“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
I was almost sceptical about this book because of it being a children's book, a genre that I can't seem to enjoy much lately. However, Coraline was a pleasant surprise. It was not because the plot blew me away. There wasn't much of a shock value to it. However, the story worked well with the atmosphere of the book. It has Neil Gaiman's trademark humour and simplistic writing style along with badass characters who leave a lasting impression on you.
In this story, Coraline and her family move to a new flat. As soon as she moves there, her explorer instincts start working and she discovers a locked door in the dining room and finds a brick wall upon opening it. When she tries again a second time, she is surprised to find a corridor at the end of which she finds a flat resembling her own. In this other world, she meets her "other parents" who are a perfect version of her own parents, i.e., attentive to her every need. They even look alike - with the exception of their button-like eyes. However, Coraline is able to see through the charming facade and realises that they mean to keep her as their own child forever. She manages to escape and returns to her actual flat only to discover that her real parents are trapped in a mirror and that she must go back to the other world in order to rescue them. And there begins her adventure in the "other world" as she tries to rescue her parents while trying to keep herself from falling for the evil traps of her "other mother". As the plot progresses, the book gets creepier and you're drawn into this intense suspense where you're trying to figure out whether Coraline will be successful or not. As a reader, you feel engaged to the events occurring in the book. For example - when Coraline gets locked in a dark room, you can almost feel her fear in anticipation of what she might find there.
Apart from that, Coraline is filled with fascinating characters. Coraline's character is almost nostalgic as she reminds you of your childhood, when the world was fascinating and full of wonder and when moving to a new place meant exploring every nook and cranny with almost as much enthusiasm as a pirate in search of a lost treasure. Her natural curiosity and quick wit makes her a fascinating character to read about. That, combined with the plot and the way she deals with the situations she finds herself in, makes her a truly unforgettable character. She exhibits a level of maturity that most adults strive to achieve. For example, this is what she says when her "other mother" tries to lure her by providing her with everything that she could ever want -
“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?”
One might argue that most children of her age do not have the maturity to understand this and that it is an unrealistic portrayal of kids of her age. However, I personally think that Coraline is a great role model for the impressionable children who are the targeted audience of the book. In fact, even adults can learn a lot from her.
So, in conclusion, Coraline is a short but wonderfully dark and creepy book that will genuinely end up surprising you. There is also a movie adaptation which I've heard is almost as good as the book (which you can check out if you still feel unsure about the book).
I was almost sceptical about this book because of it being a children's book, a genre that I can't seem to enjoy much lately. However, Coraline was a pleasant surprise. It was not because the plot blew me away. There wasn't much of a shock value to it. However, the story worked well with the atmosphere of the book. It has Neil Gaiman's trademark humour and simplistic writing style along with badass characters who leave a lasting impression on you.
In this story, Coraline and her family move to a new flat. As soon as she moves there, her explorer instincts start working and she discovers a locked door in the dining room and finds a brick wall upon opening it. When she tries again a second time, she is surprised to find a corridor at the end of which she finds a flat resembling her own. In this other world, she meets her "other parents" who are a perfect version of her own parents, i.e., attentive to her every need. They even look alike - with the exception of their button-like eyes. However, Coraline is able to see through the charming facade and realises that they mean to keep her as their own child forever. She manages to escape and returns to her actual flat only to discover that her real parents are trapped in a mirror and that she must go back to the other world in order to rescue them. And there begins her adventure in the "other world" as she tries to rescue her parents while trying to keep herself from falling for the evil traps of her "other mother". As the plot progresses, the book gets creepier and you're drawn into this intense suspense where you're trying to figure out whether Coraline will be successful or not. As a reader, you feel engaged to the events occurring in the book. For example - when Coraline gets locked in a dark room, you can almost feel her fear in anticipation of what she might find there.
Apart from that, Coraline is filled with fascinating characters. Coraline's character is almost nostalgic as she reminds you of your childhood, when the world was fascinating and full of wonder and when moving to a new place meant exploring every nook and cranny with almost as much enthusiasm as a pirate in search of a lost treasure. Her natural curiosity and quick wit makes her a fascinating character to read about. That, combined with the plot and the way she deals with the situations she finds herself in, makes her a truly unforgettable character. She exhibits a level of maturity that most adults strive to achieve. For example, this is what she says when her "other mother" tries to lure her by providing her with everything that she could ever want -
“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?”
One might argue that most children of her age do not have the maturity to understand this and that it is an unrealistic portrayal of kids of her age. However, I personally think that Coraline is a great role model for the impressionable children who are the targeted audience of the book. In fact, even adults can learn a lot from her.
So, in conclusion, Coraline is a short but wonderfully dark and creepy book that will genuinely end up surprising you. There is also a movie adaptation which I've heard is almost as good as the book (which you can check out if you still feel unsure about the book).
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