Neil Gaiman

To be honest the world of Neil Gaiman was completely unknown to me before this class. I had never heard the name before, and I had no idea where to begin when approaching his work. As I researched and read prior to the class I realized there was a story that I was familiar with. Tim Burton’s version of Coraline came out in theatres when I was nineteen years old. I didn’t read the book at the time but I did go see the movie in theatres because I have been a Tim Burton fan for most of my life. The research I did for this class led me to the realization that Coraline was based on a book, I felt kind of stupid for not knowing that earlier. So I decided I should read it as penance.           

            

Reading the book after watching the movie was a great way to experience this story. When you watch a movie after reading the book, you are usually pretty disappointed while watching. You notice every small detail that director left out and a lot of times you may like the movie less. When you do it the other way around you are surprised positively with richness of detail and other small extras you miss with the film version. Coraline was a great read and I was surprised with the way Neil puts his stories together. I couldn’t seem to put it down and I was happy when it came time to read The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

            

This second story was nothing like I expected when I first picked it up. His ability to create characters and weave these dark and intricate worlds holds me in and makes it nearly impossible to put the book down until it is finished. I really appreciate the way he catches me off guard with the next twist of the story. I never know what to expect to happen and it makes it a really enjoyable read. This lesson opened me up to an author that I had no idea existed and I am glad that I discovered Neil Gaiman. Reading these two stories makes me want to dive deeper and experience more of his strange and fantastical worlds.