The Graveyard Book
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| The Graveyard Book | |
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Neil Gaiman |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Dave McKean |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy Horror |
| Publisher | Harper Collins (US) Bloomsbury (UK) |
| Publication date | September 30, 2008 |
| Media type | print, e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 0060530928 |
The Graveyard Book is a children's fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman. The story is about a boy named Nobody Owens, whose family is killed by a mysterious man named Jack, and who is subsequently adopted and raised by the occupants of an old, ornate graveyard, inspired by Highgate cemetery. Gaiman's first full-length children's novel since the bestselling and widely acclaimed Coraline, The Graveyard Book won the 2009 Newbery Award and the 2009 Locus Award for best YA novel, and was shortlisted for the Hugo Award.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Gaiman first had the idea for the story in 1985 after seeing his then two year-old son Mike "pedaling his tricycle around a graveyard"[1] their family lived across from. Recalling how at home his son looked there, Gaiman thought he "could write something a lot like The Jungle Book and set it in a graveyard."[2]
Each chapter takes the form of a short story, and most are set a year or two apart as the protagonist grows up. Some of the chapters have direct analogs to Rudyard Kipling's 1894 work (from which The Graveyard Book also takes its title[3]); for example, the chapter "The Hounds of God" parallels the story Kaa's Hunting.
[edit] Publication history
One chapter of The Graveyard Book was previously published as a short story in the Gaiman anthology M is for Magic and won the 2008 Locus Award for Best Novelette.[4] The book was released on September 30, 2008 in the United States by HarperCollins[5] and on October 31, 2008, in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing.[6] The cover and interior illustrations of the US-edition were created by longtime Gaiman collaborator Dave McKean; he also illustrated the UK edition intended for the adult market. The British edition intended for children was illustrated by Chris Riddell.
A limited US-edition of The Graveyard Book, with a different cover and interior illustrations by McKean, was produced by Subterranean Press. There is also an audiobook edition read by Neil Gaiman, including a version of Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" played by Béla Fleck.[7]
[edit] Main characters
- Nobody Owens the boy protagonist who is wise, determined, kind and brave. Called "Bod" for short. When he was only a little toddler his parents were murdered and he became a resident of the graveyard. He is taught certain ghostly abilities, such as Haunting, Dream-walking, and Fading from mortal sight.
- Silas: Bod's guardian until the boy reaches maturity. Teacher, counselor, and vigilant champion, Silas is not alive, but he is not dead. Unlike the ghosts, he may move among the living in order to acquire food, medicine, and other necessities. Silas is a member of the "Honour Guard". It is hinted at that he is actually a vampire, but never out-right confirmed in the book. Gaiman has confirmed Silas as a vampire in interviews.
- Miss Lupescu: a teacher. Foreign and strange, and considered by Nobody to be an unpalatable cook, Miss Lupescu serves as substitute guardian and general tutor when Silas is called away. She may seem cold and somewhat uncaring, but she is a formidable woman who has vowed to watch over Nobody, whether he wants her to or not. She is revealed to be a "Hound of God", or werewolf, and a member of the Honour Guard.
- Liza Hempstock: the ghost of a witch. Buried in the potter's field outside the confines of the blessed graveyard property, she wishes for a headstone to mark her resting place. One part trickster and one part helping hand, Liza is fickle but mostly fair, and honestly fond of the living boy from the next patch over.
- Scarlett Amber Perkins: a living girl. At the age of five, Scarlett befriends Bod (who her parents believe to be an imaginary friend) while playing in the cemetery. Later, at the age of fourteen, Scarlett and Bod reunite when she returns to the graveyard and encounters Jack Frost.
- The Man Jack: the killer who murdered Bod's parents. In the second half of the book, he is referred to as Jack and Mr. Frost. A mysterious figure throughout most of the text, he murdered Bod's family and seeks to kill the boy because of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He poses as a mild-mannered and gentle man to Scarlett and her mother when they return nine years later. He is taken away in the end of the book by the Sleer, whom he encounters with Bod in the Mausoleum in the Hill.
- Mr & Mrs. Owens: a ghost couple who adopts Bod as a baby. Unable to have children while living, they care deeply for the boy and call him "son".
- Jacks of All Trades: a group of men collectively named Jack, who trace their roots to Egyptian times. They are responsible for the murder of Bod's family, and therefore seek to kill the boy because his survival into adulthood would mean the end of their order. At the book's conclusion, those that are not taken out by the Honour Guard, are individually and sequentially dispatched by Bod into a 20 ft grave, a ghoul gate, and the Sleer's den. It is implied that Silas later finishes off the Jack at the bottom of the 20 foot grave.
- The Sleer: an ancient servant who resides deep in the Hill. It guards the treasure of his Master, but is unsure if he will return.
[edit] Critical reception
On January 26, 2009, the American Library Association named The Graveyard Book as the recipient of the 2009 Newbery Medal.[8] It's numerous honors makes The Graveyard Book one of the most honored children's books in recent history.[9] Gaiman's work was cited by the ALA for its "delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing", noting its "magical, haunting prose".[2]
[edit] Film adaptation
Irish Academy Award-winning filmmaker Neil Jordan has signed on to write and direct the film adaptation.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ "Neil Gaiman Interview: The Graveyard Book". Scottish Book Trust. http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/podcasts/audio/neil-gaiman-the-graveyard-book. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Rich, Motoko (January 26, 2009). "‘The Graveyard Book’ Wins Newbery Medal". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/books/27newb.html?em. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ Grossman, Lev (July 26, 2007). "Geek God". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1647474,00.html. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ "2008 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online News. http://www.locusmag.com/2008/Locus_Awards_Winners.html. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ "The view from Chapter 8". Neil Gaiman's Official Blog. http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/02/view-from-chapter-8.html. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ www.lovereading.co.uk link to children's edition
- ^ Neil Gaiman Pre-Orders on Amazon
- ^ "2009 ALSC Award Winners". American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/2009medawardwin.cfm. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ "Honor roll:Children's books". Award Annals. 2009-06-14. http://www.awardannals.com/wiki/Honor_roll:Children%27s_books. Retrieved on 2009-06-14.
- ^ "Neil Jordan To Direct Graveyard Book". Empire Online. January 28, 2009. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24078. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Official web site
- Mouse Circus - Gaiman's official young readers web site, has video of Gaiman reading the entirety of The Graveyard Book.
- Literarywiki.org - wiki annotations to The Graveyard Book
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Good_Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village |
Newbery Medal recipient 2009 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
