//Book Review//
Coraline by Neil Gaiman [13chpts/248pgs]+[audiobook/3hrs35min],
narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt with a full cast
Today (2024, August 16) I finished rereading the book, alongside the audiobook, Coraline written by Neil Gaiman and narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt with a full cast. The story follows a little girl named Coraline Jones who is an explorer and finds a little door in her family’s new house. The story is 13 chapters and 248 pages with a 3 hour and 35 minute audiobook.
I originally read this back in middle school, right before I saw the movie when it first came out. I wanted to reread it again after watching the YouTuber AbitFrank point out how much darker the novel is compared to the film. The film took on a more whimsical tone (at first) whereas the novel emphasized Coraline being in an uncanny valley.
As said earlier, the story starts off with Coraline exploring her new home and coming across a little door that has her wondering where it could go. In the middle of night she is awoken by rats that lead her back to the little door that is both open and is leading to somewhere. That somewhere is to her Other Mother, who wants to lover her forever and always.
My favorite thing most of all is the uncanniness Coraline witnesses in the “other world” that we don’t see to much of in film. One example is when the rats sing to Coraline “in high, whispery voices,” scampered back into Mr. Bobo’s pockets, shirt and trousers while he stood in the doorway. Then he says to her, “… you can come up with me, if you like, and watch [the rats] feed.” That’s just creepy and even the book tells the reader the way Mr. Bobo stared at her with his button eyes made her feel uncomfortable!
I still really like the movie, but I wish it was able to keep more moments like that in the film.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a classic tale of a fly trapped inside of a spider’s web, and a dart fantasy that they’ll love forever and always. I’d give this story a 5/5.