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"Gaiman's best book to date"
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A 2002 young adult fantasy novel written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Dave McKean.
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Rating:
Too wet to go out
+5
With nothing to do
So she stayed in the house
Counting everything blue
Then she counted the windows
She counted each door
`til she came to the one
That she'd not used before
"Ignore it" said Mother
And took out the key
"It doesn't go anywhere,
Coraline, see?"
And Coraline looked
All she saw was a wall
`cos the door led to nothing,
Just nothing at all
But if that were true, then
Ignoring that door
Would leave us with nothing
For her to explore
So the very next day
When the door she did open
It led to a corridor
As we'd been hopin'
It led not to Narnia
No, not this time
No lions or wardrobes
In this little rhyme
But a parallel world
And an alternate life
With an odd other father
And his other wife
They greeted her kindly
And begged her to stay
Where she would be loved
Every hour of the day
It sounded quite tempting
But to her surprise
A part of the deal
Was black buttons for eyes
That didn't sound pleasant
It didn't sound nice
So she hightailed her tail
Out of there in a trice
The rest of the tale
Is delightfully chilling
As Coraline has to do
More than she's willing
Mirrors and magic
Enchantment and more
A sarcastic cat
And a world through a door
Miss Miriam Forcible
And old Miss Spink
Give her a gift that's
Worth more than you'd think
A man who trains mice
And a litter of rats
"There's more to the eye"
Said the cat with no hats
And whether you're young
Or doddering and bent
This book from Neil Gaiman
Is worth every cent
Amanda Richards, March 14, 2009
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Adrianna
June 14, 2010
Enjoyed the poetry review. It was different, creative, and informative. Here is my review on the book if you want to read it: http://lunch.com/t/1dsg
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Sean_Rhodes
September 20, 2009
I just LOVE that you can do this with your reviews. So talented. I wish I could do the same thing. I always find your reviews fun to read.
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Count_Orlok_22
March 16, 2009
O joy! Another rhyming review from our "Guyana Girl". I really enjoyed this book, though I disagree with the critic on the back of the book who said that this book will knock Alice's Adventures in Wonderland out of its niche. Still, a very enjoyable read. Have you seen the film yet? Our theatre didn't get it and I'd love to hear your take if you've seen it. :)
arichards
March 16, 2009
It hasn't reached here as yet :(
Count_Orlok_22
March 16, 2009
That's too bad. It was meant to be a big film and I think it was #1 for two weeks in a row here in U.S., I wonder why so few theatres are showing it.
Count_Orlok_22
March 28, 2009
Our theatre just got it, exactly 3 months after it first opened. i'm going to have to give the manager a hard time I think. Lately, he's been getting some movies a full three or four months after their release dates. I'll let you know if it's worth the see, which something tells me it will be.
Count_Orlok_22
March 30, 2009
I just saw the film last night and I enjoyed it, but it left something to be desired. Though the animation was great, the screenplay deviated from the book quite abit and took away some of Coraline's more exciting exploits from the book. Still, it's worth seeing on the big screen if you get the chance.
arichards
April 01, 2009
I'm looking out for it - so far, no go :(
Count_Orlok_22
April 14, 2009
It'll probably be on DVD before you get it. In my mind it's a rental, rather than a must-have. Unless it's in 3D on the DVD, in which case it would be a bit more novel (no pun intended).
arichards
April 15, 2009
I'm sure I'll get it eventually, one way or the other
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More Coraline (novel) reviews
Click here to read the book quotes. Click here to read the Quick Tip. "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. Chesterton Coraline is one of the most unique children's books I have read in a long time. It's a quick read but what it lacks in length it makes up with … more
Comments (40)
Compliments (344)
a totally twisted movie the animation and story were so freaking weird i fell in love with it automatically. i read the book after watching the movie and i liked it just as much.
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Compliment
Click here to read the book review. Click here to read the book quotes. A rather quirky and unusual children's book. It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland purely because Coraline travels to another "world." It was darker than the children's books I read as a child, but appropriate for a younger audience, especially if they want to read a horror/fantasy genre.
Comments (4)
Compliments (6)
Coraline is really creepy. Sad they made it for children.
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Compliments (1)
haha i stole this book from my teacher when i was in 5th grade. because i was grounded and figured it would give me something to do. i finished it in less than 3 hours, and immediately made my younger sister read it too. the button eyes, and dark version of reality that coraline goes into every night is just amazing. i think neil gaiman is my favorite visual author because he painted such a good picture in just this book.
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Compliment
this book is Weird! but kinda cool, in a creepy way
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Compliment
Charming dark children's novel.
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Compliment
Quick Tip by Bethany_Halligan.
June 22, 2010
creepy. but good
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Compliment
Quick Tip by Kaila7077.
June 15, 2010
Cute but creepy book.
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Compliment
Very good!
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Compliment
About the reviewer
Amanda Richards (arichards)
I write reviews for a hobby. Most of my reviews are short and to the point, on account of my short attention span. I try to make my reviews both informative and entertaining, and sometimes I succeed. … more
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About this book
Coraline is a fantasy/horror novella by British author Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. It has been compared to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland because of its surrealism and plot based on an alternate-reality, and has been adapted into a 2009 stop-motion film directed by Henry Selick.
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ISBN-10:
0380977788
ISBN-13:
9780380977789
Author:
Neil Gaiman,
Dave McKean
Genre:
Children's Literature,
Fantasy,
Dark Fantasy,
Light Horror,
Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher:
HarperCollins,
Bloomsbury Books
Date Published:
2002
ISBN:
0380977788
Format:
Hardcover (first edition)
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