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El libro del cementerio
Por Neil Gaiman y Chris Riddell
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Guiado por su instinto, un bebé escapa de la cuna en medio de la noche y logra alcanzar el cementerio más cercano a su casa.
El individuo que lo persigue, cuchillo en guante, acaba de asesinar a toda su familia y está decidido a terminar con él. Pero los espectros del camposanto protegen al pequeño y acaban acogiéndolo en sus tierras. Aunque esta vez se le ha escapado, el siniestro hombre Jack no descansará hasta cumplir su misión...
«Pocos autores hay en la narrativa actual con la capacidad de sorpresa, la ternura y la profunda originalidad que caracterizan la escritura de Gaiman.»
«El libro del cementerio es emocionante e inteligente, siniestro y tierno. Gaiman sigue los pasos de los cuentacuentos de antaño, tejiendo una narración encantadora e inolvidable.» New York Times Book Review
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a leerInformación sobre el libro
El libro del cementerio
Por Neil Gaiman y Chris Riddell
Descripción
Guiado por su instinto, un bebé escapa de la cuna en medio de la noche y logra alcanzar el cementerio más cercano a su casa.
El individuo que lo persigue, cuchillo en guante, acaba de asesinar a toda su familia y está decidido a terminar con él. Pero los espectros del camposanto protegen al pequeño y acaban acogiéndolo en sus tierras. Aunque esta vez se le ha escapado, el siniestro hombre Jack no descansará hasta cumplir su misión...
«Pocos autores hay en la narrativa actual con la capacidad de sorpresa, la ternura y la profunda originalidad que caracterizan la escritura de Gaiman.»
«El libro del cementerio es emocionante e inteligente, siniestro y tierno. Gaiman sigue los pasos de los cuentacuentos de antaño, tejiendo una narración encantadora e inolvidable.» New York Times Book Review
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Honestly, I can't imagine "reading" this when Neil Gaiman such does a brilliant job "narrating" it. It was freaking brilliant. His accent, the care to differentiate his character's voice, and his cadence, made this a true treat to listen to. The Graveyard Book opens with a gruesome family murder and a small baby boy who miraculously escapes to a graveyard. When the killer tracks the baby to the neighboring graveyard the residents (aka ghosts) band together to protect the baby boy and vow to raise him in the safety of the graveyard. Unsure of what his name is they decide to call him Nobody, or Bod for short. Bod has an unusual childhood, never being allowed to leave the gates of the cemetery his lessons include opening and closing ghoul gates, disappearing, and haunting. As he gets older though he longs to be around other breathing humans. A perfect and not too scary book for middle grade readers that is equal parts funny and spooky. Very endearing :)
I read this with my book club, so for my review, I’ll share some of our observations. Many of us, myself included, enjoyed the references to popular mythology, although some people didn’t notice all of them. I think we all generally felt that the book read like a bunch of short stories which had been pasted together but were a bit disjointed and the ending was quite abrupt. On the other hand, we all loved the writing and drawings, both of which I thought worked well together to capture the emotion of different scenes. Like in Gaiman’s talk, I felt as though every word was carefully chosen. I was struck by the creepiness of these scenes he described, but even that was overshadowed by the beauty of the writing. This was a very cool, unique middle grade book.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
Review from BadelyngeAlthough I adore Neil Gaiman's comic book work like his wonderful Sandman magnum opus, I have never really enjoyed any of his novels. His adult novels like American Gods failed to interest me and his books more aimed at younger readers never quite hit the right mark. Stardust attempts to to tell a tale in fairy tale style but is far too long for that style to engage. Basically I think he wrote a novel using a style more suited to the short form. He has great ideas, a wonderful imagination and a wide eclectic grab-bag of interests and knowledge to draw upon. Neverwhere was an explosion of concepts, wordplays and atmosphere but too much jumble at once and always preempted by the tv series and undermined by rewrites to suit other audiences.The Graveyard Book is for me his first hit, yes, a very palpable hit. Escaping from the man Jack (a very Gaimaneske assassin) who murders his family in their beds, a young toddler escapes to the strange safety of a nearby graveyard. He's adopted by the local ghosts and named Nobody - or Bod for short. Each chapter is pretty self contained as Bod grows up and learns about the different characters that inhabit his new world. Perfect for reading a chapter a night for the kids. And there are some really fine characters; the vampirish Silas, Miss Lupescu, Scarlett and my favourite, the capricious ghost witch Liza Hempstock. It's a simply written, pleasurable, charming and surprisingly emotional read. My copy was illustrated by the excellent off kilter line drawings of Chris Riddell.
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family . . . My RatingBuy the Paperback: but it's close to "Give It Away." Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this well enough: it's a fast read with some delightful moments and lovely language, but a closer inspection of the plot made me batty. I'm glad I found it on the used bookshelf for only $8.99. :) The art's nice too (but then again, I do love Dave McKean), but I wish there'd been more of it. A predictable story in its own way, so if you're a Gaiman newbie, I don't suggest starting here. Go for his other Hugo winner: American Gods. Now that is a book to sink your teeth into, and to be honest, I'm kind of wanting to read it again. The Graveyard Book is fun enough, but I don't see myself coming back to it, unless I have a kid one day and we read it together. Which, for the record, would be lots of fun, even though the beginning is quite dark. :)Review style: I'm going to verge into spoiler territory this time, because part of what I want to talk about are the bigger questions the plot raises but doesn't resolve. Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil the ending directly, but there's some logic questions I want to bring up that I hope closer readers of this book can answer. Also, I'll talk about the comparison to Kipling's The Jungle Book (which I've never read), and discuss the book's target audience (here's a hint, it's not YA!). If you're worried about the plot questions/spoilers I raise, skip to "My Rating" at the end of the review, where I talk about whether or not this is a good title for Gaiman newbies to start with.The full review may be found in my LJ, if you're interested. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: Neil Gaiman's THE GRAVEYARD BOOKHappy Reading!
A young boy grows up in a graveyard, surrounded by spirits and ghouls.I love me some good children's lit, and I love me some Neil Gaiman even more. Put the two together, and I'm a happy girl indeed.THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is a creepier take on THE JUNGLE BOOK, but you don't need to have read Kipling's classic to enjoy Gaiman's version. It's a wonderful little book that reads like a collection of interconnected short stories. Bod ages at least a year between chapters, and one - "The Witch's Headstone" - was in fact published as a short story a couple of years before the novel was released. His adventures are episodic, but there's a definite sense of growth and change running beneath the narrative. Gaiman shows us how Bod matures as the story unfolds, and we see how his potential for change sometimes puts him at odds with his ghostly friends. There's a lot of flashy surface stuff here, but there's also a deeper thread that parents and educators are bound to appreciate.Be aware, though, that it is a darker story. Gaiman writes horror, and he doesn't pull many punches even when his books are for younger readers. The book begins with a murder, and many of the ghosts died unpleasant deaths. Bod's adventures are scary as well as fun. Religious families may also take issue with the fact that the graveyard seems to be the final destination for most folks.I'd certainly recommend this, though. It's an entertaining read with a lot of heart, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. I'd love to read more about Bod, but I don't imagine there'll ever be a sequel to this. I suspect that the anticipatory feeling the reader gets as she finishes may be part of the point.(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
Nobody Owens. Bod for short. He lives in a graveyard and communicates with dead people and . . . the not so dead. Other than that - he's a normal boy. Bod's unfortunate circumstances do not allow him to leave the graveyard. If he does, he could be killed by the man Jack that murdered his family and has been hunting for him ever since. Other than that - he's a happy boy.Well, I'll be. I actually really enjoyed this book - a Gaiman book - a fantasy book. Who would have thought!?! I have gone from a rating of 2/5 (Anansi Boys) to a 3/5 (Coraline) to a 4/5 with The Graveyard Book. Woo Hoo!The idea that real life is reflected in this fantasy book is fascinating and interesting to discover along the way. There were some things or scenes that I didn't care for (a little too out-there for me), but for the most part I enjoyed the adventure, the relationships and most of all, the suspense. This is definitely a book that can be enjoyed by many ages - probably best read by adults to the younger ones, as it is recommended for 9 - 12. (4/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
What can I say - I love Neil Gaiman's books! I laughed, cried and had a lot of other emotions in between as I went through this book. Ghosts, vampires and werewolves have never been more endearing...
This book is gorgeous. Wonderful. Stupendous. I'm not sure how many other words I can come up with to describe it, but the fact remains that it was one of the best stories I've had the pleasure to dive into this year. To those of you who might not have read Neil Gaiman's work before, it is always very layered. Enjoyable at any age, but the older you are the more you can see the hidden story line beneath everything else. This story is no different. The Graveyard Book is a story about humanity, friendship, and the age old battle of growing up.
Nobody Owens (Bod for short), looses his family in a grisly murder. Sad, I know. However what happens next is magic. Taken in by the inhabitants of the graveyard that he wanders into, Bod soon learns so much more than he ever imagined. I loved the way that Gaiman shows Bod's different stages of life. At a young age, Bod is smart and curious. As he grows, his questions turn from simple curiosity, to actual life lessons that he is trying to learn. Each of the graveyard members is unique and vibrant. From long dead war heroes, to simple folk who keep to themselves, the graveyard is a bustling place for a young boy to grow up.
What will really draw you into The Graveyard Book though is the writing. Neil Gaiman's writing is one of the reasons I fell in love with his books in the first place. Every page is filled with gorgeous prose, vivid descriptions, and witty observations. Bod's story, in particular, has a lovely mix of mischief, magic and horror. There were portions of this book that had me shivering in my boots. Well, shoes. Anyhow, it is really the ability to get so wholly lost in this story that really makes it a great read. You'll find yourself in the graveyard, and chances are you won't want to leave.
I'm not sure how else to implore you to read this book. The writing, the characters, the whole entire vibe is just pure ambrosia. There are moments that will break your heart, and others that will startle you with their sudden appearance. Whether this is your first foray into Gaiman's brilliantly woven worlds, or you're an avid fan, this is a book that is sure to delight.
Nobody Owens (Bod for short), looses his family in a grisly murder. Sad, I know. However what happens next is magic. Taken in by the inhabitants of the graveyard that he wanders into, Bod soon learns so much more than he ever imagined. I loved the way that Gaiman shows Bod's different stages of life. At a young age, Bod is smart and curious. As he grows, his questions turn from simple curiosity, to actual life lessons that he is trying to learn. Each of the graveyard members is unique and vibrant. From long dead war heroes, to simple folk who keep to themselves, the graveyard is a bustling place for a young boy to grow up.
What will really draw you into The Graveyard Book though is the writing. Neil Gaiman's writing is one of the reasons I fell in love with his books in the first place. Every page is filled with gorgeous prose, vivid descriptions, and witty observations. Bod's story, in particular, has a lovely mix of mischief, magic and horror. There were portions of this book that had me shivering in my boots. Well, shoes. Anyhow, it is really the ability to get so wholly lost in this story that really makes it a great read. You'll find yourself in the graveyard, and chances are you won't want to leave.
I'm not sure how else to implore you to read this book. The writing, the characters, the whole entire vibe is just pure ambrosia. There are moments that will break your heart, and others that will startle you with their sudden appearance. Whether this is your first foray into Gaiman's brilliantly woven worlds, or you're an avid fan, this is a book that is sure to delight.
Better late than never! This won the Newbery in 2009 and it's just as good now. It's got enough "creep" to make a child shiver and giggle without giving him or her nightmares. As usual, Gaiman is a creative, imaginative writer who always seems to get it right. Meet "Bod" (short for Nobody Owens) who is being "raised by the dead" (get it?) in a graveyard to keep him safe from the man who murdered his entire family when he was a baby.
Reread this book and wrote a lot of Battle of the Books Questions for the 2013 teams. I liked it much btter this time.
Nobody Owens, Bod to those who do know him. A boy who is raised in a graveyard by the ghosts who live there over the last hundreds of years. Protected from those who brutally murdered his Mother, Father and sister, but missed him.He is granted Freedom of the Graveyard, which means he has the ability to pass through solid objects within the graveyard. He is taught the ways of the spirits and also learns what life was like in the eras the spirits were still living humans.Silas is Bod's appointed caretaker. Mr. and Mrs. Owens are his foster parents. They never had a child while alive, so this is their chance. It is Mrs. Owens that gives Bod his name, as she remarks that "He looks like nobody except himself."The chapters are spaced apart, sort of telling of different periods of time from when he arrived at the graveyard as just a toddler until he became 15. He has no real memories of his parents or the murder. A murder that seemed to have been ignored and never solved, for some strange reason.He makes friends with a little girl named Scarlett, when he is quite young. He never shows himself to her parents so they convince Scarlett he is just an imaginary friend. They soon move away and once again he only has the ghosts of the graveyard for company.The graveyard is very old and about 40 years before Bod arrived, it was declared a natural reserve and not very often visited. This makes it that much easier for Bod to live there. Silas, his caretaker, has the ability to go to the village to get supplies for Bod, so that is taken care of. The spirits teach him from what they know; reading, sums and a little history. He does try attending school with regular children, but it doesn't work out due to bullies.He does have adventures and makes friends that are unusual, such as Miss Lupescu, a Hound of God; Elizabeth Hempstock who was executed for being a witch. He learns supernatural abilities such as Fading or turning invisible, Haunting, Dream Walking and more. Some of these abilities come in handy.I took time to read this as it seemed to be a book written to be read that way. Yes there is excitement and Bod does find out about what happened to his family. He also finds that there is much to experience outside of the graveyard and that he can't live there forever.Interesting side note: I have some quotes about writing that pop-up on my computer. The author is the same author of this book. I'd never read Neil Gaiman before. Very enjoyable!
An odd and lovely and dark fantasy about a boy raised in a graveyard by ghosts and a mysterious guardian after a villain murders his family. Gaiman reads it well also.
I really wanted to love this book, after loving Good Omens.There was an interesting plot device. It was an interesting story but, overall, I take issue when an author creates magical or spiritual beings and subscribes them abilities that bring impossible resolution to the issue at hand.
One of my best memories of 2008, was traveling to Comic Con in NY and having a chance to hear Neil Gaiman read from this book for hours. I was so excited when it won the Newbery!
Even if you own and have read this novel for yourself you should look up the audio-book and listen to it read by the author who reads beautifully.
I didn't know what to expect from this book but have to admit I really enjoyed it, although it is quite different fayre to the books I usually read. I wouldn't have read this but for the Librarything Mystery and Suspense Extra Group Monthly Sub-genre Challenge, which is the beauty of these challenges. I think it was very cleverly written and can be enjoyed by both adults and children. It almost needs a sequel to find out what happened next! I do look forward to reading more books by Neil Gaiman in the future.
Nobody Owens is raised in a cemetary after his family is murdered. He was supposed to die that night but wandered away before the murderer caught him. He is safe as long as he stays in the cemetary. He can see the spirits of the graveyard's inhabitants. He learns from them on the physical as well as spiritual side of life. He grows. He gets into trouble. He needs Silas and the rest of the spirits and guardians of the graveyard. I enjoyed this book. It is my favorite Neil Gaiman book so far. I loved the characters and the story. It was fun and different from much of my reading. If I owned this book, it would be a keeper.
My first encounter with Neil Gaiman was several years ago in his Sandman graphic novel series... I started the first one, got too scared and had to put it down. Last year I was reintroduced to his work The Ocean at the End of the Lane in a book club and could not put it down. I heard that The Graveyard Book had a similar tone, so I got it from the library. And it's true!I didn't want this book to end. It's telling is sweet and sad and a little bit dark. It reminded me a little of Grimm's Fairy Tales in its nonchalant approach to murder. Though I didn't find it as compelling the whole way through as The Ocean (I think because it is a children's/tween aged book and I'm 35) but I really enjoyed the read. The characters are explored beautifully and plot is developed thoughtfully, the story is believable while still being obviously fantastical.I read this book for this years book bingo square entitled "a retelling of a classic" because the story is intended to pay homage to Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book". It truly is a coming of age tale, and like Mowgli struggles between the wild and the tame, Bod struggles with his 'gift' of straddling the border between the living and the dead. The reason is very similar, I think, in the living and the tame both lack the wisdom of surrender inherent to the wild and the dead. The depth of this perspective is vital to true happiness in life and bares repeating over and over. I hope the generations exposed to The Graveyard Book gain wisdom from this book and are enticed to read the Jungle Book over again as adults.I'm giving this book four stars because while it opened my mind and deepened my sense of living life, I don't know that I would read it over. I would definitely recommend it to others though!
The Graveyard book is, in my opinion, Neil Gaiman's best novel. American Gods was a literary darling, sure, but The Graveyard Book is genuine, and heart-felt.
The Graveyard Book makes you feel like a child again. It's ingenious short-story format makes you feel--really feel the passage of time, and the growth of this boy. When the ending comes you feel as if you've grown up alongside him, and you cry for him, and for yourself. You cry for your misspent youth, and the deep craving you have to get it back. A craving so pulsating and persistent that it threatens to burst from your chest and flow from your eyes, and swallow you whole.
A craving you know can never be satiated.
Eventually this book begins to fade a little from your memory, and the craving dies down to a sad, sweet melancholy that blankets the world in a dull ache of nostalgia.
You may realize then that you are watching movies you used to love as a child, or trying to get in touch with old friends long forgot. And that is the moment when you also realize that, yes, a silly little kid's book has had that big an impact on you as an adult.
The Graveyard Book makes you feel like a child again. It's ingenious short-story format makes you feel--really feel the passage of time, and the growth of this boy. When the ending comes you feel as if you've grown up alongside him, and you cry for him, and for yourself. You cry for your misspent youth, and the deep craving you have to get it back. A craving so pulsating and persistent that it threatens to burst from your chest and flow from your eyes, and swallow you whole.
A craving you know can never be satiated.
Eventually this book begins to fade a little from your memory, and the craving dies down to a sad, sweet melancholy that blankets the world in a dull ache of nostalgia.
You may realize then that you are watching movies you used to love as a child, or trying to get in touch with old friends long forgot. And that is the moment when you also realize that, yes, a silly little kid's book has had that big an impact on you as an adult.
I enjoyed the read but felt a bit let down by the ending - as though there wasn't quite enough explanation, somehow and that Scarlett's part of the story was unsatisfactory.
A lovely book! Bod and his adopted graveyard family are engaging and believable characters, as are the difficulties and challenges they encounter. A story about family, friendships and growing up and facing dangers. I loved it.
Incredibly fun book to read; very much an homage of Kipling with Gaiman's usual deft odd touches.
Most marvelous line that made me and my wife laugh aloud:
"Fortinbras Bartleby, ten years old when he had died (of consumption, he had told Bod, who had mistakenly believed for several years that Fortinbras had been eaten by lions or bears, and was extremely disappointed to learn it was merely a disease), now apologized to Bod."
Well, well worth the time to read, whether you've read Neil before or not, and whether you've read alleged children's fiction or not. Make the time to read this book, as you'll only regret that it comes to an end far too soon.
Most marvelous line that made me and my wife laugh aloud:
"Fortinbras Bartleby, ten years old when he had died (of consumption, he had told Bod, who had mistakenly believed for several years that Fortinbras had been eaten by lions or bears, and was extremely disappointed to learn it was merely a disease), now apologized to Bod."
Well, well worth the time to read, whether you've read Neil before or not, and whether you've read alleged children's fiction or not. Make the time to read this book, as you'll only regret that it comes to an end far too soon.
VERY enjoyable!
Good as always
All of Nobody Owen's family is dead. His mother, father and sister were brutally murdered by a mysterious man named Jack. His adopted family consists entirely of ghosts, and a guardian of unknon origins. Now he is being raised in the cemetary and must learn all that he can from it before leaving sand braving the real world. I really really liked this book. It is a good book, and well deserving of the medal plastered to its cover--although my copy was pre-medal. Just a note. I think that Gaiman has a fabulous grasp on each of the ages we see in Bod, perhaps because of the experience he has as a father [most likely, I would say]. Something fascinating about the novel, aside from the basic premise of a child being raised by ghosts in a graveyard, is the set up he used. The story is told, chapter by chapter, in short, self-contained stories. The Witch's Headstone was originally published in Gaiman's M is for Magic as standalone--I don't recall, though, if it was written by itself or was already part of the story. Gaiman is far too prolific to bother searching through his blog. But its a fantastic way to capture the stages of Bod's progression. The first story is the origin story, Bod as a baby, finding his way to and being taken in by the graveyard. Another, Bod beyond infancy, trying to figure things out for himself, wanting to grow and leave but, at the same time, being nowhere near ready. He gets into mischief, he leaves the graveyard for the first time, each a different building block into who Bod is and who Bod is to become. Fascinating.I probably could never do it. Moving on! Characters! I have to say, there is not one character in this book that I disliked. Although, I must shamefacedly admit that the little 'what Silas actually is' initially went over my head. And when I realized, 'He eats one thing and its not bananas...' Oh! Dur. But the distance between Bod and Silas that formed both their cushion and relationship was tactful and brilliant because you could see the difference in their innate beings, behind a warm, human boy and the only truly tangible person in his life and behind Silas, cold and stiff, belonging to no world but being part of both at the same time. Ha! I can feel myself slipping back into the honeymoon phase. How sad. We do not truly get to know most of the graveyard as they are teachers and neighbors that have small but important roles cropping up here and there. The man Jack is another mystery, but in the way villains so often are. We are allowed to briefly see into their worlds long enough to see which direction they just might originate. He is a dangerous mystery, full of lies and misdirection...but I cannot delve too deeply into this--as Lavar [spelling?] Burton would say, 'You'll have to read it for yourself.' A cop out, yes. But if it gets you to read, it is all worth while. Rock on.
An interesting tale revolving around the supernatural world. I enjoyed the characters and the story moves at a fast pace. A must read for young and old.
Reading Gaiman is an experience. If you've read any of his work, you know you are entering a dense world of the author's creation, one that is at times funny, other times terrifying, and even more so exhilarating. The Graveyard Book has a carousel of characters, alive and dead, each one of them fully fleshed out (I'm not going to swing low with a pun).
Simply marvelous.
I had started this book many years ago and can't say why but I got interrupted and never finished it. So when I picked up the Audio book from the Library, narrated by Neil Gaiman, I was immediately captured by the story. Nobody Owens (named so because "he looks like nobody but himself"), or simply Bod, is the sole survivor of the triple homicide of his family, who is, in The Jungle Book style, promptly adopted by a sweet ghost couple, the Owens, in the graveyard inhabited by an afterlife Supernatural community. Bod even gets a vampire as his guardian and mentor - “There were people you could hug, and then there was Silas.”This is a story that I would love to have read to my daughter when she was growing up. Neil Gaiman has a real knack for the imaginative combination of both sweet and macabre elements together with a bittersweet ending, creating an unforgettable story which will appeal to both children and adults alike. Told via a succession of stories from Bod's unusual life, it's just the right mix of sweetness, whimsy, sadness, suspense, and adventures to keep the reader captivated throughout. I'm certainly glad that I reconnected to this marvelous story. Jack Murphy
Nobody Owens, or Bod as he is known around the graveyard, is an usual boy. Granted the Freedom of the Graveyard as a toddler when his family was brutally murdered and he toddled into the graveyard, he lives in a world of shadows. Living in the graveyard, his playmates are ghosts, his lessons consist of learning how to "fade" and why not to trust a ghoul. Silas, his undead guardian has assumed responsibility for Bod, ensuring he is fed and clothed, procuring things from the outside world that a growing child might need. Bod is never to leave the graveyard as the man, Jack, who murdered his family still hunts for him to finish the job he was tasked with completing, killing him. As Bod grows up into a young teen, he eventually must face the man Jack, but will he come away unscathed?This book was a quirky and dark, full of rich and vibrant characters, which is kind of odd considering mostly all the characters are dead, or undead, or somewhere in between. (Also why does auto correct keep trying to change "undead" to "unread"? Apparently auto correct hasn't read much fantasy/fiction *sigh*) Bods adventures growing up in the graveyard were magical and fun to read, and his strength and fortitude were something I admired in a character. My personal favorite was his foray into ghoul world. (Note to self, never foray into ghoul world!) This is a book you could read solo as an adult, or read with your kids (though it's never childish) and enjoy it just the same. As an added bonus, the reading was punctuated by some pretty stellar illustrations by Dave McKean that really brought the book even more to life.