So last year I had a very simple aim, which was to read The Graveyard Book as soon as I could get my hands on it; the evidence here shows how well that went in practice!
And now we are seven or eight months further along and I have finally managed to find the time to savour this award-winning novel by one of my favourite writers properly and of course I’m kicking myself for having waited so long as, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a little gem of a masterpiece.
No need to set the plot up I suppose, but I’m going to anyway. Bod is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard when the remainder of his family is murdered; brought up by ghosts and with a guardian who is one of the undead (and I don’t think that’s a spoiler, just look at Silas on the cover and tell me what else he could be) with a witch as a friend and Miss Lupescu as an occasional governess, this is the story of how he grows up, how he learns from his friends and how he finally faces up to what happened to his family. And it’s absolutely fantastic.
I’m boringly recommending this to almost everyone I know , forcing the Book God to read it so that I have someone to talk to about it, because I read it days ago and it’s still in my head, in a good way of course. I love Silas, I love Miss Lupescu, I love the fact that whenever a new ghost is introduced they have a quote from their epitaph in brackets after their names (Dr Trefusis (1870-1926 , May He Wake To Glory), I even loved the bad guys.
I’m going to stop gushing now, but if you haven’t already read this then you must; seriously, you must.
And it contributes to my reading for The Dream King Challenge.
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July 31, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Susan
I love your review! I read it last year, and somehow left it off my list for books read!!! Enough time has lapsed that I know I will read it again, making it one of those rare books for me. Rare, and wonderful. I can hardly wait for my daughter to be 7 to read it to her – some of the themes are dark for a 6 year old, but now that we’ve had a friend die, we’re getting into life and death and spirit questions, so this book fits right in!
August 8, 2009 at 9:50 pm
The Dream King Challenge wrap-up « Bride of the Book God
[…] Novel = The Graveyard Book […]
August 14, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Carl V.
I am so pleased that Neil won the Hugo award for this book. It is indeed a little masterpiece. If you ever get a chance to listen to Neil read the audio version I highly recommend that you jump at it. I listened to it a month or so after reading the book and my was it a lovely experience.
August 15, 2009 at 1:24 pm
brideofthebookgod
Thanks for the tip, Carl, I’ll be sure to look out for that!