When Coraline moves with her parents to a new house she is fascinated by the fact that their 'house' is in fact only half a house! Divided into flats years before, there is a brick wall behind a door where once there was a corridor and one day it is corridor again, down which the intrepid Coraline wanders. And so a nightmare-ish mystery begins that takes Coraline into the arms of counterfeit parents and a life that isn't quite right. Can Coraline get out? Can she find her real parents? Will life ever be the same again? "I think this book will nudge "Alice In Wonderland" out of its niche at last. It is the most splendidly original, weird, and frightening book I have read, and yet full of things children will love." - Diana Wynne Jones. "This book will send a shiver down your spine, out through your shoes and into a taxi to the airport. It has the delicate horror of the finest fairy tales, and it is a masterpiece. And you will never think about buttons in quite the same way again." - Terry Pratchett.
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Amazon Review
Despite being mostly known for his fantastical graphic novels and adult fiction, Neil Gaiman's first book for children is everything that you would expect from such a massive imagination as his. It's special and wonderful and very weird indeed. Described by some as the new Alice in Wonderland, Coraline is actually more bizarre than that, much more frightening and its modest length definitely adds to the book's undiluted potency.
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.
Her attempted escape from this nightmare alternative reality sees Coraline experience a chilling series of ever more bizarre encounters. Some are plainly odd, others disturbingly spooky and together they combine to form an immensely readable story. It's like all the best bits of the Goosebumps books condensed into 160 pages. A unique reading experience guaranteed. (Ages 10 and over)--John McLay
Review
"it blew my mind. ... I've since re-read the novel and it's even better than I remembered." -- The Times Educational Supplement, Adele Geras, August 2nd 2002
"it reads like Alice in Wonderland crossed with Stephen King." -- Independent on Sunday 30th June 2002
"this is a marvellously strange and scary book. ...Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, rise to your feet and applaud: 'Coraline' is the real thing." -- Philip Pullman, The Guardian, 31st August 2002
"it reads like Alice in Wonderland crossed with Stephen King." -- Independent on Sunday 30th June 2002
"this is a marvellously strange and scary book. ...Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, rise to your feet and applaud: 'Coraline' is the real thing." -- Philip Pullman, The Guardian, 31st August 2002
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I discovered this book a little over four years ago. It was the first Gaimain novel I had come across, and remains--despite my delving into the fascinating depths of Neverwhere's London Below, the dangerous beauty of Stardust's Faerie and all the rest--my absolute favourite of all his works. His clear, unconvuluted style is really allowed to shine through here as this story is primarily for children, giving a wonderfully bleak, chilly feel. Also, Gaiman's masterful tendency of leaving much unexplained and not feeling the need to rationalise the extraordinary is, no doubt one that will appeal to children greatly.
Admittedly, the basic idea of a 'Looking-Glass' world is not original, but the intricacies of the storyline certainly are. This novel has that feel that so many horror films try (and largely fail) to obtain with their demonic children and evil dollies; Coraline is awash with a kind of twisted innocence that is infinitely eerie.
Black buttons have ever since made me edgy.
Admittedly, the basic idea of a 'Looking-Glass' world is not original, but the intricacies of the storyline certainly are. This novel has that feel that so many horror films try (and largely fail) to obtain with their demonic children and evil dollies; Coraline is awash with a kind of twisted innocence that is infinitely eerie.
Black buttons have ever since made me edgy.
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was attracted by the amazing artwork on the cover of this book, but was totally unprepared for the surprise inside. It is a pleasure to read out loud and was chosen as a bedtime story for our 8 year old child. OOps - very scary indeed, talking animals, rats singing cautionary tales, haughty cats, an impossibly long key, souls of dead children, the truth seen through a stone with a hole in it...... a girl trapped in a parallel world unable to leave until she rescues her parents.... The Other Mother and Father with large black buttons sewn on their eyelids, waiting to stitch up Coralines eyes..... I'm such a fan, can't you tell. Anyway, some clever person has bought the film rights and I can't wait. There's also a great website.. mousecircus.com Look out for and click on the rats when they scurry over the page, they will sing their chilling song for you. Enjoy if you dare.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have often thought that the closest surviving cousin to horror writing is children’s literature - and if I ever need to site an example of that then this book is almost perfect. And in spite of its nominally ‘children’s book’ sort of style it remains one of the finest true horror tales I have seen in a long time, with roots completely within the fractured modern type of writing of people like Ramsey Campbell or Clive Barker. In a sense it takes the old story of Alice Through the Looking Glass and follows it a good few more steps into the darkness. It tells of a young girl who finds herself going through a strange door in her house, through what is usually just a bricked up doorway, to find herself in a strange world, not a physical mirror but a psychological one. There she encounters her ‘other mother’ – a seriously terrifying character with big black buttons for eyes – who professes nothing but the greatest love for her – nothing but the desire to make her enjoy life . . .
So it seems. But it doesn’t take long for the vague uneasiness to develop into something quite extraordinary.
Coraline is a remarkable story of doorways and monsters and games played out in extraordinary surreal surroundings. A tale where the logic of dreams rules everything and where the most irrational things make complete sense. The fine thing about books like this – about this particular kind of dreamlike, irrational nightmare – is that they possess the power to lift you up a bit from all the banal moralisation and frustrations by confronting you with something truly timeless and timelessly significant. It works almost at the same level as the old myths and legends of fantastic battles with impossible creatures but here in a completely modern way. The result is always strangely life-affirming. I think that this is one of the key features of true supernatural/surreal horror writing of this particular kind – the way that it can, while undeniably painting a picture of a lot that is horrible and monstrous and exploring to the limit the dark side of the mind, it will at the same time reaffirm your love for the world and perhaps cure the bitterness – at least for a while. A writer less connected with the deep traditions of the horror tale than Neil Gaiman might quite easily have turned the idea into some sort of indictment of Coraline’s real parents or the grey word around her – some sort of social criticism or allegorical ‘warning’. But instead we find ourselves, as the book progresses, actually coming to love these mediocre people warts and all along with her. And warts and all affection sometimes seems to be alarmingly rare.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kids loved it!!
Quotes from the kids .....
"scary and exciting in the same way so that you want to read more."
"Caroline was a bit frightening and a bit happy"
"scary and exciting in the same way so that you want to read more."
"Caroline was a bit frightening and a bit happy"
Published 7 days ago by A L Healy
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good, dark kids book - also great for grown-ups!
Another Gaiman classic, looking beyond the surface of the world and behind folklore and fairy stories. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Chris Franklin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
I read this so that I would know if it would suit a reluctant reader. It is like walking into a parallel universe where everything has a nightmare quality about it. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Delta Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Still love this book! Anything by Gaiman is brilliant of course, and this is no execption. These are the types of books I would read to my children (If I had any) but also a good... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Scott Sanders
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable
Seeing this is predominately a children's book, I really enjoyed it.
For a child, this book would be scary and spine tingling and gripping for them. Read more
For a child, this book would be scary and spine tingling and gripping for them. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Amethyst Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coralline
I hadn't read this before but I did see the film & I like Gaiman so I downloaded this. It did not disappoint.
Published 1 month ago by V. M. Finnegan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Story
What an excellent little tale this is; gripping and just the right side of scary... if only I had children to read it to! Well done, Mr. Gaiman.
Published 1 month ago by TMLS
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really enjoyable read
I'd already seen the animated film a couple of times but this did not detract from my enjoyment of this tale.
Published 1 month ago by sledgey
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
Not exactly like the film but a great read for kids. Would read more that the author has done. Hope you enjoy
Published 1 month ago by M. Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the film
Even though I'm a grown up I absolutely loved this book. Although the film adds characters in the book you don't need extra characters. Really enjoyed it, it fun to read
Published 2 months ago by genevieve1888
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