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I really wished while reading it that my daughter was a little bit older (she's 6) so that she could tell me what she thought of it. She can read pretty well already, but she's still a little bit at the stage where she doesn't like too much peril.

Thanks for the blog shout-out, by the way.

It does seem like Gaiman made the graveyard more organized, almost as though the dead have decided that disorganization and arguing are not worth it when nothing will change for them, long term.

I'd never read Gaiman before, and I'm so glad this was the Book Club pick for this month, as I probably wouldn't have read him otherwise. I just picked up one of his adult novels at a used book store this weekend and am itching to read it. What stood out the most to me with this particular story is the idea of growth and maturing linked to loss and pain. In the past year I have left college to live on my own and unexpectedly lost my mother, making my life turn really adult really fast. I've kind of been shoved out into the unknown to figure it all out, and reading about Bod coming into his own and leaving the "dead" figures of his childhood for the uncertain, grown-up future was timely for me. Bod firmly makes up his mind to leave his home, scared, but determined. At some point, our home and childhood become sort of faded and don't fit us anymore, and although we have no idea what we're doing, we have to grow up and figure it out on our own. I'd like to go back and read it over again, as I kind of raced through it the first time, but Gaiman really knows how to create a layered, creative story, and my favorite part is the dance between the living and the dead in the village. I love the idea of the living and the dead having this beautiful time together once a year, and his depiction of the scene is charming. I can't wait to see what everyone else thought.

I actually enjoyed it a lot more than many of Gaiman's other works. I found that I could relate to most of the characters on some level or another (even the man Jack) far better than, say, Neverwhere.

I thought the prevailing theme of the story was essentially: When you're growing up, somebody will always be around to get you out of trouble. However, eventually you're going to have to take care of yourself.

May nine-year-old daughter actually did do a book report of sorts on it as she's doing the Cannonball as well (sans reviews). So, if you're interested:http://welcometostabbymart.blogspot.com/2009/11/cbii-book-1-graveyard-book-neil-gaiman.html

Sara,

My daughter is just 19 months but I am already building up a library of classic children's books for her (CS Lewis, Harry Potter, Watership Down, Roald Dahl) even though I have no idea when (if ever) she will want to read them. So far we are reading lots of Dr. Suess. As I read The Graveyard Book I kept wondering when it would be appropriate for her... could I read it to her at 6 or 7? Let her read it at 9 or 10? I don't have a good concept of child development milestones so I'm sort of figuring it out as I go...

But enough cute kid stories, let's talk literature. I loved your review and in particular the idea you attached to the part about the suicides buried in the unconsecrated ground, and the idea that you have the opportunity for growth and change in life but remain constant after you die. It's an interesting observation that makes sense with what we know of the Graveyard and its inhabitants.

I'm sure that can also tie into the idea of the Graveyard as a place of order and rules. At first I saw it as a way of idealizing the Graveyard, that their society is so much more considerate and organized compared to ours, with everyone having their place and being respectful of the rules. I still think that there is a bit of that going on, but at least it is consistent with this idea and there is a logical reason for the Graveyard to be a peaceful place free from struggle and strife. The inhabitants exist, but there is no need for conflict because there is nothing really to achieve. Life and all that is finished.

I never caught on that Silas was a vampire, didn't know what he was, but that might be because I read the book in 1 day.

Thanks for the compliment, Yossarian. Yeah, I thought that one of the themes seemed to be that you need to grow and change while you still can, even when it might be a little bit painful or bittersweet to do so.

GOOD OMENS IS THE BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME. (ahem, it's good).

Dorothy Snarker, Good Omens is a fantastic book.

(True story: I was reading it in an airport once and giggling so much people were bending over to see what I was reading.)

Oh I know, in the first few pages read late at night after my 2 yr. old boy had woken up from a bad dream, my first thought was, "Oh no, am I not going to like this at all?" Good thing I stuck with it.

I didn't catch that Silas was a vampire either. You guys are really careful readers.

I finished the book in one sitting, and i love it love it love it. One thing that stuck out for me was Scarlett being fearful of Bod after he saved her. She's right about him not behaving like other people, but I thought it was bizarre that she thought that that meant he was evil. I was also trying to see her pov of how she thinks Bod killed the Jacks and why it was a bad thing. I mean, to Scarlett, those Jacks looked like normal people, and they didn't feel different to her the way they did to Bod, so I can see why she would be so alarmed at him having hurt them.

But then I thought about how Jack Frost had his knife to her throat, and it pretty much eliminated any "normal" pov you can have, because it's clear that they were bad and that they meant her (and Bod) harm. So in the end, I just didn't understand why she didn't want to be friends with him anymore, and it made me really sad.

One thing I noticed about Gaiman's books (granted, I've only read Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, and this) is that he's big on letting his characters find out Who They Really Are. At the end, when Bod said, "I'm Nobody Owens," I was soooo excited - but it also reminded me of how Tristran came into his own in Stardust, or how Coraline, at the end, decided that her life, the way she is, really did not need to be changed or more or less or anything other than who she is and who her parents are. So I'm really a big fan of that - but i think with Bod's story, it was a little more obvious, more... important. can't articulate myself right now... bc I'm still at work.

Silas was a vampire? **smacks head**

I thought he was some kind of demon, but that does make sense now that you mention it.

In fact, in many ways the Jungle and the Graveyard seem to be more efficiently organized than messy, human society and in that way offer criticism on the ways of man. So what is Gaiman saying about us with this book?

The formal organization of both the animal and ghost societies really stood out for me. In a way it lent a certain credence, a weightiness, to both books. Having the human come in and question the rules, though, sheds a different light on societal constraints.

For example in the Graveyard Book, Liza is ostracized by the other ghosts, and yet she is the one with the most humanity, and she alone can help Bod.

The old wolf, Akela, in the Jungle Book is set to die because he has missed his kill. And yet Mowgli protects him because he had saved Mowgli as a boy.

These non-humans have broken their society's rules, but by acting with humanity, they are spared.

A good lesson for us all.

The New York Public Library DOES NOT HAVE THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Therefore, I did not read The Graveyard Book. I'm going to try the Queens Library, because I like most of Gaiman that I've read, and at least now I'll be able to go in with the knowledge that someone is a vampire!

Yes it does!! I checked a copy out earlier this month, but don't blame me, I returned it a week ago. Try the Yorkville branch!

Fie on you and your lions and your sweeping staircases and painted ceilings and pneumatic tubes and, oh, you know I can't stay mad at you, NYPL.

SaBrina, I don't live in New York, but doesn't the NYPL system transfer books between branches for you? Maybe that building's just too pretty to be useful.

I read both The Graveyard Book and The Jungle Book for the first time this month. I thought The Graveyard Book was pretty interesting, but I didn't love it. The jumping around between chapters and lack of visual detail kept me from feeling too involved with the characters. That being said, I really enjoyed the chapter when he meets Scarlett, Bod's interactions with Liza, and the end of the book.

I also appreciated that Gaiman had Scarlett fear and reject Bod at the end. Made for a little more poignancy and realism than your run-of-the-mill-little-kid-turned-hero story. I guess it showed that you can be a good person and do everything right, but it still doesn't necessarily mean everything will turn out perfectly. I also thought it was understandable. Scarlett had been through a lot of traumatic and incomprehensible stuff and Bod was a part of that world. She didn't want any part of it herself.

(disclaimer: if I ramble at all it is because it is very, very late here and I wanted to post while the book was fresh in my mind, so sorry in advance)

I'm late to the game so I'll try not to repeat too much of what everyone has already said. I've read through many of Gaiman's other works and have enjoyed all of them, but I think that this may be my favorite of his so far. He certainly does vary his stories by audience and while I think he has written others that appeal to both adults and children, this one strikes the best balance. On one level, the story is an intriguing cast of characters living out a completely different way of life than any of us know. On another level, it's a story of growing up, learning through mistakes, and also learning which of your family members' traits you want to integrate with your own, and in which ways you are unique from those around you.

I was a little surprised that the book opened up with such a descriptive depiction of the family's murder (in the context of a children's book), but I really enjoyed how that set the tone for the book and made me, the reader, understand just how dangerous the person pursuing Bod was. I thought the illustrations added quite nicely to the story as well.

Also, I completely did not catch on to the fact that Silas was a vampire and now I'm feeling a little silly. I actually kind of pictured him the entire time as a shadowy figure in a trenchcoat, basically like one of the Untouchables. Of course now looking back, the umpteen references to him rising at night and not being able to do anything while the sun is out completely make sense.

What really made this book for me was the last chapter. I enjoyed the characters and I think I really connected with Bod and his search to understand his world and the role he plays in it. He and Scarlett's story was so bittersweet to me, and while I love that Gaiman didn't take the easy boy meets girl and falls in love and they live happily ever after route, I felt genuine loss for him. After the fight with the Jacks is over, Scarlett is confused by and afraid of Bod, and his reaction conveys so much of his own confusion, hurt, and longing for companionship that my heart just broke.

His final journey through the graveyard was my favorite and the hardest part to get through all at once. I think this is partially because I recall my childhood as a very happy time or because I remember the transitional period from child to not quite child to adult so well, this really struck home. I can still remember the exact visit to my parents house to which it became "their house" and no longer my home. Things change and you grow up and make your own way in the world, but often the things and the people that shaped you have changed and faded. Like Bod realized at the end, even if you return a place sometimes it's not home anymore, it's just a place.

I just finished this yesterday (with a tiny tear in my eye) on our way home from our Spring Break trip.

I really enjoyed it. I thought the ghouls and Guhlheim were especially fun. I must have good vampire radar cause I figured out Silas was one in the first chapter, though I can't think now what tipped me off. Also Miss Lupescu was obviously gonna be a werewolf, that one's in the name.

Miss Smith, age 9, has also been reading The Graveyard Book, so I think we will write our review together when she finishes in the next few days. So far she has been liking the story too. She has been reading Coraline while I have taken Graveyard to read for myself. Smith Jr., age 11, wants me to renew our copy so he can read Graveyard next. I think he would like Good Omens too.

The chapter where the graveyard goes down and has the dance with the townspeople is simply beautiful. I adore this book. I think it was the first book I reviewed for Cannonball Read#1. I'm a big fan of Gaiman, and I put The Graveyard Book right up there with American Gods. My only problem; too damn short. I wanted so much more, and I'm hoping he revisits that world so we can learn more about what Silas and the other protectors were doing that whole time. How they eliminated the Jacks and the larger threat that seems to still be out there.

Tyler, I've been thinking about the protectors a lot since I finished the book and I would also really like to know what they were doing while away from the graveyard. It seems like Gaiman could make another book just based on the Honour Guard and their adventures.

Since most people commented on parallels between Gaiman's different works, I'll focus on The Jungle and Graveyard books.

I see The Graveyard Book as a contemporary retelling of Mowgli's story. Both are tales about growing up, enclosed in a protracted threat/revenge plot (protagonist starts out weak, survives main threat, has to grow and learn enough to dispose of said threat). One difference I see is Gaiman's heavier focus on Bod's construction of his identity as an integral part of his growth. While Mowgli learns the Rules of the Jungle in order to understand how to live there as a man-cub and, eventually, strike out on his own, Nobody Owens' gradually develops his identity as a living being, in preparation for the moment when he must leave the graveyard. Reading Bod's tale, I got the sense that his identity was changing with each chapter, until the moment where he tells Jack Frost who he is. On the other hand, I got the impression that Mowgli, while not exactly a static character, sees himself throughout the story as a man-cub from the Free Peoples.

This leads to the biggest difference between the two books: the Jungle is where Mowgli knows how to live, having learned its rules, whereas the Graveyard is the place Nobody Owens must leave to experience Life for himself. Moreover, the talents Bod learns are not very useful in an environment where, in order to meet people, you must reveal yourself to, instead of fading from them. What changes from each book is the location of each particular journey: Mowgli leaves the Seeonee Pack but stays in the jungle, while Bod must leave the graveyard and, like all other living beings, allow his dead loved ones to become memories.

Another theme that both books have in common (and so do many other children's stories, for that matter), is the concept of separation as final step towards adulthood. This process is always painful and, in the case of The Graveyard Book, more jarring than in real life where, no matter how far you are removed from loved ones, you are usually a phone call or click away. Although no one can teach a child how to feel the pain of loss and goodbye as she or he enters adulthood, maybe these books help soften the blow a little.

I must say I enjoyed both books; Kipling's book reminded me of the time when, as a teenager, I read Quiroga's Jungle Tales, and even though its contents have completely faded from my memory (except for one word: Anaconda), it brings back pleasant memories. On the other hand, I don't know why but I find Gaiman's prose relaxing; although his novels contain a certain amount of danger (I've read Good Omens, Anansi Boys, and Neverwhere GN), they never generate a high level of tension in my mind. I find this strangely soothing. I also have to thank Kipling for showing me the coolest word this geek has had the pleasure to pronounce in a while: holluschickie.

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