Hello people of "The Wired", my name is Quan, and hey, it's actually a book review for once! Today I will be looking at the often overlooked, awesome creep-fest: Coraline. The book was first published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins, and was written by the rather delightful Neil Gaiman, who, I'm going to be honest, know mostly for his work on the TV series Doctor Who. However if you're not like me, you probably know him as the author of the delightful children's story The Graveyard Book, and the award winning tale The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, both which I intend to read at some point. Now, this is going to be a shorter review, simply for the reason that Coraline is not a very long book; it only took me an afternoon to cruise through the 150-so pages. Now let's get started.
The book opens with our main character: Coraline, a young girl who has just moved into a new house with her father and mother; a house so big that two dog-loving former actresses live downstairs, and a slightly creepy old man who likes to train rats lives upstairs. Coraline explores the gardens and such of the house at first, but quickly becomes bored, and is not amused at her parents suggestions(parents who are now so occupied with work that they have no time for Coraline) to count all the doors in the house. With nothing else better to do however, she obliges and discovers 13 ordinary, boring doors. But behind the 14th door, things finally become interesting. Because behind that door is a tunnel, and through that tunnel, Coraline discovers a mirror world, a world where everything is wonderful. There's a different mother and father, a mother who can cook wonderful meals, and they both pay attention to her, heading her every want. And while they have buttons for eyes, a fact which initially creeps Coraline out, she finds that this new world is so much more interesting, especially since the black cat who wandered around the grounds of the house in the old world now can talk here, though what the cat has to say, isn't quite what Coraline wants to hear. Slowly, Coraline begins to realize that these new parents have a keen intention to keep her in this new world; to prevent her from returning to her real parents. As the wonders turn into nightmares and the darkness closes in, Coraline will need to summon all of her courage to return to her old life, and save herself.
Now, let's be honest here, the premise of a first-wonderful alternate world hiding a dark catch, isn't exactly new, but some of the scenes Gaiman is able to conjure are so ripe with imagination and chilling creepiness, that I can almost forgive him. Besides from the premise, Coraline is probably unlike any book you've ever read; from keeping up the quick pace of the story to how it unravels all the wonders of the mirror world and shows how truly monstrous they all are. The way Gaiman describes this "unraveling" of the mirror world may be one of the best parts of the book, and some of the scenes he uses are so truly unnerving. Yes, as the book goes on, things get a little out of control in the "creepy-department", but the build-up of little unnerving moments, from the button eyes and the gradual transformation of the mirror parents, is just fantastic. My favorite example of this is in Chapter 8, when due to spoilific(totally a word) reasons, Coraline is looking for something in the kitchen, and the "other mother" is in there with her. There's the sound of dripping water, and the "other mother" is also tapping a fingernail against her button eye. Here's the line from the book: "but the other mother simply smiled, and the tap-tap-tapping of her fingernail against her eye was as steady and relentless as the drip of water droplets from the tap into the sink. And then, Coraline realized, it was simply the noise of the water, and she was alone in the room." Small things like this make me not hesitant to say this: Coraline is a sincerely creepy book. It might not be scary, per say, but it's worth a try late at night with the lights off.
My only problem with the story is that it feels really rushed; like really rushed. As I said, the book is extremely short, so you never have really time to become comfortable in this mirror world before Gaiman starts telling you, "Surprise! It's actually a nightmarish hell where Coraline could suffer a fate worse than death!" This is the biggest problem with the book, and it really takes away from everything else, turning a potentially amazing story, into just a really good one.
Coraline as a character is all right though, and just as well, because she's basically the only character that matters here, besides maybe the cat, which kind of tells the tale of the number of developed characters here. But whatever, Coraline is the important one here, and what the book should focus on, as it does. She's inquisitive to a fault(the kind of girl who opens doors that should remain closed), and seems a little a bit too reckless, but she's courageous too, and despite just being 11, finds the strength to fight the darkness closing in around her. This gives birth the her semi-famous quote "being brave is when you're scared, but you still do it anyway." That pretty much sums up Coraline as a character.
One of my only problems with her(and the book) is her narration. Now I know this is a really strange complaint, and may seem a little nit-picky, but I don't know, it just bothers me. As Coraline narrates the book, she just seems a little detached emotionally, like she's watching the story instead of actually experiencing it. She never seems to react as drastically as some-one would in her situation. I mean, right after that dripping water scene that I read above, you'd think that Coraline would shudder or gasp or something, but after she realizes the "other mother" isn't there, she just thinks, oh no, now I don't know where she is. She does have a couple really good scenes though, like that bravery quote up there, and another near the end of the book, but most of the time, she seems almost indifferent to what's happening. Maybe it's just me.
Also, guys, check out the movie. I actually think it's better the book in a lot of ways, more properly fleshing out the world and characters, and doesn't feel nearly as rushed as the book. The unnerving animation works in the narrative's favor, and bring to life both the light and dark of the story. The movie even puts in a few very effective creepy scenes of its own, though you might lose some of the ambiance of the book if you go that route. Hell, just read and watch them both.
Well with that, I'll bring this review to a close. Coraline a small gem that you really should read at some point., no matter what your age. Yes it's technically meant for kids, but screw that, Coraline is a great read no matter what you say and who you are. It's a quick, creepy, engaging tale full to the brim with imagination, and if you're ever in the mood to shudder under the covers, pick it up. You'll never look at buttons the same way again. Goodbye for now guys.
Final Verdict: 7(.5)/ 10
P.S: Guys, if someone tells you to not go through that door, don't go through the door.
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