The Graveyard Book

I loved this

Not written a review of any other audiobooks on here but this was a great adults fairytale and read in a lovely way just like someone reading you a bed time story. I am new to Neil Gaiman and am already a huge fan. I would listen to this one again and again.

52 of 54 people found this review helpful

Another 5 star book by Gaimen

What made the experience of listening to The Graveyard Book the most enjoyable?

Gaiman's quirky imagination, evocative writing and great narration made this a brilliant listen. His characters are engaging and the music score really pulls the whole thing together. I loved how each chapter was a separate story following Bod from a young boy to a teenager.

What other book might you compare The Graveyard Book to, and why?

This is more reminiscent of Gaiman's Good Omens (which he co-wrote with the amazing Terry Pratchett) or The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. It is a children's book but I personally prefer his books for younger readers as they can equally be enjoyed by adults but have less darkness and more humor than more well known books like Neverwhere.

What does Neil Gaiman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Gaiman is a really good narrator. He was shortlisted for Audible's narrator of the year in 2013 and this book will show you why. His understanding of the story and ability to give voice to his characters, brings the whole thing to life exactly as the author intend. Combined with the music score, Gaiman's narration really creates an atmospheric performance.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are both funny and sad scenes in this book but despite some very bad things happening to the hero there is a lot more cheer and optimism than sadness in it, which is how I prefer a book.

Any additional comments?

This is one of those books I just couldn't stop listening too, it's beautifully narrated and imagined and I will defiantly be listening to it again.

22 of 23 people found this review helpful

Excellent

I wasn't 100% sure that this book would appeal to me, but I'm glad I bought it. Excellent story and the reading by Neil Gaiman was also excellent and added to the story. One of the best books I read/listened to this year!

32 of 35 people found this review helpful

Magical

Don't be put off by the 'young adult' tag; it's a very long time since anyone called me that but I loved this book. It has a magical atmosphere, combining the fantastical with a lovingly authentic evocation of an ordinary English town, cold chips, buses, rain and all. Crucially, for an audio book, the narrator (Neil Gaiman himself)is a wonderful reader. He also sounds uncannily like Alan Rickman, which is high praise indeed. Strongly recommended.

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

fab book neil, but why the loud music???

Would you consider the audio edition of The Graveyard Book to be better than the print version?

no!! the music separating the chapters/parts is unbearable, too loud and too intrusive. shame because neil reads so well.

Did Neil Gaiman do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

absolutely! when you read like him you don't need to put on funny voices.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Delightful tale wonderfully narrated

This is a delightful adult fairytale beautifully narrated. I loved the gothic style, very Tim Burton-esque. A wonderful journey for the ears! Will listen to it again and again. Highly recommened.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Most entertaining audiobook I've bought so far!

What made the experience of listening to The Graveyard Book the most enjoyable?

In addition to writing a unique and interesting story, Neil Gaiman does a fantastic job narrating his book. His various voices and accents bring all his characters alive (even the ghosts!), and his detailed descriptions paint vivid pictures in the mind's eye. This book crosses over genre categories and would appeal to audiences of all ages.

What did you like best about this story?

Neil Gaiman's narration is awesome.

Which character – as performed by Neil Gaiman – was your favourite?

Bod (the protagonist) was my favorite; he is sensitive, tries to be helpful, and especially tries to understand the ways of life (and death) around him.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked all of the heart-to-heart conversations in the book between Bod and Cyrus.

Any additional comments?

I wish Neil Gaiman's book "Stardust" were available to buy through Audible. Why isn't it? It has already been recorded by the author. I would snap it up immediately!

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Fantastic!

Full of thrills, humour, mystery, and pathos, this is a wonderfully imaginative tale for everyone from 10 - 100. The author is an excellent reader (is there no end to his talents?)and there is appropriate music between chapters. All in all, a delight from start to finish and a perfect Christmas treat.

25 of 29 people found this review helpful

almost but not quite

A great story, with only one or two dissapointing bits you find in all books - but for the story itself its 5/5 - what lets this audio book down the most is the music thats overlayed onto the start of each new secion which drowns out the narator to a degree distracting your mind from the tale and onto the tune which plays for aft far to long into each section.

Also sad to say that I would have much preffered a proffesional voice artist to the author narrating his own book - I'm sure theres a certain charm to this and that he, above anybody else really has a feel for the characters, who they are and what they sound like... its just that the way its read at times is like a story being read to a small child by an adult who isnt quite used to reading stories yet and hasnt quite worked out which bits to emphasise, and other tricks of the trade.

Good book - but the music and naration slightly lets it down.

24 of 28 people found this review helpful

Perfectly scary, perfectly sad, perfectly magical.

Any additional comments?

It's a children's book but I think suitable for anyone who loves Neil Gaiman. It manages to be scary and sad but uplifting too. The language is simple enough for a child without being at all childish.

Neil Gaiman's reading is imbued with a lyrical melancholy which is absolutely right for the story. Refreshingly, he even manages a fairly creditable Glaswegian accent - bad Scottish accents seem to be a feature of the lot of the books I've listened to recently so it's good not to be jarred out of the story for the change.

It's not relevant to this review, but should they ever make a film of this, it's very clear to me that Mr Frost should be played by Reece Shearsmith.

5 stars aren't really enough for a faultless book, read faultlessly.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful