Little Nobody Owens is quite a normal boy - except that he's being raised and educated on a graveyard, by ghosts.

Newberry-winning masterpiece by Neil Gaiman, dark, funny, scary, what else do we want?

With illustrations by Chris Riddell (so yes, this is the children's edition, it was cheapest)



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As this is a Gaiman book, please DON'T release it but return it to me after reading!

Viel Spaß beim Lesen!
Und schicks noch nicht so schnell zurück, ich schau mal, obs noch wer haben mag. :-)

Ein Ring!
Der aber ganz entspannt losreist, wenn die liebe Nat damit durch ist. :-)

faerie-glen
Annieselan
Urla
Wasserfall
Qantaqa
delfinnetti
sternenwolf
eochaine
komma
...
und last but not least: Tiamat-muc

Stand: 29.6.09

Lag schon letzten Monat NICHT in meinem Briefkasten (weil Päckchen da immer so schlecht reinpassen). Da da aber noch die Info war, es sei noch nicht verringt, habe ich (natürlich) zuerst den GRRM angefangen, und der ist gerade auf der Hälfte...
Aber dann lese ich den werten Herrn Gaiman eben direkt anschließend.
Habe dann ewig verpeilt, die BCID mit ins I-et-Café zu nehmen, aber hier ist dann doch ENDLICH der JE.

I read most of this book in bed, maybe even all of it.
I did like the world as such rather a lot, as well as Bod's adventures - well, most anyway. I think the ghoul story was okay, but I could have done without it also. I especially liked everything (and I mean everything) about Liza and the story about Bod at school. I also like the concept of having scenes with Bod at different ages, so you can follow his development.
What didn't really satisfy me was the whole story about the man Jack and his like. Why are they talking about their acts of charity all the time during their gathering? What are they, when it comes down to that? What's their order there for?
And, as the reason why they want Bod dead is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, how do they know it has to be Bod, or, at least, have known for ages that the boy in question would be someone from the Dorian family? For me, there's something missing here, and I don't like that. And what makes those Jacks so evil that they have to be completely eradicated? I don't like them much, and, of course, they're a danger to Bod somehow, but I don't see a reason to just kill them all and sacrifice one's existence for their annihilation, like Miss Lupescu does. The information about Silas etc. also feels a bit... incomplete to me.
Still reading about Bod going away left me with tears in my eyes.

Arrived safely yesterday but our computer monitor was broken so I couldn´t use the PC for two days. I´m really looking forward to read this book!

I really liked the book, though the beginning startled me a lot. To read about a family getting killed by a mysterious man who doesn´t even care about killing children always gives me the creeps.
The graveyard community was interesting, though I would´ve love to read more about Bod´s childhood and the problems Mr. and Mrs. Owens had in raising him. This part was skipped but it would´ve interested me a lot. My favourite person was Liza and I liked all the scenes Liza had with Bod. She was quite cool.
The development of Bod was interesting, but for my opinion it went all onward to fast. I would´ve skipped the Ghoul-part of the story instead, because it was much to long.
At the end, I was crying when Bod left his family & friends. But I´m not totally satisfied with the story, because Silas´ part also seemed incomplete to me and the Jack of all Trades part also. It didn´t understand it...

My opinion:
a good read, but Gaiman could´ve done better with this very unique idea.

Edith says on June 2nd: Wasserfall doesn´t answer the PMs and Quantaqa has to many Bookrings piled up, so she wants to join later. I´m asking Urla for her adress now. Sorry for the delay!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Seit heute auf dem Weg zu Urla!

The book arrived save and well, thank you very much. I have several rings and rays here, so it can take a while. Sorry!

I love Gaiman's writing, I really do. The worlds he creates, his characters, his concepts ... they are all so wonderful, so charming and somehow so true. And as always I want to read more! More about Silas, the Honour Guard and the Jacks of all Trades. Back to the writing table Mr Gaiman!!!

Find a more detailed review in my blog (German only).

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Wasserfall.

Arrived today.

Well, this is a wonderful book: funny, intelligent and with a really unique story. But I also have to admit, that some parts are missing. I would have liked to read more about the organisation of Jacks and the function of the honourguard. But contrary to the others, I think the story about ghouls is important for the book: it gives the hint, that there are many more options than only the living and the dead, shows the real nature of Mrs. Lupescu and helps Bod in the end to deal with the Jacks. And it made my mind produce relly cool pictures ;-)

I've already asked for the next adress, so the book can travel on today.

Arrived safely today - at the same time as another bookring, as always :). Thanks a lot! I'm really looking forward to reading it.

EDIT:
I can't put my finger on it, but this wasn't really my cup of tea. I very much enjoyed the part when Nobody was a small child and I would have liked to read more about his childhood... but that obviously wasn't the sole reason. I guess it just wasn't my genre of book...
But thanks a lot for sharing!

The book arrived here the day bevor yesterday save and sound. Thank you very much for mailing it and for the ring itself! I´m afraid at the moment it´s third in line on (slowly building up again) Mount Ring ;-) I´ll get to it as soon as possilble.

Edit 27.10.2009:
I started to read the book yesterday and by now I´m half way through with it. This is better than "Stardust" and "Neverwhere" because it is more suspensefull than "Stardust" and the main character is more likeable than the main characters of "Neverwhere"! I´m very interested in how the story will continue especally to find out more about Silas. The ideas for this world remind me somewhat of Terry Pratchetts "Johnny and the Dead" while the story and the characters are different.

Edit 28.10.2009:
Wow! I just finished the book. It is beautifull and moving and bit eerie like fairy-tales in their original meaning. I just loved this book and will get a copy of my own! I really REALLY wish Mr. Gaiman would write again about this world! REALLY! I would like to know more about Silas and the Honour Guard. Silas is my favourite charakter in the book, but I liked Bod a lot, too. I don´t think there will be anything more about him, though I would not mind if there were - I would read it right away! I just loved this world. Where I was somewhat disapointed in the other book of Mr. Gaiman I just loved this one! The only way this could have been better was, if it had been longer!
Spoiler in white - mark to read:
I didn´t get it - WHAT is Silas? At the beginning I was considering vampire, but that don´t seems to be what he is. Was that point left open or did I miss something? I think the end was the only "good" end that fitted the story - a perfect "happy-end" á la "...and he fell in love with Scarlett and they lived happily ever after" would not have done! The Gray Lady was interesting, too! Is there some sort of reference book for celtic myth where I could read up upon some of these reacurring themes? I read about some in Terry Pratchetts book, in the Fionavar Tapestry, in several other Fantasy books and now here... Gives me the idea I shoul find out what is behind all that...

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is travelling to the next station, where it is eagerly awaited. Thank you very much for this wonderfull ring! I will get a copy of my own - it was that good!

Arrived well today! Thanks for sending!
It's the next on mein Mt. TBR and I'm really looking forward to read it.

Oh what a wonderful read! I liked this book very much, but it was (as all the Gaiman-books I've read so far) certainly too short... :)
The story and the characters are interessting and adorable, the bad are creepy and... defenitly ehm... bad. That's how a story should be. I can't stop reading and whishing it will never end and I could read more and more about the graveyard, its inhabitants, Silas, the Owens', Liza and Nobody...
Well, perhabs Mr. Gaiman is going to write another book, which concludes the graveyard or one of the characters out of this book...

Thanks for sharing this great book.
Asked for the next adress and send it on it's way a soon as possible!

reached me a few days ago - thanks a lot! I will be starting soon

update:
what a wonderful book, although slightly sad at the end. A great read

I have start reading this wonderful book.

Wonderful, full of surprises and adventures, full of the death and of hope for the living and this book makes graveyards wondeful places.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book travels to Tiamat-muc, enjoy it.

Erster Werktag, erster Ring (c:

9.1.10
And I enjoyed it! I love Gaimans explanation of the werewolves. Hound of God is much more the way I like to see them. Silas is of course a vampire - what else? No reflexions, dried earth to sleep in, a nightwalker,... One of my favourite phrases was: "It's only death. I mean, all of my best friends are dead." And the end is just right for this story - there can't be a happy end, where there is no real beginning. Bods life just starts at the end of the book.

Gaiman is a terrific writer and I will propose "The Graveyard Book" as common read in the english class of my niece, when she's a bit older.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Soeben persönlich in den Briefkasten geliefert - vielen Dank für den tollen Ring!!!

So, Bod ist wieder sicher zuhause und darf sich ausruhen.

Vielen lieben Dank an euch alle, dass ihr so fürsorglich und zuverlässig mit dem Buch umgegangen seid!

(Und danke auch für die Melange, tiamat ^^)