what does the old man mean when he says he has a message from the mice that says Don't go through the door? and what do Miss Spink and Miss Forcible mean when they say she is in danger when they see her tea leaves? what kind of danger is this? 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?” LOL So funny and so true of children. I'm glad Gaiman isn't trying to make Coraline into a 'little adult.' And, now that I think about it, nor is he trying to force some kind of 'healthy eating' agenda down readers' throats. Ugh, I hate that shit. Instead, he's absolutely captured childhood with perfection.

I listened to the audiobook with the full cast production on the recommendation of a Goodreads friend. This version truly does give a theatrical feel to the story and an elevated listening experience. Thanks, Melissa ~ Bantering Books! Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones is incredibly bored in her family's new flat, so off exploring she goes! P.S. I wonder if the 'other mother' in this book was called The Beldam after La belle dame sans merci. *shrug* Something to ponder. This short story is perfect for getting out of a reading slump. The book is very short with short paragraphs and sentences to keep the action flowing. This book also had laugh-out-loud moments, and Neil Gaiman is a master of intrigue, piquing the curiosity. He has walled off passages and old keys. His character is told not to go someplace, essentially daring the reader to explore. His prose is delicious, non-pretentious, but subtly brilliant.They were astonishingly heavy - almost too heavy for a girl to lift, even using all her strength, but she managed. She didn't have any choice.

As usual after reading anything by Neil Gaiman, I'm way inspired. He's incredible across so many genres! I always leave each book wanting to be a much better storyteller and looking for which of his books to read next. This a perfect, traditional fairy * tale, with a slightly surreal twenty-first century warp. The writing is as magical as the plot. Somewhere inside her Coraline could feel a huge sob welling up. And then she stopped it, before it came out.Mr. Bobo is a retired circus performer living in the flat above Coraline's, and is commonly referred throughout the story as the "Crazy Old Man Upstairs". Over the course of the book, he claims to be training mice to perform in a mouse circus, and often brings Coraline messages from them. His Other World counterpart however, trains rats and is in fact made of rats. There are some things that are going to bother an adult reader. For example, a certain twist the location of Coraline's REAL parents will be obviously to an adult reader LONG before Coraline ever figures it out. Without being preachy, Gaiman sends all the right messages about fear and bravery, family, love etc. The writing also transported me in that magical/scary place and made me feel what Coraline feels. I was scared when she was and I felt courage when she did. All the characters where unique and interesting, helping build the plot and the atmosphere. Neil Gaiman is an equally talented narrator, he really knows how to hit the right tones to make the experience complete. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. Her other mother loves her. Wants her to stay. Stay forever. There's only one thing Coraline has to do, and her other mother promises it won't hurt at all... There are few villains that still frighten me to this day quite like the button-eyed Other Mother of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. While, sure, this is a book for younger readers, but Coraline is a terrifying little tale that even adults can take to heart and feel inspired by 9year old Coraline as she learns that being ‘ being brave didn’t mean you weren’t scared,’ as Gaiman explains in his forward, ‘ being brave meant you were scared, really scared, badly scared, and you did the right thing anyway.’ This twisted coming-of-age story examines finding oneself as well as a sense of home, made all the more sinister when evil seeks to seduce you into their grasps by playing off of your loneliness and frustrations during periods of upheaval. Gaiman has crafted a delightfully spooky modern fairy tale that is sure to charm readers of any age with his whimsical imagination, foreboding vibes and empowering moral messages, and, best of all, his sharp and witty heroine, Coraline Jones.

Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is a novella that features a young girl named Coraline who has just moved into a new house. She is intent on exploring and discovers a mysterious door that has been walled up. However, one day, the door is left ajar. What will Coraline discover on the other side of the door?I really love this 2012 edition by Bloomsbury! I love the cover, I love the illustrations inside, I just love everything about it. 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?” Rudd, David " An Eye for an 'I': Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and the Question of Identity" Children’s Literature and Education 39(3), 2008, pp.159–168 Coraline is a short but delightfully dark and creepy book that just happens to feature one of my absolute favorite characters. Is it wrong that I want to be Coraline's best friend??? Read by the author - woohoo! As much as I grumble about some of his books, there's no denying that he's absolutely fabulous to listen to - this man could read a grocery list and I'd give it a listen.