A Pure Treat this Time of Year -The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman's most recent book, The Graveyard Book, is -ehem- a real treat this time of year. Gaiman tells the tale of a young boy whose family is murdered by a mysterious man named Jack. The boy, who comes to be known as Nobody Owens, stumbles into an old graveyard in England where the ghosts that inhabit it  adopt and raise him. The mystery of his family's end is played out in the book's conclusion, leaving room for another Nobody Owens tale, which suits me just fine.

Gaiman's writing has never been better. There is a wonderful playfulness with his words and wording that one cannot miss, and this amidst all the gruesome details of death. This may not seem like a children's read, but it's a matter of perspective. The Brother's Grimm tales don't sound too dandy upon explanation either, but the stories still delight. One of my favorite pieces to this story was Gaiman's explanation for why the ghosts love Nobody so much. He can change still. He has potential to be somebody else, somebody improved. The ghosts are...well dead...and therefore are forever locked into the people they once were. It doesn't hurt that there's a whale of a tale to read here either.

So, forget your age, forget that this is labeled Young Adult literature. Just locate a copy of this book and enjoy the fanciful imaginings of a master storyteller.