March '09 discussion thread: The Graveyard Book

[Caryl]

Here is our discussion thread for The Graveyard Book, our March group read. As always, be cautious of reading the posts below if you haven't finished, as they may contain spoilers.

[Lisa Jo]

Hopefully I'll get this one soon. I'm #17 on the hold list, but the library has 7 copies.

[iherrera]

I just requested the book at my library, let's hope I'll get it in time to join the duscussion.

The tittle sounds great, and the genre is what I enjoy reading/watching..

[ElizabethN]

I started it yesterday morning, and read the whole thing! I read at lunch, I read on my breaks - I couldn't put it down.

The opening scene sort of freaked me out, I think partly because the family composition was so close to mine - mom, dad, older sister, baby brother. But once I got past that, it was great. I like that he didn't explicitly say that Silas is a vampire - he showed it without ever having to say it.

I do want to go read The Jungle Book now - I've seen the movie, but I suspect it's nothing like the book.

[Caryl]

I was going to post here today to see if anyone had started it yet. Glad to see it was unputdownable for you, Elizabeth! I'm starting it soon, after I finish Little Bee. I'll post here when I'm done.

[ElizabethN]

Bump - anyone else read it yet?

[Caryl]

Little Bee took a lot out of me, so I am just now getting started with The Graveyard Book. I read the first chapter last night, and wow. What a storyteller Gaiman is!

Like you said, Elizabeth, the way he slowly let us discover what Silas is was wonderful. I appreciate authors who trust their readers like this.

[jennifershepard]

I started The Graveyard Book on Friday night...and from the very first sentence, sat up and took notice. Gaiman deserved the Newbery! Good lord, can this man write. What a mad premise, and what amazingly drawn characters and setting!!

I've read the first two chapters and cannot wait to settle in to more reading tonight.

[iherrera]

I finally got the book tonight. Hopefully I'll get started after the family goes to sleep.

[Caryl]

I loved this book. My IRL book group met in March, and when they asked what I was reading, I was in the middle of this. Since I raved about it, we chose it for our next book. I think it will be a great one to discuss.

I loved how many of the chapters could work as a short story: the friendship with Scarlett, the trip through the ghoul-gate (yikes, that was scary!), dancing the Macabray, etc. Gaiman is so skilled with words; he chooses them so carefully, and there's never too little or too much. And I love his sense of humor. The poet, Nehemiah Trot, especially made me laugh. "Hola, young Bod! I hear that excitement is the master of the hour, that you fling yourself through these dominions like a comet across the firmament. What's the word, good Bod?"

What fun Gaiman must have had creating this book. I watched him read the Interlude: The Convocation chapter here, and he looks to be having a blast. See the twinkle in his eye?

He was recently on The Colbert Report. He linked to it in this journal entry. Brave man! ETA: He wrote more about the experience here.