Coraline

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Neil Gaiman

Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only it's different...

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

©2002 Neil Gaiman (P)2002 HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Children's Literature, 2003
• Hugo Award Winner, Best Novella, 2003
• Nebula Award Winner, Best Novella, 2003

"An electrifyingly creepy tale likely to haunt young readers for many moons." (Publishers Weekly)
"The story is odd, strange, even slightly bizarre, but kids will hang on every word...and they will love being frightened out of their shoes. This is just right for all those requests for a scary book." (School Library Journal)
"A magnificently creepy story...for stouthearted kids who love a brush with the sinister, Coraline is spot on." (Kirkus Reviews)

better than the movie

I always enjoyed scarier stories and this is one of my favorites. I would listen to this before watching the movie

Great!

This was a great little story. Unfortunately, I watch the movie first. While the movie was great, it doesn't compared to this little book.

An Excellent, Quick Listen

Any additional comments?

I found 'Coraline' one of the better audiobooks I've listened to. I was driving from Austin to Ft Worth, which is about a 3hr drive and it was the perfect amount of time to listen to this story. Perfect for my Halloween spooky mood :). I loved the fact that the author, Neil Gaiman, was the reader. At first it was a little odd to listen to him voice a young girl, but in no time I got used to it. Gaiman knows his own story so well, and gives the performance that he wants his audiobook listeners to hear.
I was a little surprised to find that the book was really not much different from the movie! I was aware that some book fans didn't like the movie due to its "difference," but maybe those were just internet trolls, because the books is almost the exact same as the film. Minus the gardens and the Wybie character, you could say this adaptation was pretty exact. I figured the adaptation would be a lot like the book to movie adaptation of 'Stardust.'
I would highly recommend 'Coraline' to any fan of Neil Gaiman. Even though it's meant for a lot younger audience than his usual readers, the book is well worth the short amount of time it takes to listen to. And who doesn't want to listen to Gaiman's vocals for three and a half hours anyway?
Some of the best parts were the songs that Gaiman sang in between chapters. They were creepy, and really kept with the uncomfortable feel throughout the story.

good book well read

You know... I think I liked the movie more, although Gaiman is such a good reader that you can't go wrong with any version where he's reading his own works

That said: Really thinking about it after the fact I am seriously worrying about his relationship with him mother or maybe his mother in law .... I have a feeling the other mother is his mother, while the real parents are him and his wife, and the other mother is... well you get where I'm going

first book with my nephew

this was the first book we listened to and he says it won't be the last!

So much better than the movie!

A wonderful story about a unique little girl! The story of Coraline brings the reader into a great new world full of mystery, suspense and childhood worries. Very well narrated and a must listen.

Great book.

If you could sum up Coraline in three words, what would they be?

I love everything about this book. Now, the song that pops up several times in the reading.... yeah, I could do without that. Grated on my nerves.

SPOOKY BUT INTERESTING

This was my second audiobook and I loved it. It was really interesting and really spooky as well. I also really love the songs he sang as well. I am so glad i used a credit for this because it was just wonderful. I highly recommend this audiobook. its not a really a book for young children but kids at age 9-15 will love it and adults would love it as well.

The Mice Are Tone Deaf.

I think Neil's reading of it was amazing, but the mice are tone deaf AF

Charming & fun story!

A very sweet story that included good adventures for all readers as well as a perfect performance by the author himself. I especially believe that young readers will easily find this story to be a great one. I recommend it to those will want a quick & fun read!