Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Five nights a week, our family closes the day by reading aloud together. My wife and I (or occasionally, one of the kids) read one or two chapters per night, so we average perhaps two full books per month. Often we'll discuss what we've read for a few minutes afterward before everyone heads for their own room, conversations which can be just as entertaining as the books. It's a terrific tradition, a habit we got into early, and I'm extremely pleased that the kids still enjoy it even now that they've started the journey through their teens. As they get older, though, it gets trickier to find books that please the whole crowd. All of us are avid readers, but like every family we all have our own tastes and interests. Max the Minnow and Goodnight Moon had universal appeal, once upon a time, but are there books that my junior firefighter will love as much as my aspiring veterinarian and my budding cake decorator? The answer is yes, and one of those is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

The Graveyard Book is the story of Bod (short for "Nobody") Owens, an orphan who grows up in a cemetery, raised by ghosts and assorted creatures of the night, after his family is murdered. Yes, that setup sounds dark and scary, but no more so than the setup of Cinderella, Snow White, and a lot of other children's classics, and no more so than Harry Potter or other more recent favorites. What follows that setup is a childhood unlike any other, but still quite relatable. Bod has trouble making friends (didn't we all?) but the friendships he does forge are strong and true. Old-fashioned wisdom is passed to him from those who died centuries ago, and it still applies today. And when Bod ignores that wisdom, as children tend to do, he finds trouble and adventure in equal measure. The core of the book, in my opinion, is the difference between shape and definition of a life. Gaiman paints a portrait of childhood with both dark and light strokes, and deftly illustrates that the events that happen to us -- good or bad -- can shape the course of our lives, but only the choices we make -- good and bad -- truly define who we are and who we eventually become. Bod could choose to cower in the graveyard, the only place he is truly safe, giving in to fear, and that would be understandable given the events of his earliest childhood. But he chooses a braver path. He wants to learn, and to explore, and to be a part of the world instead of hiding from it.

My favorite section of this book was the chapter entitled Danse Macabre, a scene of perfect enchantment where the worlds of the living and the dead overlap in a manner both surreal and magical, told from exactly the right point of view. The conversation about it afterward, between Bod and his mentor / guardian Silas, will make you want to hug a vampire. How often does that happen?

Obviously I'm not the only one recommending this book. It won a Newberry Medal, after all. Nor is this the only fine book by this author (Coraline is also great, and so is The Ocean at the End of the Lane.) All I'm saying is that I loved The Graveyard Book, as did my wife and all three of my children, so if you're looking for a book to appeal to your whole family, this is one I would recommend. Feel free to comment below to share your thoughts on this book, this author, or anything else, including any books you'd recommend for a family reading.