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Coraline (2002)

by Neil Gaiman

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
19,338672221 (4)1 / 821
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.
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  1. 230
    The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (FFortuna, moonstormer)
  2. 130
    Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman (timspalding)
    timspalding: If Coraline doesn't quite live up to the hype, don't give up on Gaiman. Fragile Things is simply stunning.
  3. 141
    James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (littlegeek)
  4. 101
    Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (infiniteletters)
  5. 102
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (moonsoar)
  6. 70
    The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (Bookshop_Lady)
    Bookshop_Lady: "Coraline" is creepy and might be too creepy for some kids. "The Thirteen Clocks" has a few creepy moments but overall is a light-hearted fairy tale. They're very different books and tell very different stories. But for all that, I believe older children/young teens who enjoy one of these books will probably enjoy both.… (more)
  7. 61
    The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (foggidawn)
  8. 50
    Abarat by Clive Barker (Death_By_Papercut)
  9. 40
    Clockwork by Philip Pullman (norabelle414)
    norabelle414: Both books are for children, but still manage to be dark and horrifying for all ages.
  10. 62
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (edeninwonderland)
  11. 40
    The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (Nikkles)
  12. 40
    The Thief of Always by Clive Barker (Scottneumann)
  13. 30
    Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist (reading_fox)
    reading_fox: Slightly older YA, and a full novel. But the same theme, children move into a new place and discover a creepy 'fairy world' thats hard to escape.
  14. 30
    The Wikkeling by Steven Arntson (foggidawn)
  15. 52
    The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (starfishpaws)
  16. 30
    Doll Bones by Holly Black (BookshelfMonstrosity)
    BookshelfMonstrosity: Readers will savor the tension of both horror stories involving characters seeking ways to put souls to rest. Each story explores the distinctions between fantasy and reality in a deliciously creepy way.
  17. 20
    The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand (_Zoe_)
  18. 20
    Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (BookshelfMonstrosity)
    BookshelfMonstrosity: Smart, determined girls journey to darkly magical worlds in order to rescue a parent in these original and dazzling fairy tales constructed with beautiful imagery and intricate storylines.
  19. 31
    Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh (FFortuna)
  20. 10
    The Dragons of Ordinary Farm by Tad Williams (Scottneumann)

(see all 41 recommendations)

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▾Conversations (About links)
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 Fine Press Forum: Lyra's Press Announces "Coraline"188 unread / 188dlphcoracl, December 2022

» See also 821 mentions

▾Member reviews
English (647)  Spanish (5)  German (5)  French (3)  Italian (2)  Swedish (2)  Portuguese (Portugal) (2)  Hungarian (1)  Arabic (1)  Danish (1)  Polish (1)  Dutch (1)  Catalan (1)  Portuguese (1)  All languages (673)
date ▼ | votes
Showing 1-5 of 647 (next | show all)
Not as spooky as ive been told but still very good :) ( )
  fancypengy | Sep 19, 2023 |
I think I went into this book expecting too much since I know how many other people love this book and movie. Sadly, it was just missing something for me. ( )
  CaitlinDaugherty | Aug 28, 2023 |
I usually like to read a book before it's turned into a movie. In this case, I got it the other way around and wish I hadn't. Now in my mind, the movie "Coraline" is magical. The book, not so much. That's not to say the book isn't good, because it is.

I think the problem is that the book is very closed in and personal to Coraline. Her world, probably typical of most children, is very small, and it's made even smaller by the perceived neglect of her parents. When she finds the door to the other world, of course she'll go through and 'explore'. Even so, I found it a little too constricted. This is probably why the screenwriter and director opened it up and introduced another character to which Coraline could relate. Recommended, but see the movie, too. ( )
  zot79 | Aug 20, 2023 |
I watched the movie of this last week and wanted to experience what the original story was like. Usually I read the book then watch the movie and disappointment reigns. Not sure if it was the watching the movie first or what, but I really enjoyed both the book and the movie.

Both are creepy and have some amazing skin crawly/goose pimply moments. I wish Gaiman had been writing when I was a kid, I'm sure I would have had a number of sleepless nights. ( )
  beentsy | Aug 12, 2023 |
'"Stay here with us," said the voice from the figure at the end of the room.
"We will listen to you and play with you and laugh with you. Your other mother will build whole worlds for you to explore, and tear them down every night when you are done. Every day will be better and brighter than the one that went before. Remember the toy box? How much better would a world be built just like that, and all for you?"' (page 119)

...

'Coraline sighed. "You really don't understand, do you?" she said. "I don't want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted? Just like that, and it didn't mean anything. What then?"' (page 120)

'"Cats don't have names," it said
"No?" said Coraline .
"No," said the cat. "Now, you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names." (page 37) ( )
  NewLibrary78 | Jul 22, 2023 |
date ▼ | votes
Showing 1-5 of 647 (next | show all)
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▾Published reviews
A modern ghost story with all the creepy trimmings... Well done.
added by Shortride | editThe New York Times (Aug 11, 2001)
 
▾Other authors

» Add other authors (14 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Gaiman, Neil—primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Andoh, AdjoaNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bartocci, MaurizioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Boatswain, JacquelineNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Braiter, PaulinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Carvalho, Regina de BarrosTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Clary, JulianNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davies, PixieNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davis, NicoleNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ernst, EnricoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
French, DawnNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gothic ArchiesComposersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kingsley, KatherineNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kivimäki, MikaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Krutz-Arnold, CorneliaÜbersetzersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Marcel, PatrickTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McKean, DaveIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McNally, KevinNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Merritt, StephinComposersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nicol, HeatherNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Parker, WilliamNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rhind-Tutt, JulianNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Riddell, ChrisIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rosich, MarcTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Russell, P. Craig—secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schiller, AdrianNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
▾Series and work relationships
▾Awards and Honors

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▾Common Knowledge
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Canonical title
Original title
Coraline
Alternative titles
Original publication date
2002-07-02
People/Characters
Coraline Jones
Коралина
Mrs. Jones
Mr. Jones
The Cat
Important places
England, UK
Pink Palace
Important events
Related movies
Coraline (2009 | IMDb | Henry Selick)
Awards and honors
Nebula (Novella, 2003)
Hugo (Novella, 2003)
British Science Fiction Association Award (Short Fiction, 2002)
ALA Notable Children's Book (2003)
Locus (2003.3 | Young Adult Novel, 2003)
Epigraph
Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.
--G.K. Chesterson
Dedication
I started this for Holly, I finished it for Maddy.
First words
Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.
Quotations
We are small but we are many/
We are many we are small/
We were here before you rose/
We will be here when you fall
Coraline was woken by the midmorning sun, full on her face.
For a moment she felt utterly dislocated. She did not know where she was; she was not entirely sure who she was. It is astonishing just how much of what we are can be tied to the beds we wake up in in the morning, and it is astonishing how fragile that can be.
Coraline sighed. 'You really don't understand, do you?' she said. 'I don't want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted? Just like that, and it didn't mean anything. What then?
The pale figues pulsed faintly; she could imagine that they were nothing more than afterimages, like the glow left by a bright light in you eyes, after the lights go out.
There was something irritatingly self-centered about the cat, Coraline decided. As if it were, in its opinion, the only thing in any world or place that could possibly be of any importance.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Please do not combine Coraline with the graphic novel adaptation Coraline nor with the film.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Snicket, Lemony
Pullman, Philip
Pratchett, Terry
Jones, Diana Wynne
Card, Orson Scott
Original language
English
English, UK
Canonical DDC/MDS
823.92
Canonical LCC
▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

▾Book descriptions
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.
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No library descriptions found.

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▾LibraryThing members' description
Book description
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.
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WorldCat

Genres

Melvil Decimal System (DDC)

823.914Literature › English & Old English literatures › English fiction › Modern Period › 1901-1999 › 1945-1999

LC Classification

PZ7.G1273Language and Literature › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Juvenile belles lettres

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Average: (4)
0.5
1 40
1.5 8
2 200
2.5 48
3 1055
3.5 286
4 2426
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5 1698

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