Product Description

"Sometimes funny, always creepy, genuinely moving, this marvellous spine-chiller will appeal to readers from nine to ninety." - "Books for Keeps". "I was looking forward to "Coraline", and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was enthralled. This is a marvellously strange and scary book." - Philip Pullman, "Guardian". "If any writer can get the guys to read about the girls, it should be Neil Gaiman. His new novel "Coraline" is a dreamlike adventure. For all its gripping nightmare imagery, this is actually a conventional fairy story with a moral." - "Daily Telegraph". Stephen King once called Neil Gaiman 'a treasure-house of stories' and, in this wonderful novel, which has been likened to both "Alice in Wonderland" and the "Narnia Chronicles", we get to see Neil at his storytelling best.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1927 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite being mostly known for his fantastical graphic novels and adult fiction, Neil Gaiman's first book for children is everything that you would expect from such a massive imagination as his. It's special and wonderful and very weird indeed. Described by some as the new Alice in Wonderland, Coraline is actually more bizarre than that, much more frightening and its modest length definitely adds to the book's undiluted potency.

Shortly after moving into an old house with strange tenants above and below, Coraline discovers a big, carved, brown wooden door at the far corner of the drawing room. And it is locked. Curiosity runs riot in Coraline's mind and she unlocks the door to see what lies behind it. Disappointingly, it opens onto a brick wall. Days later, after exploring the rest of the house and garden, Coraline returns to the same mysterious door and opens it again. This time, however, there is a dark hallway in front of her. Stepping inside, the place beyond has an eerie familiarity about it. The carpet and wallpaper are the same as in her flat. The picture hanging on the wall is the same. Almost. Strangest of all, her mum and dad are there too. Only they have buttons for eyes and seem more possessive than normal. It's a twisted version of her world that is familiar, and yet sinister. And matters get even more surreal for Coraline when her "other" parents seem reluctant to let her leave.

Her attempted escape from this nightmare alternative reality sees Coraline experience a chilling series of ever more bizarre encounters. Some are plainly odd, others disturbingly spooky and together they combine to form an immensely readable story. It's like all the best bits of the Goosebumps books condensed into 160 pages. A unique reading experience guaranteed. (Ages 10 and over)--John McLay

Review
'Sometimes funny, always creepy, genuinely moving, this marvellous spine-chiller will appeal to readers from nine to ninety.' Books for Keeps; 'I was looking forward to Coraline, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was enthralled. This is a marvellously strange and scary book' Philip Pullman, Guardian; 'If any writer can get the guys to read about the girls, it should be Neil Gaiman. His new novel, Coraline is a dreamlike adventure. For all its gripping nightmare imagery, this is actually a conventional fairy story with a moral.' Daily Telegraph

Coraline's family has just moved into a new flat in what was once a large mansion house. Her neighbours, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink, are about 100 years old and think they can read danger in the tea leaves, and the crazy old man upstairs keeps mice that not only talk to him but are training to become the first ever mouse circus. It's the school holidays, so while the weather is good Coraline explores the enormous garden of her new home, discovering all sorts of nooks and crannies, deserted wells and hidey-holes in her travels. The days pass quickly, but when the weather changes and the rain pours down she is ordered inside and she quickly becomes restless. Counting the number of doors in her new house one day in an effort to relieve her boredom, Coraline discovers a door that won't budge. Her curiosity aroused, she asks her mother to unlock it, only to find a solid brick wall behind the locked door. That night Coraline hears a sound that wakes her from a deep sleep. Following the noise she is led to the same door, but instead of a brick wall she finds a gloomy corridor. Although a little frightened, her curiosity is aroused and before she has time to think, Coraline ventures down the corridor to discover a duplicate world. It's the same flat, but some of the details are just slightly different, and most surprisingly of all, she finds a duplicate mother and father who look the same but are a lot more sinister. This is a scary but riveting story for older children. The imagination it has taken to develop the story line is mind-boggling, and the story is fresh and exciting. Look out for more novels for children by this clever and accomplished author. Ages 10+ (Kirkus UK)

The Times Educational Supplement, Adele Geras, August 2nd 2002
"it blew my mind. ... I've since re-read the novel and it's even better than I remembered."

Customer Reviews

Overrated, Pointless and Creepy
My class and I read Coraline at school over the period of a few weeks, and after hearing all the hype about Gaiman's works I must admit, I was disappointed with Coraline.

The book starts out alright, a young girl in a huge scary house, with a door that appears to be uninteresting, but as the book progresses the whole thing becomes fast-paced and pointless.

We, as the readers, are forced to endure pointless conversations and long and boring descriptions of every little thing that Coraline goes through. There were many times where I got incredibly bored reading it, something which I wasn't expecting at all.

There are parts that are bone-chillingly creepy though, but more creepy in a slightly disturbing way than in a scary way. The Other Mother was most definitely the creepiest thing in the book, with her paper white skin and large black button eyes.

Most of the characters in the book were either boring and undeveloped with no personality what-so-ever, or horrible, creepy and unlikeable. Coraline herself is possibly the most unlikeable person in the entire book, as she is completely unsocialable and comes across as a trouble-maker.

I'm 12 years old, and the book was too boring for me to enjoy , but would be much to creepy for a younger age.

All-in-all, this book is creepy, pointless and boring, with the exception of a few minor parts, which is why I gave it 2 stars.

Sophie (On my Mum's account)

Overrated, Pointless and Creepy
My class and I read Coraline at school over the period of a few weeks, and after hearing all the hype about Gaiman's works I must admit, I was disappointed with Coraline.

The book starts out alright, a young girl in a huge scary house, with a door that appears to be uninteresting, but as the book progresses the whole thing becomes fast-paced and pointless.

We, as the readers, are forced to endure pointless conversations and long and boring descriptions of every little thing that Coraline goes through. There were many times where I got incredibly bored reading it, something which I wasn't expecting at all.

There are parts that are bone-chillingly creepy though, but more creepy in a slightly disturbing way than in a scary way. The Other Mother was most definitely the creepiest thing in the book, with her paper white skin and large black button eyes.

Most of the characters in the book were either boring and undeveloped with no personality what-so-ever, or horrible, creepy and unlikeable. Coraline herself is possibly the most unlikeable person in the entire book, as she is completely unsocialable and comes across as a trouble-maker.

I'm 12 years old, and the book was boring for me to enjoy , but would be much to creepy for a younger age.

All-in-all, this book is creepy, pointless and boring, with the exception of a few minor parts, which is why I gave it 2 stars.

Sophie (On my Mum's Account)

Love dark fairy tales
I love dark fairy tales and Neil Gaiman doesn't disappoint. Simple yet meaningful, suitable for all to dive into as deep as you dare.