Coraline by Neil Gaiman — book cover

Book details

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

2001

About the book

After moving into a Victorian house divided into flats, Coraline Jones discovers a hidden door that leads to a mirror world. This parallel reality features attentive versions of her parents with black buttons sewn over their eyes. While the Other Mother initially offers delicious meals and constant entertainment, she quickly reveals her intent to trap Coraline forever and harvest her soul. To save herself and her real parents, Coraline must navigate a shifting, decaying landscape and outwit her captor in a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek involving the ghosts of previous victims.

Readers who enjoy dark narratives and unsettling imagery find this story a bridge between childhood curiosity and adult dread. It appeals to those interested in the concept of the uncanny, where familiar domestic settings turn hostile. The audience learns that bravery depends on feeling fear rather than the absence of it. A reader finishes the book with a renewed perspective on the value of their actual, imperfect life compared to a hollow, curated perfection.

Details

Published
2001
Language
EN