Coraline

I’ve read Coraline (and watched the movie based on it) dozens of times, and yet somehow it never stops being one of the creepiest and most suspenseful stories I’ve read. Gaiman treads the boards of light horror in this story, which sees young Coraline Jones move into a strange old house with her parents and discovers an entirely new world through a mysterious door leading to an empty apartment next door. In this new world Coraline meets the Other Mother, a creature of Eld who is never quite defined, but definitely isn’t as kindly as she first appears. Coraline is just one in a long line of children charmed by the Other Mother’s promises of good food to eat, fun games to play, and (most importantly for the seemingly neglected Coraline) undivided attention, and Gaiman builds the horror of the situation which Coraline finds herself in masterfully. There are moments which reckon with recognizable folktale structures (three tasks, animal helpers, food as a charm, unbeknownst horrors from Faerie), but Gaiman’s take is far more modern as he also plies the story with themes around the modern family and the struggles of work-life balance. By the end of Coraline’s tale she has managed to escape the Other Mother, rescue the souls of the other three children trapped before her, and return her parents to their rightful place in the real world, but the ending is not quite as tied up as it seems. Has the Other Mother actually been defeated, or will the key to her world be recovered to tempt another child? ( )

Audiobook performed by the author


On a rainy day, bored Coraline occupies her mind with counting – the windows (21), everything blue (153), the doors (14). It’s the 14th door that really captures her attention, and when she opens it she discovers an alternate universe. But unlike Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, this is a quite dark and unpleasant place, where her “other mother” is intent on keeping Coraline captive.

It’s imaginative (can’t expect anything less from Gaiman) and dark and creepy and scary and I can totally see the reason why it’s so popular, but it’s not for me.

I do like that Coraline is such a strong female lead. She’s just a little girl, after all. But she’s intelligent, inquisitive, determined, brave and resilient. She doesn’t fall into the traps the other mother sets for her and she keeps true to her goals. Brava!

Neil Gaiman narrates the audiobook himself. I cannot imagine anyone else dong a better job (well, maybe Tim Curry). But the director / producer added al sorts of spooky music to introduce each disk and I found that really irritating. And I HATED the voices used for the mice and/or rats. ( )

Una obra maestra ( )

This book was really creepy, but it was good because something different was out to get Coraline and add a new twist to the story after you turned each new corner. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Coraline is a fabulous role model for children, brave and clever and interesting. The story is dark and clever, and yet filled with zest and warmth. I shall have to give this to my daughter and then, when she’s read it, get the movie. ( )