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)

Great Story

I absolutely love Gaiman's style kf writing what got me hooked on him was American God's and Sandman from there everytime I would see one of his works I'll read it and nothing has ever disappointed. I must admit that I saw the movie before I knew there was a book for Coraline, but as always books do so much better of a job describing more details than a movie.

I wish I had read this as a child.

This is the best children’s book I never read as a child. I loved Coraline and the entire cast of characters who make up her normal world. I feel as if I could slay dragons, and isn’t that the best kind of feeling in the world? Also, Neil Gaiman is an astonishing narrator, and I would listen to him read off the ingredients from a cereal box. Loved this entire experience.

Perfection

The fact that Neil narrates his own books is enough for me to give them all 5/5 stars. However, I also just adore this story.

So GOOD!

Between Neil Gaiman narrating this himself and the production it is absolute perfection. I love the storyline and the writing is superb as usual for Mr. Gaiman. I will be listening to this again (even as someone in their thirties, I enjoyed it so much).

AMAZING

I have listened to this book132 times and every time I still get the trill I did the first time, Neil Gaiman did a great job writing and reading this book is voices fit great for the character and it’s amazing if this book was $2000 to buy I would definitely buy it just because it’s just the best book ever

Absolutely perfect in every way!!!

I love this story so much!!! It's of adventure, a dash of good scares yet it's not too scary. A perfect scary story for the child(ren) in your life or a perfectly good book for you to listen to, especially on a rainy day. Neil Gaiman does a wonderful job narrating his wonderful story!!! It's worth multiple listens. I also, loved the music. It’s definitely a story I love a physical copy of someday. ❤❤❤❤

My Favorite Book

I have always loved the story of Coraline. Imagine my surprise when I saw that this book would be narrated by its author Neil Gaiman. This was quite the new experience and I plan on listening to the book again another day.

Loved it!

I love the movie and when I heard it was a book I had look for it. Loved everything about this book, Neil Gaiman did an amazing job. Love it 100% recommend to everyone.

Creepier than the movie

I’ve read the physical book, watched the movie, and now listened to the audio book. Neil Gaiman does a great job narrating this book, like his other performances. There aren’t too many times that there is music in the audiobook, but I didn’t care for it- a preference thing rather than it being distracting or not done well. The book is much creepier than the movie with classic Gaiman dark elements in the imagery and story. It’s a good short horror story that adults and young readers can enjoy- though I think a child younger than 7 could have nightmares.

Interesting story for all ages

Coraline is an "average" girl about nine years old, bored and grumpy, who takes her parents for granted -- until she meets her "other mother." Coraline is not a "sweet" child (boring!) but a believable character with virtues and faults. Her greatest virtue, however, is probably courage -- which will be tested in a very scary scenario!