Coraline: the graphic novel

Neil Gaiman (author)

P. Craig Russell (adaptor/illustrator)

Bloomsbury, UK: 2008; 186pp

ISBN: 9780747594062

Genres: adventure, fantasy, gothic, graphic novel

An extremely effective adaptation of Neil Gaiman's original novel.

The summer holidays are wet and Coraline is bored. Having moved into a new house - well, one of four flats in a very large, old house, Coraline decides to go exploring. She ventures through a mysterious door into another world that is identical to her own - at first glance. Sinister differences become apparent and Coraline soon finds herself on quest. She must find and rescue five stolen souls if she is free herself and them from the dark power that controls this place.

Neil Gaiman's Coraline, a novel of gothic adventures and nightmarish reality, has been well captured in this graphic interpretation. Readers should be aware that seeing another's imagining of such sinister characters can in fact reduce their nightmarish quality, as we all dream differently. Famous for his work in comics, Russell's images here are expressively drawn, conveying a remarkable amount of information as to complex emotions and relationships. The colours are used carefully to enrich the surreal, edgy feeling of the story; nightmares often occur in slightly exaggerated, intense colours or in muted, muddy, dark tones and both are used here.

While those who love the nuances of language will miss the vivid descriptions and subtle use of sounds and scents that cannot usually be conveyed through images, it is particularly pleasing that the dialogue and plot have been so carefully observed. Visual readers will enjoy this graphic version of a finely crafted novel.