Further Reading and Viewing

This is the only book by Neil Gaiman that I have ever read, but many of my friends have recommended his book American Gods which follows modern day superheroes. He is most famous for his comic books called The Sandman, and there are several of those. I also have heard that his book Stardust is pretty fabulous. I saw the movie adaptation and was most amused by Robert Deniro's portrayal of an unconventional pirate and the unique storyline about a hero in pursuit of his true identity.

Most of Neil Gaiman's books are sort of bizarre and scary, so I would recommend Stephen King's books as well as the movies directed by Tim Burton.

I have also heard that there is going to be a movie done of this book. I plan to check it out and report back on the movie's progress. Of course I could be behind, and the movie has already been released.

Summary of Coraline.

Coraline is a book by Neil Gaiman. In the book, a young girl named Coraline has moved into an unsual house that has been divided into several flats. Most of the neighbors are quite peculiar. The two ladies downstairs are obsessed with their past as stage actresses and the man upstairs has a pet rat which he speaks to as if it understands. One day Coraline discovers that this new apartment has a door that leads to nowhere. Her mother opens the door and behind the door is nothing but a brick wall.

Coraline's mother leaves the door unlocked, thinking that nothing bad can happen. The next day, Coraline comes to the door to discover that now it leads down a dark hallway. She goes through and finds herself in an alternate reality. In this new reality, she has a new family called "the other mother" and "the other father." They are sinister beings with buttons for eyes and sharp teeth. They want Coraline to stay with them forever.

At first Coraline does not think that this new family is anything to be scared of. They make better food and allow her to do what she wishes. But a talking cat assures her that she should not be so complacent. She soon discovers that this "other" family is frightening. The "other mother" has kidnapped several children and trapped their souls into objects. She has also abducted Coraline's real parents. Coraline aggrees to stay with the "other mother" if she cannot release the trapped children and her parents from their prisons.

SPOILER ALERT: Keep reading at your own risk.

Once Coraline agrees to the bargain she and the talking cat search this new universe. Now that she knows the "other mother" has ill intentions, Coraline sees this new place for what it is. The man upstairs has thousands of talking rats that hunt Coraline. The ladies downstairs have horrible creatures that threaten to kill her. She searches for the souls of the children and finds them trapped in marbles. Once she has them, the only other thing she must do is release her parents from a snow globe in which "the other mother" has trapped them.

Coraline is a successful hero and she returns back to her normal, blissfully boring life.