The Graveyard Book

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Neil Gaiman

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

The original audiobook edition of the acclaimed novel, read by the author!

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, has sold more than one million copies and is the only novel ever to win both the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal.

Nobody Owens is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place - he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings - such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?

Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Carnegie Medal, the Hugo Award for best novel, the Locus Award for Young Adult novel, the American Bookseller Association's "Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book", a Horn Book Honor, and Audio Book of the Year.

©2008 Neil Gaiman (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2009
• Newbery Medal winner, 2009

Mixed results

We listened to this on a long car trip with our kids, ages 8 and 10. My wife and I LOVED it!! The author did a fantastic job with the voices, and we were sad when it ended. The kids, however, weren't able to follow the story and complained about it being on. They much prefered Lightning Thief, the other book we listened to on the trip.

Book description doesn't do it justice

This is a marvelous mix of Stardust and Ocean at the end of the Lane. I think the story was great - just enough of the supernatural that you are absolutely sure lurks under your bed (no matter how many decades you have under your belt) to be entrancing. I loved the author reading his own book and I adored Nobody Owens. All around a super listen!

Fantastic Listen

Neil Gaiman is a great writer and narrator. This book was a lot of fun. My mother (60ish) and I (30ish) listened to this on a long drive from Minnesota to Montana and we both loved it! Very entertaining.

Completely Engrossing

This was a whim of a download, and I got sucked in right away. I almost went to buy the book, since I can read it faster than I can listen to it, but the narration is so good I wanted to finish. Can't wait to get anotherh book by Mr. Gaiman.

dance of death

This might be my favorite collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. I know this is a novel, but in my opinion, each part could stand alone. It's just an added bonus that they all fit together.
Whenever I read a Neil Gaiman story, I know I will be intrigued, shocked, and entertained. I don't always know if I will like myself or humanity at the end. This book has all of these elements and the ending, while maybe not perfectly happy, is full of potential and love.
I highly recommend this intriguing, entertaining and, yes, disturbing book.

Great for Halloween!

This book is great for the Halloween season! both adults and kids will love little Bod and his adventures.

Great story...would love to see it in a movie!

Where does The Graveyard Book rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed the story but the accents used were a bit piercing for certain characters. I own a copy of this book and my daughter followed along to see the pictures. It was a good listen on a 1000 mile car trip!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nobody Owens because I felt the author did a wonderful job getting inside the character's head. The listener was Bod throughout the story and it made the plot more engaging.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, but the narration was a little tiresome for certain characters (a little too high-pitched on certain female characters).

Any additional comments?

Good read/listen for kids and adults. It's nice to have a copy of the book to see the artwork that accompanies the story.

Great story

I really like the story the narration. I really hope there are more stories like this by the author. Thanks.

I guess I missed that it was a children's book

Where does The Graveyard Book rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Amazing performance. Read by the author, I had previously intended to read his other books, but may listen if he narrates the others as well.

Interesting and fun story with a great reader!

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

No but definitely close. It is hard to beat just reading a book but this one is really fun to listen to.

What did you like best about this story?

It is a fun twist on the Jungle Book story, but has enough of its own story that you aren't overwhelmed by trying to compare the to stories. Also I really like the funny twist on feeling like a book for a younger audience but having darker maybe even a little morbid content more for adults.

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

Silas and Miss Lupescu are my two favorite characters of this book and I was pleased to hear them read very well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I liked it a lot but am very busy and am a person with many interests so I never really read or listen in one sitting. That is why I love books and audio books, you can put them down and just pick it up later.

Any additional comments?

Great Book! and a great audio book to fit the amazing story. I feel that most author/readers, do one or the other well and this is one that both are done successfully.