• Author: Neil Gaiman
• ISBN: 9780061649691

The above ISBN is for the paperback edition, but I listened to the audiobook I checked out from the library.

When I saw the movie “Coraline” a couple years ago, I had no idea it was an adaptation of a book by Neil Gaiman.  I had only read his Sandman comics and American Gods by that point.  I love the comics, and I enjoyed Coraline as a movie, but I was disappointed in American Gods.  So, when I did find out about Coraline, I added it to my “check it out from the library” list.  I didn’t want to waste money on Coraline on the off chance that I would be just as disappointed in it as I was with American Gods, no matter how much I liked the movie adaptation.

An older audiobook version, narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, was available at my library, so I decided to listen to it during October when I read scary, creepy, and dark books.  I’m fairly sure I enjoyed Coraline more by listening to the audiobook a bit each day on my way to and from class.  It’s relatively short, and being a Middle-Grade book, I would have easily finished it in an afternoon had I read it instead of listening.  I don’t think the story would have been as wonderful if I had sped through it.  I also don’t think I would have gotten as much out of it if I had read it, but my opinion might be different if it were a graphic novel.  I don’t know why, but I often feel Neil Gaiman’s writing is missing something in novel format that isn’t lacking in the comics, but I also don’t know what that something is.

Coraline had that something, at least in the audiobook version, so I’m not giving up.  My next Neil Gaiman book will be The Graveyard Book, but I own the paperback edition, so I guess we’ll see.  Regardless, I recommend listening to the author narrated audiobook of Coraline.