The Graveyard Book

I have been really looking forward to reading this book. It has been getting great reviews everywhere, and it is a young adult story that doesn't need several volumes to tell. I know - strange. Anyway, my desire to read Mr. Gaiman's novel doesn't really have anything to do with fan fiction, but the content itself definitely does.

I read the satirical newspaper The Onion religiously. Most of their articles are fake, but their reviews of movies, music, and books are genuine. Zack Handlen, an Onion book critic, mentions that "The Graveyard Book owes an acknowledged debt to Rudyard Kipling...." I read a lot of classic books, but I have to admit that at the time I couldn't exactly remember Rudyard Kipling's famous works. Out of curiosity, I logged onto Amazon.com to see what the site wrote about The Graveyard Book. Sure enough, a part of their review/synopsis states, "The Graveyard Book manages the remarkable feat of playing delightful jazz riffs on Kipling's classic Jungle Books."

While not blatant fan fiction, I find it interesting that The Graveyard Book, which from what I have since read is one of the most unique, thought-provoking novels to come out in a while, borrows many of its themes from an established classic. I haven't read The Graveyard Book or Kipling, so I guess I'll have to check out both and see for myself.

By the way - Zack Handlen gave The Graveyard Book an 'A'. I've been reading the Onion for a few years, and I've never seen a reviewer give a book that high of a mark. I would be willing to bet that it is pretty darn good. I'll let you know.


Handlen, Zack. (2008). [Review of the book The Graveyard Book]. The Onion, 43, 21.