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

Parents should listen first

This is a great book and wonderfully read (by the author?). HOWEVER... parents might want to listen to it first. The first scene is, well, to put it bluntly, the narrative of a professional murderer stabbing to death two parents and a little girl. It's pretty violent. The story really starts with the second scene, where the baby is "adopted" by ghosts in the graveyard, and if you think the scene of murder will bother your child overmuch, you can probably just skip right over it without losing much plot.

But this is a very good book, and the reader is really, really good, especially with the children's voices.

Made me wish I had a haunted graveyard family!

A lighthearted tale about an orphaned baby who is adopted and raised by the supernatural inhabitants of a graveyard.

When a secret, occult group learns that a child will spell their doom, they seek to eliminate said child. Though they dispatch the infant's family, through a series of events, the baby boy is found by the spiritual (deceased) inhabitants of an old, local cemetery.

He is quickly adopted and protected by the graveyard folk. They protect him from the faction that took his natural family while raising and loving him as if they were his living, breathing kin.

This book invites you to become ensconced in the hamlet where your adopted parents are a kindly, husband-and-wife, Victorian ghost couple, your guardian is an ancient, reformed vampire, your tutor is a matronly werewolf, and your neighborhood is a venerable graveyard with a quaint community of ghosts from here, there, and then. The graveyard's magic keeps you hidden from those who would do you harm, and you must remain until safe. But in the meantime, you find your hearth and heart among the macabre.

A Sweet Bit of Horror

Murder is horrific, and this story is about murder. It is also about death, love, redemption.

I am not a fan for horror stories, and so it was with trepidation I downloaded this book. To my surprise, Gaiman is a wonderful reader, and the story is a delightful fantasy - an adult fairy tale - and the two combined were an incredibly rich auditory and imaginary experience.

Download it - you won't regret it!

Good read even for adults

Neil Gaiman has never disappointed me. This book was almost as good as Neverwhere. Neverwhere was more exciting because the story was not set in just one place. And it was longer - so you get more of him! I think I will try some of his other books now. Neil Gaiman is also a fantastic narrator. He helps make the experience. You just fall into the stories and it's hard to come back to reality.

Beautiful Book

I am a retired man. I thought this book was charming, had great imagery, mystery, and the performance was excellent. The Graveyard Book is definitely not just for children.

Amazing

I got a little worried when I started this book. Before the book got started I heard several small children sing in unison "This is a book from Audible kids". I thought this might be a childrens book and that I messed up and ordered it." This was a terrific book, and one that I would put up in the top 5 that I have listened to so far. Well told and kept me interested the entire way through, I so hope that Bod and his "family" make a return in a second book!

Who is this book written for?

I listened to the book in order to see which one of my sons to give it to (14 or 7 year old). I enjoyed it, but had a hard time figuring out who would be interesed in it. 14 year-old - not anymore, and 7 year-old might be just fine, except for the graffic details of the murder sceene at the beginning of the book. So far the youngest had listened to the first half, and quit.

Wonderful Surprise

My children are grown and I have no grandchildren to use as an excuse to listen to books intended for a younger audience so I will just have to make this my guilty pleasure. I loved this book and the narration was wonderful. I usually shy away from authors reading thier own works. This is the ultimate exception. Mr Gaiman's narration was spot on. The characters are all so charming. What a fun read! I hated to see it end. Can't wait to listen to more of his books.

Wonderful

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Great characters, storyline, and narration. Very imaginitive.

Wonderful

I enjoyed this Gaiman story very much. If you like his other work, this one does not disappoint.