetery. Think "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling and you'd be dead on. Since I could never write half as well as my friend, please check out her review for a little snippet on The Graveyard Book