What do you think?
Rate this book
Coraline and Other Stories
When Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door and into another house just like her own - except that things aren't quite as they seem. There's another mother and another father in this house and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home ... but will she escape and will life ever be the same again?
Elsewhere in this collection, a sinister jack-in-the-box haunts the lives of the children who ever owned it, a stray cat does nightly battle to protect his adopted family, and a boy raised in a graveyard confronts the much more troubled world of the living. From the scary to the whimsical, the fantastical to the humorous, Coraline & Other Stories is a journey into the dark, magical world of Neil Gaiman.
All other stories in this collection beside Coraline were originally published as M is for Magic.
Elsewhere in this collection, a sinister jack-in-the-box haunts the lives of the children who ever owned it, a stray cat does nightly battle to protect his adopted family, and a boy raised in a graveyard confronts the much more troubled world of the living. From the scary to the whimsical, the fantastical to the humorous, Coraline & Other Stories is a journey into the dark, magical world of Neil Gaiman.
All other stories in this collection beside Coraline were originally published as M is for Magic.
278 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2009
80 people are currently reading
2218 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
July 4, 2020
"Coraline" is an important book to me. I'm not sure what it is that gets to me so much, but there is something about that brave little girl that moves me every time. At first glance, this is a spooky story about a girl who has to fight off a particularly scary version of her mother, but really, it's a story about bravery, about learning to deal with things that frighten you and standing up to them. It's an important lesson to learn, and we can all use a little reminder from time to time.
Coraline and her parents move into a flat in a big old house with a big garden, very odd neighbors and a haughty cat. As her parents are always busy working and try to get her to stop pestering them, Coraline explores the flat and finds a strange little door that opens into a brick wall. But one day, the little door opens onto a strange corridor that leads her to a flat just like her own, where a woman who claims to be her other mother prepares her delicious food and comes up with wonderful games for her to play. While this is a lot more fun than what goes on at the real flat, the other mother says that if Coraline is to stay with her, she has to sew buttons into her eyes. Not enchanted by that idea, Coraline goes back to her own flat to discover that her real parents have vanished; the other mother has taken them away and Coraline will have to outwit her to get them back.
Gaiman's lovely prose is always a treat to me. It's like dipping shortbread cookies into hot chocolate; very British, delightfully sweet and comforting. He remembers that being a child sucks sometimes, that parents are loving but flawed creatures and that cats are aloof jerks. He also understands that being brave is not about not being scared, but rather that it's about pushing on even when you are scared.
My sister-in-law is reading "Coraline" to my nephews at bedtime right now; I didn't know this when I picked it up as my own bedtime book, but it makes me feel a little closer to them. I miss those little dudes a lot and I hope they are enjoying it as much as I did.
Coraline and her parents move into a flat in a big old house with a big garden, very odd neighbors and a haughty cat. As her parents are always busy working and try to get her to stop pestering them, Coraline explores the flat and finds a strange little door that opens into a brick wall. But one day, the little door opens onto a strange corridor that leads her to a flat just like her own, where a woman who claims to be her other mother prepares her delicious food and comes up with wonderful games for her to play. While this is a lot more fun than what goes on at the real flat, the other mother says that if Coraline is to stay with her, she has to sew buttons into her eyes. Not enchanted by that idea, Coraline goes back to her own flat to discover that her real parents have vanished; the other mother has taken them away and Coraline will have to outwit her to get them back.
Gaiman's lovely prose is always a treat to me. It's like dipping shortbread cookies into hot chocolate; very British, delightfully sweet and comforting. He remembers that being a child sucks sometimes, that parents are loving but flawed creatures and that cats are aloof jerks. He also understands that being brave is not about not being scared, but rather that it's about pushing on even when you are scared.
My sister-in-law is reading "Coraline" to my nephews at bedtime right now; I didn't know this when I picked it up as my own bedtime book, but it makes me feel a little closer to them. I miss those little dudes a lot and I hope they are enjoying it as much as I did.
November 2, 2019
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
We follow the story of a 9 year old Coraline who moves to an old Victorian house with her parents. While she explores the house, she encounters a door that leads her to an apartment just like hers and parents just like hers... except that this is Other World, these parents have buttons instead of eyes and slightly sharper teeth than it would be normal. They are her Other Mother and Other Father and they are determined to keep their ''daughter'' with them.
No one can deny that it's an extremely creepy read and I appreciated the gothic atmosphere and the utter creepiness of the Other Mother.
I'm also a huge fan of cats in literature, and Coraline's friend the black cat was a most welcome addition to the story. His witty exchanges with Coraline, his typically feline attitude and observations made him my favorite character in the book.
“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'
'Cats don't have names,' it said.
'No?' said Coraline.
'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.”
I believe that both younger and older readers will love it, and Gaiman remains one of my favorite authors who beautifully weaves creepiness into fairytales.
I'd also like to give mention to the wonderfully eerie art of Dave McKean which was the perfect addition to the book!
We follow the story of a 9 year old Coraline who moves to an old Victorian house with her parents. While she explores the house, she encounters a door that leads her to an apartment just like hers and parents just like hers... except that this is Other World, these parents have buttons instead of eyes and slightly sharper teeth than it would be normal. They are her Other Mother and Other Father and they are determined to keep their ''daughter'' with them.
No one can deny that it's an extremely creepy read and I appreciated the gothic atmosphere and the utter creepiness of the Other Mother.
I'm also a huge fan of cats in literature, and Coraline's friend the black cat was a most welcome addition to the story. His witty exchanges with Coraline, his typically feline attitude and observations made him my favorite character in the book.
“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'
'Cats don't have names,' it said.
'No?' said Coraline.
'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.”
I believe that both younger and older readers will love it, and Gaiman remains one of my favorite authors who beautifully weaves creepiness into fairytales.
I'd also like to give mention to the wonderfully eerie art of Dave McKean which was the perfect addition to the book!
September 16, 2018
☆☆☆ 3 'Creepy' Stars
I'm going to be totally honest here...if I was just rating Coraline then I probably would of given this book 5 Stars as I enjoyed that story very much. It was creepy, atmospheric, well written and I really liked the artwork. I adored the animated film but have only now gotten around to reading the story that inspired its making. I just knew I was going to love reading the original story.
What let this book down, in my opinion, was all of the other short stories that followed. I enjoyed maybe 2 other stories but when reading the rest I was looking forward to finally finishing the book. For this reason I had to knock off 2 stars...but Coraline really was great.
I'm going to be totally honest here...if I was just rating Coraline then I probably would of given this book 5 Stars as I enjoyed that story very much. It was creepy, atmospheric, well written and I really liked the artwork. I adored the animated film but have only now gotten around to reading the story that inspired its making. I just knew I was going to love reading the original story.
What let this book down, in my opinion, was all of the other short stories that followed. I enjoyed maybe 2 other stories but when reading the rest I was looking forward to finally finishing the book. For this reason I had to knock off 2 stars...but Coraline really was great.
March 18, 2018
3.5*
I love anthologies. Sometimes, I even prefer them to actual full-length novels. Combine that, with Neil Gaiman (for whom I have an inextinguishable love) and it seems to be the perfect match.
Unfortunately, this was not as an exciting read for me, as I initially expected. Even though I liked most of the stories (I mean, it's Gaiman, alright), I didn't love them. To give credit where credit is due though, all of them were particularly unique and peculiar, in true Gaiman fashion.
But let's take a look in each story separately, shall we?
Coraline (3*): this is perhaps Gaiman's most notorious short story, partly due to the (excellent in my opinion) stop-motion movie, that is very Tim Burton-esque. Young C-o-raline (not C-a-roline) moves to a new home and discovers a secret door to an other dimension where there is an other mother and an other father that do their best to please her (more than her actual parents do). What seems like a paradise though, soon enough turns into a horrible nightmare.
I must admit, I read that story years ago when I first bought the book, so I didn't bother to re-read it again (yeah, I know I cheated), but I clearly remember that I wasn't that impressed overall and I kind of prefer the movie adaptation tbh (which is very close to the book).
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds (3.5*): this is a noir retelling of popular nursery rhymes. Yes, you read that right. Little Jack Horner is a midget private eye, hired by a mysterious femme fatale, to investigate the murder of her brother, Humpty Dumpty, in the corrupt Nurseyland.
That one was really fun, but since I'm not familiar with nursery rhymes in general, I had to look them all up to actually understand the references (gods bless Wikipedia!). The ending though felt a little bit rushed, hence the lower rating.
Troll Bridge (2*): here the title is self-explanatory. A young boy encounters a troll under a bridge that wants to eat his life and makes a deal with him.
This one is one of the shortest stories in the collection and one of my least favourite ones. I just didn't care much about the story and there was nothing particularly interesting about it.
Don't Ask Jack (3*): a Jack-in-the-box that might or might not be evil/cursed.
Certainly creepy, but too short of a story to hold much substance. The shortest in the collection. Also I came to realize that Neil Gaiman looooves the name Jack (appearing also in The Witch's Headstone).
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge (3.5*): the members of a private rogue's club in a fantasy land discuss the perfect con.
This was interesting enough and quite the fun! Not much to say about it, can't complain.
October in the Chair (4*): the months of the year tell stories around a bonfire. Dedicated to Ray Bradbury.
I really enjoyed this one, even though it was quite sad. Interestingly enough, I almost instantly forgot about it. Good story though.
Chivalry (5*): an old lady finds the Holy Grail in a thrift shop and an Arthurian knight tries to retrieve it.
This one was pure perfection! I loved it to bits and felt the urge to re-read it again and again! It was so funny and light-hearted, it really made me feel warm and mushy on the inside! Kind but bossy old ladies give me life! <3
The Price (4*): a black cat protects a family from something malicious hidden deep in the woods.
I really liked this one too. It had the right amount of creepiness in it, but it was also quite sad (being a cat lover and all).
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (4*): two teenage boys end up in a party full of strange, otherworldly girls.
This story was recently been made into a movie, and a comic (which was, not so symptomatically, my first read of the year). The writing was beautiful in this, and the story was peculiar and lots of fun.
Sunbird (2*): a gastronomy club sets out on a mission to Egypt in order to hunt and then cook the mythical Sunbird.
This story was too long in my opinion, to the point where I got seriously bored and just wanted it to end already. The idea was interesting enough, along with the big plot twist, but I just didn't care from a point and on. Definitely, my least favourite of the collection.
The Witch's Headstone (4*): this story is Chapter 3 of The Graveyard Book (my favourite Neil Gaiman book so far -gotta read them all!). Young Bod goes to a perilous mission to buy a gravestone for his witchy friend.
If you haven't read The Graveyard Book yet, you should definitely do that! It's an amazing heart-warming short book, about a boy raised by ghosts, and this story is no different.
Instructions (4.5*): just a poem about the beauty and the magic of fairytales that put a smile on my face.
To conclude this review, Coraline and Other Stories was an interesting anthology. It didn't blow my mind, but it certainly was an entertaining read!
Recommended.
I love anthologies. Sometimes, I even prefer them to actual full-length novels. Combine that, with Neil Gaiman (for whom I have an inextinguishable love) and it seems to be the perfect match.
Unfortunately, this was not as an exciting read for me, as I initially expected. Even though I liked most of the stories (I mean, it's Gaiman, alright), I didn't love them. To give credit where credit is due though, all of them were particularly unique and peculiar, in true Gaiman fashion.
But let's take a look in each story separately, shall we?
Coraline (3*): this is perhaps Gaiman's most notorious short story, partly due to the (excellent in my opinion) stop-motion movie, that is very Tim Burton-esque. Young C-o-raline (not C-a-roline) moves to a new home and discovers a secret door to an other dimension where there is an other mother and an other father that do their best to please her (more than her actual parents do). What seems like a paradise though, soon enough turns into a horrible nightmare.
I must admit, I read that story years ago when I first bought the book, so I didn't bother to re-read it again (yeah, I know I cheated), but I clearly remember that I wasn't that impressed overall and I kind of prefer the movie adaptation tbh (which is very close to the book).
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds (3.5*): this is a noir retelling of popular nursery rhymes. Yes, you read that right. Little Jack Horner is a midget private eye, hired by a mysterious femme fatale, to investigate the murder of her brother, Humpty Dumpty, in the corrupt Nurseyland.
That one was really fun, but since I'm not familiar with nursery rhymes in general, I had to look them all up to actually understand the references (gods bless Wikipedia!). The ending though felt a little bit rushed, hence the lower rating.
Troll Bridge (2*): here the title is self-explanatory. A young boy encounters a troll under a bridge that wants to eat his life and makes a deal with him.
This one is one of the shortest stories in the collection and one of my least favourite ones. I just didn't care much about the story and there was nothing particularly interesting about it.
Don't Ask Jack (3*): a Jack-in-the-box that might or might not be evil/cursed.
Certainly creepy, but too short of a story to hold much substance. The shortest in the collection. Also I came to realize that Neil Gaiman looooves the name Jack (appearing also in The Witch's Headstone).
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge (3.5*): the members of a private rogue's club in a fantasy land discuss the perfect con.
This was interesting enough and quite the fun! Not much to say about it, can't complain.
October in the Chair (4*): the months of the year tell stories around a bonfire. Dedicated to Ray Bradbury.
I really enjoyed this one, even though it was quite sad. Interestingly enough, I almost instantly forgot about it. Good story though.
Chivalry (5*): an old lady finds the Holy Grail in a thrift shop and an Arthurian knight tries to retrieve it.
This one was pure perfection! I loved it to bits and felt the urge to re-read it again and again! It was so funny and light-hearted, it really made me feel warm and mushy on the inside! Kind but bossy old ladies give me life! <3
The Price (4*): a black cat protects a family from something malicious hidden deep in the woods.
I really liked this one too. It had the right amount of creepiness in it, but it was also quite sad (being a cat lover and all).
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (4*): two teenage boys end up in a party full of strange, otherworldly girls.
This story was recently been made into a movie, and a comic (which was, not so symptomatically, my first read of the year). The writing was beautiful in this, and the story was peculiar and lots of fun.
Sunbird (2*): a gastronomy club sets out on a mission to Egypt in order to hunt and then cook the mythical Sunbird.
This story was too long in my opinion, to the point where I got seriously bored and just wanted it to end already. The idea was interesting enough, along with the big plot twist, but I just didn't care from a point and on. Definitely, my least favourite of the collection.
The Witch's Headstone (4*): this story is Chapter 3 of The Graveyard Book (my favourite Neil Gaiman book so far -gotta read them all!). Young Bod goes to a perilous mission to buy a gravestone for his witchy friend.
If you haven't read The Graveyard Book yet, you should definitely do that! It's an amazing heart-warming short book, about a boy raised by ghosts, and this story is no different.
Instructions (4.5*): just a poem about the beauty and the magic of fairytales that put a smile on my face.
To conclude this review, Coraline and Other Stories was an interesting anthology. It didn't blow my mind, but it certainly was an entertaining read!
Recommended.
December 5, 2018
One of those rare cases where I actually prefer the movie to the book.
Still, 3.5 stars for Coraline, but only 2 for the rest of the short stories. They were quite disappointing and I caught myself having to force myself to read on, which I finally didn't.
If you have a choice between this book or the Coraline standalone, I wouldn't bother and just buy the standalone.
Still, 3.5 stars for Coraline, but only 2 for the rest of the short stories. They were quite disappointing and I caught myself having to force myself to read on, which I finally didn't.
If you have a choice between this book or the Coraline standalone, I wouldn't bother and just buy the standalone.
April 18, 2013
This Gaiman's short stories collection was, excluding Coraline, already published in M is for Magic.
I've already reviewed Coraline , so I'll, in quite short bits, focus here on the other stories. They all were awesome, still some were awesomer than the others :)
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds is about a midget detective in a cartoon fairyland - that idea alone would be worth a book, if not a series of books. Troll Bridge is touching story with interesting twist and message at the end - really deserves special attention. Don't Ask Jack was too short for me to feel any special connection with it, particularly because nothing much was said and developed - or I just didn't pay enough attention to it.
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge was another story set in a fairyland, yet this time about con artists. When I think about it more, the themes of these stories aren't so unusual, only the settings are, which allow them more freedom to expand, sometimes in quite unsuspecting directions.
October in the Chair had interesting idea, it was story inside the story, interesting chiefly for the way they were told, and protagonists were priceless. For that story inside, the tone was perfect - I could feel the dread and compassion for that poor boy. Really great story.
Chivalry was a quirky tale of an old woman who was refusing to give up one ornament (with capital o) mainly because it looked so cool on her mantelpiece, so one chivalrious gentleman had really hard time to discover the right price for it. This story would be brilliant plot for one Monty Python's episode.
A story about sacrifice for well-being of the other people and silent accepting of the same from these other people, The Price was quite disturbing, and I wonder does it have some other connotations... How to Talk to Girls at Parties was on the other hand quite strange story I couldn't really figure out, as if really out of my depth.
The next story in the row was stunning, Sunbird. The idea was odd in itself, but the suspense was so witty and ominous. Story was really told remarkably well. Not surprising from Gaiman though. The Witch's Headstone is my favourite story. It really deserved to be transformed into bigger one, The Graveyard Book. The last bit in the collection, Instructions was strange poem, but sounded great while I was reading it out loud.
These stories are remarkable examples of Gaiman's talent and spirit. I've already read his Sandman graphic novels and Stardust, but now I really should move on to his greater works, such as Neverwhere, Anansi Boys, American Gods and of course, The Graveyard Book. I have them all on my bookshelf, but still lack the time. I will read them, I promise!
I've already reviewed Coraline , so I'll, in quite short bits, focus here on the other stories. They all were awesome, still some were awesomer than the others :)
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds is about a midget detective in a cartoon fairyland - that idea alone would be worth a book, if not a series of books. Troll Bridge is touching story with interesting twist and message at the end - really deserves special attention. Don't Ask Jack was too short for me to feel any special connection with it, particularly because nothing much was said and developed - or I just didn't pay enough attention to it.
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge was another story set in a fairyland, yet this time about con artists. When I think about it more, the themes of these stories aren't so unusual, only the settings are, which allow them more freedom to expand, sometimes in quite unsuspecting directions.
October in the Chair had interesting idea, it was story inside the story, interesting chiefly for the way they were told, and protagonists were priceless. For that story inside, the tone was perfect - I could feel the dread and compassion for that poor boy. Really great story.
Chivalry was a quirky tale of an old woman who was refusing to give up one ornament (with capital o) mainly because it looked so cool on her mantelpiece, so one chivalrious gentleman had really hard time to discover the right price for it. This story would be brilliant plot for one Monty Python's episode.
A story about sacrifice for well-being of the other people and silent accepting of the same from these other people, The Price was quite disturbing, and I wonder does it have some other connotations... How to Talk to Girls at Parties was on the other hand quite strange story I couldn't really figure out, as if really out of my depth.
The next story in the row was stunning, Sunbird. The idea was odd in itself, but the suspense was so witty and ominous. Story was really told remarkably well. Not surprising from Gaiman though. The Witch's Headstone is my favourite story. It really deserved to be transformed into bigger one, The Graveyard Book. The last bit in the collection, Instructions was strange poem, but sounded great while I was reading it out loud.
These stories are remarkable examples of Gaiman's talent and spirit. I've already read his Sandman graphic novels and Stardust, but now I really should move on to his greater works, such as Neverwhere, Anansi Boys, American Gods and of course, The Graveyard Book. I have them all on my bookshelf, but still lack the time. I will read them, I promise!
April 22, 2013
“It is astonishing just how much of what we are can be tied to the beds we wake up in in the morning, and it is astonishing how fragile that can be.”
With a soft eccho of Alice's Wonderland, Coraline steps through a mystical door and into a surreal world where cats can talk and humans have buttons instead of eyes. Gaiman's creation of the "Other World" is both whimsical and disturbing, and it is dominated by a vague feeling of dark secrets.
Coraline is such a quirky and endearing main character and her adventurous bravery never fails. But it was her faithful companion and loyal sidekick, the black cat, that quickly turned into my favorite character. Not only is the black cat perfect for Gaiman's mythical atmosphere, it is also a lovely little creature with its wisdom, sarcasm and solitary independence.
"Coraline" is an, almost gothic, horror story for children and it managed to send shivers down my spine with its dark strangeness. It is a delightful, peculiar and disturbingly creepy story, filled with ingenious references to a large number of classic fairy-tales, along with Gaiman's own inventions. If you ever wanted a book with talking cats, faded ghosts, grotesque monsters, a mice orchestra, secret doorways and chocolate-eating dogs; this is for you.
The other stories were lovely as well even though they didn't quite measure up to "Coraline". But I did love "The Price", which is a story about a black cat defending its family. (Yes. I do have a thing for cats). "Troll Bridge" is also a wonderful story, as it is a combination of magic, human greed and simple melancholy.
With a soft eccho of Alice's Wonderland, Coraline steps through a mystical door and into a surreal world where cats can talk and humans have buttons instead of eyes. Gaiman's creation of the "Other World" is both whimsical and disturbing, and it is dominated by a vague feeling of dark secrets.
Coraline is such a quirky and endearing main character and her adventurous bravery never fails. But it was her faithful companion and loyal sidekick, the black cat, that quickly turned into my favorite character. Not only is the black cat perfect for Gaiman's mythical atmosphere, it is also a lovely little creature with its wisdom, sarcasm and solitary independence.
"Coraline" is an, almost gothic, horror story for children and it managed to send shivers down my spine with its dark strangeness. It is a delightful, peculiar and disturbingly creepy story, filled with ingenious references to a large number of classic fairy-tales, along with Gaiman's own inventions. If you ever wanted a book with talking cats, faded ghosts, grotesque monsters, a mice orchestra, secret doorways and chocolate-eating dogs; this is for you.
The other stories were lovely as well even though they didn't quite measure up to "Coraline". But I did love "The Price", which is a story about a black cat defending its family. (Yes. I do have a thing for cats). "Troll Bridge" is also a wonderful story, as it is a combination of magic, human greed and simple melancholy.
January 18, 2018
Ich bin ein Fan von Neil Gaiman und auch diese kleine Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten hat mich nicht enttäuscht.
Coraline kannte ich bisher nur als Film, aber auch das Buch hat mir gut gefallen. Der Film weicht zwar inhaltlich etwas vom Buch ab, fängt aber die gespenstische Atmosphäre von Gaimans Schreibstil sehr schön ein. Auch die anderen Geschichten haben mich durchweg überzeugt. Sie sind mal düster, mal herzerwärmend und immer spannend. Mein Favorit ist wohl "Chivalry" über eine alte Dame, die den Heiligen Gral in einem Charity Shop kauft.
Coraline kannte ich bisher nur als Film, aber auch das Buch hat mir gut gefallen. Der Film weicht zwar inhaltlich etwas vom Buch ab, fängt aber die gespenstische Atmosphäre von Gaimans Schreibstil sehr schön ein. Auch die anderen Geschichten haben mich durchweg überzeugt. Sie sind mal düster, mal herzerwärmend und immer spannend. Mein Favorit ist wohl "Chivalry" über eine alte Dame, die den Heiligen Gral in einem Charity Shop kauft.
November 15, 2023
Coraline was great. The other stories were a bit hit and miss. Some excellent - very thought provoking/spooky/weird in a good way. Others probably were quite good but I got short story fatigue quite quickly - I find the lack of continuity quite exhausting.
June 17, 2018
I really enjoyed Coraline but found the other short stories a little dull.
November 29, 2021
The book contains three stories.
I will go one by one-
1.Coraline: 4.5 stars
Almost everyone knows about this particular story. A really adventurous,brave little girl named Coraline goes exploring her new house and neighbourhood and discovers a door to some other world where she finds her almost perfect (and creepy) other parents.Then some horrible events proceed and Coraline goes through them with her bravery and smartness.
My take away from the story is that parents are flawed but they are mostly the ones who will get stung by bees like Coraline's father got only to save you.
And also,in the world where loving parents are most common,toxic parents also exist.We don’t need to go to some other dimension to find a toxic "other mother" like coraline did.There are several examples of toxic parenting just among us, we need to be brave like Coraline and face things.
2.Fortunately,the milk: 5 stars
What an excellent and clever writing.I was really blown away by the simplicity yet uniqueness of the story. It was fun and refreshing. কখনো কোথাও পৌঁছাতে দেরি হলে,এই গল্পের পোলাপাইন এর বাপের ফাঁদা গল্প বলে দেখতে পারেন। 😆
3. How to talk to girls at parties: 3 stars
Do you not understand girls? Do they sound alien to you? Haha ask Enn and Vic about their thoughts on it.
Nice plot,great start but tooo short. I wanted more. Didn’t quite get if the story was over or what.
So that's that. This is my first Gaiman.And I absolutely love it. Looking forward to reading some more Gaiman.
I will go one by one-
1.Coraline: 4.5 stars
Almost everyone knows about this particular story. A really adventurous,brave little girl named Coraline goes exploring her new house and neighbourhood and discovers a door to some other world where she finds her almost perfect (and creepy) other parents.Then some horrible events proceed and Coraline goes through them with her bravery and smartness.
My take away from the story is that parents are flawed but they are mostly the ones who will get stung by bees like Coraline's father got only to save you.
And also,in the world where loving parents are most common,toxic parents also exist.We don’t need to go to some other dimension to find a toxic "other mother" like coraline did.There are several examples of toxic parenting just among us, we need to be brave like Coraline and face things.
2.Fortunately,the milk: 5 stars
What an excellent and clever writing.I was really blown away by the simplicity yet uniqueness of the story. It was fun and refreshing. কখনো কোথাও পৌঁছাতে দেরি হলে,এই গল্পের পোলাপাইন এর বাপের ফাঁদা গল্প বলে দেখতে পারেন। 😆
3. How to talk to girls at parties: 3 stars
Do you not understand girls? Do they sound alien to you? Haha ask Enn and Vic about their thoughts on it.
Nice plot,great start but tooo short. I wanted more. Didn’t quite get if the story was over or what.
So that's that. This is my first Gaiman.And I absolutely love it. Looking forward to reading some more Gaiman.
March 16, 2019
coraline itself is 5/5 stars i loved it but the majority of the other short stories i could never read again and not care at all
July 29, 2023
coraline 4. fortunately the milk 5. How to Talk to Girls at Parties 3.
October 21, 2019
4.5
Coraline, like most of Gaiman's works, is a wonderfully dark and fantastical tale. Fantastical is a word, right?! Coraline is a pretty perfect protagonist. She's bold, attentive and determined. I warmed to her from the off. This was such an enjoyable read - perfect for children and adults alike! It's definitely worth picking up.
My edition also included an array of Gaiman's short stories. I'd read a few of them before in Smoke and Mirrors, namely: Troll Bridge, Don't Ask Jack, Chivalry and The Price. However, the rest were new to me! I really enjoyed The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds - a clever mishmashing of fairytale figures, October in the Chair and The Witch's Headstone - a short story that is actually chapter 4 of The Graveyard Book. The only one I wasn't particularly interested in was How to Sell Ponti Bridge but, nevertheless, this book has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
I just love the way in which Gaiman approaches the fantastic, and makes it entirely accessible to all. They're creepy and fun in equal measure. Perfect escapism that I'd recommend to all! I'm definitely going to pick up some more Gaiman.
View review here: http://vivatramp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/...
Coraline, like most of Gaiman's works, is a wonderfully dark and fantastical tale. Fantastical is a word, right?! Coraline is a pretty perfect protagonist. She's bold, attentive and determined. I warmed to her from the off. This was such an enjoyable read - perfect for children and adults alike! It's definitely worth picking up.
My edition also included an array of Gaiman's short stories. I'd read a few of them before in Smoke and Mirrors, namely: Troll Bridge, Don't Ask Jack, Chivalry and The Price. However, the rest were new to me! I really enjoyed The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds - a clever mishmashing of fairytale figures, October in the Chair and The Witch's Headstone - a short story that is actually chapter 4 of The Graveyard Book. The only one I wasn't particularly interested in was How to Sell Ponti Bridge but, nevertheless, this book has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
I just love the way in which Gaiman approaches the fantastic, and makes it entirely accessible to all. They're creepy and fun in equal measure. Perfect escapism that I'd recommend to all! I'm definitely going to pick up some more Gaiman.
View review here: http://vivatramp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/...
February 5, 2017
Between 3.5 and 4 stars.
Coraline is an exceptional story, and I came to it loving the movie very much. It is chilly and brave and quirky, very much like its protagonist.
The other short stories also leave their own mark and are fantastical. As per usual, Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, often leaving us with a sense of dread and disquiet. I would say perhaps that is exactly where he is at his best, except he also wrote The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is equally scary but endearing and lovely in all the best ways.
I would also like to give an honourable mention to The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, because once I understood the setting of the story, it just made me giggle. :)
Coraline is an exceptional story, and I came to it loving the movie very much. It is chilly and brave and quirky, very much like its protagonist.
The other short stories also leave their own mark and are fantastical. As per usual, Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, often leaving us with a sense of dread and disquiet. I would say perhaps that is exactly where he is at his best, except he also wrote The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is equally scary but endearing and lovely in all the best ways.
I would also like to give an honourable mention to The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, because once I understood the setting of the story, it just made me giggle. :)
March 8, 2017
I read this book to three groups of children (grades 3-5; ages 8-11 for those who follow different grade systems) during the summer as a camp bedtime story/nightmare harbinger. Through the bribe of offering to read an extra chapter on certain nights, the little ones scampered off to their bunks (more or less on the desired timeline).
In each group I also had children come up to me and tell me that the book gave them nightmares.
5/5
In each group I also had children come up to me and tell me that the book gave them nightmares.
5/5
April 14, 2019
3.5 stars for this one. I liked the short stories, some of them made me really emotional (especially 'The Price') and all of them had something wonderfully eery to them! For Coraline I thought that book and movie both are great as their own piece, but I found myself humming the soundtrack while reading. The music is just so thrilling to me.
March 7, 2021
She dreamed of black shapes that slid from place to place, avoiding the light, until they were
all gathered together under the moon. Little black shapes with little red eyes and sharp yellow teeth.
They started to sing:
We are small but we are many
We are many, we are small
We were here before you rose
We will be here when you fall
I recently worked out that I had never read Coraline and decided to do something about it. I had, of course, seen the film, so knew the story well and I thought we had a copy of the book in the house. Unfortunately my partner had taken it to school to use as a teaching aid.
A quick search later and I had found this lovely 'The Bloomsbury Phantastics" edition, with its blackened page edges, which comes bundled with a selection of some of Neil Gaiman's best short fictions. The running order, so to speak, is:
• Coraline
• The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds
• Troll Bridge
• Don’t Ask jack
• How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
• October in the Chair
• Chivalry
• The Price
• How to Talk to Girls at Parties
• Sunbird
• The Witch’s Headstone
• Instructions
I had read many of these before, in their various forms, with some having been adapted into graphic novels. This didn't, however, diminish the joy of reading them again. How to Talk to Girls at Parties, available for free on Neil's website, is a particular favourite of mine.
An enjoyable dip in and out book which I've been popping to between novels. A full 5 stars.
all gathered together under the moon. Little black shapes with little red eyes and sharp yellow teeth.
They started to sing:
We are small but we are many
We are many, we are small
We were here before you rose
We will be here when you fall
I recently worked out that I had never read Coraline and decided to do something about it. I had, of course, seen the film, so knew the story well and I thought we had a copy of the book in the house. Unfortunately my partner had taken it to school to use as a teaching aid.
A quick search later and I had found this lovely 'The Bloomsbury Phantastics" edition, with its blackened page edges, which comes bundled with a selection of some of Neil Gaiman's best short fictions. The running order, so to speak, is:
• Coraline
• The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds
• Troll Bridge
• Don’t Ask jack
• How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
• October in the Chair
• Chivalry
• The Price
• How to Talk to Girls at Parties
• Sunbird
• The Witch’s Headstone
• Instructions
I had read many of these before, in their various forms, with some having been adapted into graphic novels. This didn't, however, diminish the joy of reading them again. How to Talk to Girls at Parties, available for free on Neil's website, is a particular favourite of mine.
An enjoyable dip in and out book which I've been popping to between novels. A full 5 stars.
April 17, 2017
I didn't find much difference between this and his other books written for adults. This was scary enough and those are quite simple as well.
Nevertheless, I rather enjoyed it after I got over the fact that fantastic elements somehow just take away from the experience any given story can provide me with. I should be prepared for this, Neil Gaiman will never stick with reality as it is.
However, I think Coraline was not the strongest, only the longest story in the book.
Nevertheless, I rather enjoyed it after I got over the fact that fantastic elements somehow just take away from the experience any given story can provide me with. I should be prepared for this, Neil Gaiman will never stick with reality as it is.
However, I think Coraline was not the strongest, only the longest story in the book.
March 13, 2019
I can now attest that Coraline is one of the most accurate book to movie adaptations I've seen. Only one thing/character was added for the movie but everything else is very accurate.
Of the short stories some I loved, the knight and the old woman, the month's meeting, the troll, mafie nursery rhymes, others I didn't, the selling the bridge and the people who eat everything, and others I just didn't understand, the jack in the box comes to mind.
Of the short stories some I loved, the knight and the old woman, the month's meeting, the troll, mafie nursery rhymes, others I didn't, the selling the bridge and the people who eat everything, and others I just didn't understand, the jack in the box comes to mind.
June 27, 2019
Sooo I'd just like to add one thing here - the main story (Coraline) is a five-star story. No doubts in that at all. It's dark, twisted and ever so satisfying. However this book is made up of about fifty percent Coraline and fifty percent short stories so I have to rate it as such. Some, like How to Sell the Ponti Bridge, I really dug. However some just miss the mark with completely. I guess that is the risk of short story compilations.
August 5, 2021
this was fun! i really enjoyed coraline, but most of the short stories afterwards didn’t hit. this is my first read from gaiman and i’m worried he’s not for me - not a fan of the gimmick-y settings and premises, and i’m not completely sold by the character tropes he uses. going to give him a couple more reads before i stop trying to sell myself on his work.
March 3, 2022
Como suele ser habitual en las antologías de relatos, algunos me han gustado más que otros.
Pero Neil Gaiman posee un encanto del que pocos autores disponen. Coraline es una novela genial, y entre los relatos que la acompañan destacan para mí: The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, October in the Chair, Chivalry, The Price.
Pero Neil Gaiman posee un encanto del que pocos autores disponen. Coraline es una novela genial, y entre los relatos que la acompañan destacan para mí: The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, October in the Chair, Chivalry, The Price.
December 30, 2021
If I read it when I was little, I would have loved it! Amazing details of the fantasy of the kids. In my opinion, Coraline can teach to the kids, they can be brave even if they feel fear - of course with the lead of their parents.
March 13, 2022
I guess you'd have to be a Gaiman fan to really enjoy this one. It had one stand-out story ("The Price") but the rest were all either an excerpt or pretty predictable.
July 18, 2014
My first dip into the Gaiman universe was an enjoyable experience. Like a day at the beach – sometimes the wind will drop and the vista of the sea before you will open out to infinity. You'll settle into your chair of choice and sigh, contented. The next minute, the wind will be kicking sand into your eyes and the sun will be shooting shard of lights into your eyes from the choppy ocean.
Gaiman is like that. When he's good (which is most of the time), he's excellent, with a wry and humorous turn of phrase, a delicate touch of wit. When he's bad, he's mediocre, and doesn't do a lot for you. You shift in your seat and push on, hoping he's going to get better again.
This was a collection of eleven stories and one blank verse…
Coraline, the header of the book. An old-fashioned fairy tale, with an old-fashioned witch and a feisty heroine. Nothing new here, not really, but Gaiman spins the tale with a deft wit into an exciting and at times frightening tale. To be honest, I was more scared by Coraline's parents' indifference than by her Other Mother. Great bedtime story for kids though.
The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds This is an absolute hoot, a riot of a tale. A hard-boiled detective working the nursery rhyme beat, full of characters like Little Jack Horner and Humpty Dumpty, aka The Fat Man. Just brilliant, and I guffawed and chortled my way through it. One to read aloud, detective voice included.
Don't ask Jack The weakest and shortest story in the collection, about a malevolent toy abandoned in a toy box. Such little happens that it wasn't worth the effort.
Troll bridge A spin on the tales of trolls that live under bridges, but more about the boy (and later man) who discovers it. Since he's a jerk, we don't really care if the troll catches him or not; and since he's a jerk, the story didn't do much for me.
How to sell the Ponti bridge The oldest scam in the book – selling something that isn't yours. A twist at the end, but it isn't a particularly good twist, and doesn't lift the story above average.
October in the chair A homage to Ray Bradbury, full of strange imagery and twisting sentences. The story itself is quite weak, but the frame around the story is nice, full of seasonal atmosphere and wit.
Chivalry Another hoot of a tale. An old lady finds The Holy Grail, and refuses to part with it, even when a knight makes her better and better offers. Wonderful tale, especially the little epilogue.
The Price A family takes in stray cats, and one of them repays them. Interesting story; what was refreshing was how genre-savvy the character was. He locks the cat in the basement, and his life starts to go wrong. He releases it, and his life improves. He's smart enough (for a change for a literary character) to realise what's going on.
How to talk to girls at parties Thinking about this one again, I see where Gaiman was going with it. Talking to girls when you're a teenager is like talking to strange aliens who make no sense. In fact, I think it still is.
Sunbird Strong characters let down by an average story and so-so ending.
The witch's headstone A boy – who might or might not be dead – can see the dead and interact with them. He decides to buy a witch a headstone as a favour. Too easily resolved, this could have been stretched a little more and the characters given more depth to make it more satisfying.
Instructions A blank verse poem about going on a quest, with some cool imagery. Falls apart at the end though, like Gaiman didn't know what to do with it.
So, in the end, what do I think of my first dip into Gaiman? I liked the way he developed his characters, and his world building – sometimes in a phrase or two – was brilliant. His characters are very genre-savvy, which is energising. When the boy in "October in the Chair" meets another boy in a graveyard, he knows (as we almost instantly do) that the boy is a ghost; as when the man in "The Price" who finds that a stray cat is protecting his family when he locks it into the cellar and his life begins to break.
His endings seemed the weakest part of his writing. He seems to be aiming for twists in some of his stories, but they were laboured and obvious.
However, I think I'll be back for more Gaiman. I'm intrigued enough to continue reading!
Gaiman is like that. When he's good (which is most of the time), he's excellent, with a wry and humorous turn of phrase, a delicate touch of wit. When he's bad, he's mediocre, and doesn't do a lot for you. You shift in your seat and push on, hoping he's going to get better again.
This was a collection of eleven stories and one blank verse…
Coraline, the header of the book. An old-fashioned fairy tale, with an old-fashioned witch and a feisty heroine. Nothing new here, not really, but Gaiman spins the tale with a deft wit into an exciting and at times frightening tale. To be honest, I was more scared by Coraline's parents' indifference than by her Other Mother. Great bedtime story for kids though.
The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds This is an absolute hoot, a riot of a tale. A hard-boiled detective working the nursery rhyme beat, full of characters like Little Jack Horner and Humpty Dumpty, aka The Fat Man. Just brilliant, and I guffawed and chortled my way through it. One to read aloud, detective voice included.
Don't ask Jack The weakest and shortest story in the collection, about a malevolent toy abandoned in a toy box. Such little happens that it wasn't worth the effort.
Troll bridge A spin on the tales of trolls that live under bridges, but more about the boy (and later man) who discovers it. Since he's a jerk, we don't really care if the troll catches him or not; and since he's a jerk, the story didn't do much for me.
How to sell the Ponti bridge The oldest scam in the book – selling something that isn't yours. A twist at the end, but it isn't a particularly good twist, and doesn't lift the story above average.
October in the chair A homage to Ray Bradbury, full of strange imagery and twisting sentences. The story itself is quite weak, but the frame around the story is nice, full of seasonal atmosphere and wit.
Chivalry Another hoot of a tale. An old lady finds The Holy Grail, and refuses to part with it, even when a knight makes her better and better offers. Wonderful tale, especially the little epilogue.
The Price A family takes in stray cats, and one of them repays them. Interesting story; what was refreshing was how genre-savvy the character was. He locks the cat in the basement, and his life starts to go wrong. He releases it, and his life improves. He's smart enough (for a change for a literary character) to realise what's going on.
How to talk to girls at parties Thinking about this one again, I see where Gaiman was going with it. Talking to girls when you're a teenager is like talking to strange aliens who make no sense. In fact, I think it still is.
Sunbird Strong characters let down by an average story and so-so ending.
The witch's headstone A boy – who might or might not be dead – can see the dead and interact with them. He decides to buy a witch a headstone as a favour. Too easily resolved, this could have been stretched a little more and the characters given more depth to make it more satisfying.
Instructions A blank verse poem about going on a quest, with some cool imagery. Falls apart at the end though, like Gaiman didn't know what to do with it.
So, in the end, what do I think of my first dip into Gaiman? I liked the way he developed his characters, and his world building – sometimes in a phrase or two – was brilliant. His characters are very genre-savvy, which is energising. When the boy in "October in the Chair" meets another boy in a graveyard, he knows (as we almost instantly do) that the boy is a ghost; as when the man in "The Price" who finds that a stray cat is protecting his family when he locks it into the cellar and his life begins to break.
His endings seemed the weakest part of his writing. He seems to be aiming for twists in some of his stories, but they were laboured and obvious.
However, I think I'll be back for more Gaiman. I'm intrigued enough to continue reading!
October 23, 2023
liked the movie a bit more
July 12, 2023
4.5⭐️
I don’t know if my loving the film has impacted this reading experience but I absolutely loved Coraline. The “other stories” however were a hit or miss! Some I liked and others I genuinely skipped.
Coraline is one of those staple stories from my childhood that bring me so much joy and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to get round to the book. This is also my first Neil Gaiman and I really gelled with the writing style. It was airy and thoughtful but also solid and direct. It took me right into Coraline’s world, and the world of the “other mother”. My brain couldn’t help but play the little exploration song while I read this. 5/5⭐️
Now for the other stories… here are the ones I enjoyed!
- Troll Bridge
- Don’t Ask Jack
- October in the Chair
- Chivalry
- The Price
- How to Talk to Girls at Parties
The rest I read and disliked or started reading and skipped. Mostly because they were boring. All these stories took on elements of fairytales, whether it was characters, settings, ideas etc. which I liked. Sadly, though, I need to deduct a little half star to honour my dislike of some of the stories.
This hasn’t put me off Neil Gaiman and I’m going to pick up more of his work soon!
I don’t know if my loving the film has impacted this reading experience but I absolutely loved Coraline. The “other stories” however were a hit or miss! Some I liked and others I genuinely skipped.
Coraline is one of those staple stories from my childhood that bring me so much joy and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to get round to the book. This is also my first Neil Gaiman and I really gelled with the writing style. It was airy and thoughtful but also solid and direct. It took me right into Coraline’s world, and the world of the “other mother”. My brain couldn’t help but play the little exploration song while I read this. 5/5⭐️
Now for the other stories… here are the ones I enjoyed!
- Troll Bridge
- Don’t Ask Jack
- October in the Chair
- Chivalry
- The Price
- How to Talk to Girls at Parties
The rest I read and disliked or started reading and skipped. Mostly because they were boring. All these stories took on elements of fairytales, whether it was characters, settings, ideas etc. which I liked. Sadly, though, I need to deduct a little half star to honour my dislike of some of the stories.
This hasn’t put me off Neil Gaiman and I’m going to pick up more of his work soon!
March 19, 2011
This is a collection of Neil Gaiman eleven short stories (and one poem) repackaged for the young reader market. The novella 'Coraline' is added to Bloomsbury's earlier Gaiman collection 'M for Magic', while 'M for Magic' was itself a throwing together of disparate tales, some from the adult collection 'Smoke and Mirrors', some from other publications, all deemed suitable to send a chill down pre-teen, teen and, of course, adult readers. So, the moral is if you already have these titles in your library you may want to pass on this 'new' title.
Or then again, you might not. This is a good place to include the almost flawless 'Coraline' together with the other chillers about the fears and bogeys that haunt the childish and not so childish imagination, deliciously presented in a volume with pages that are black-edged and including Dave McKean's original nightmarish illustrations for 'Coraline'.
Outstanding are the pieces that bring horror (and sometimes humour) rather too close to home; 'Troll Bridge', 'Don't Ask Jack', 'Chivalry', 'The Price' and 'The Witch's Headstone', whether set in the UK or the States, remind the reader that the veil separating reality and the supernatural may be awfully thin. Less engaging but just as skillfully written are the more alien, fantastic or futuristic stories such as 'How to Sell the Ponti Bridge' and 'Sunbird'; these are more for those who have leanings towards genre fiction, but they are still rooted in a rich Western cultural heritage.
Gaiman is a master at bringing the unexpected to the seemingly banale; don't read this if you don't ever want to have his disturbing visions floating up to your consciousness unbidden.
Or then again, you might not. This is a good place to include the almost flawless 'Coraline' together with the other chillers about the fears and bogeys that haunt the childish and not so childish imagination, deliciously presented in a volume with pages that are black-edged and including Dave McKean's original nightmarish illustrations for 'Coraline'.
Outstanding are the pieces that bring horror (and sometimes humour) rather too close to home; 'Troll Bridge', 'Don't Ask Jack', 'Chivalry', 'The Price' and 'The Witch's Headstone', whether set in the UK or the States, remind the reader that the veil separating reality and the supernatural may be awfully thin. Less engaging but just as skillfully written are the more alien, fantastic or futuristic stories such as 'How to Sell the Ponti Bridge' and 'Sunbird'; these are more for those who have leanings towards genre fiction, but they are still rooted in a rich Western cultural heritage.
Gaiman is a master at bringing the unexpected to the seemingly banale; don't read this if you don't ever want to have his disturbing visions floating up to your consciousness unbidden.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews