Coraline

Sometimes a reader feels like spending more time than one book with an author.

Neil Gaiman books have been regulars on my shelves for years, but the past few weeks, I’ve sought things by Gaiman as yet unread or haven’t been read in years.

It started with “The View from the Cheap Seats,” a new book collecting articles, forewords, etc.

Which led to an ongoing re-read of Gaiman’s “Sandman” comics.

Which led to finally picking up what is becoming his dark masterpiece of a children’s book, “Coraline.”

The book was released several years ago. Though a Gaiman fan, I avoided it because it is a children’s book. But in this day and age when millions of adults read the “Harry Potter” series, which were originally intended as books for younger readers, and with a new paperback copy of “Coraline” costing less than 10 bucks, it became part of my Neil Gaiman summer reading fest.

Coraline is a girl growing up an only child in an apartment house where her busy parents have little time for her. She is wooed through a small door into a mirror-image of her family home.

There, she encounters an “other” mother and an “other” father — facsimiles who look like her parents but have buttons for eyes. They promise to dote on her and give her everything she wants.

Coraline doesn’t fall for it, so the “other” mother kidnaps her real parents …

Gaiman creates an engaging, spooky tale for readers of all ages. A tale filled with frights, twists and a brave little girl named Coraline.

So, now, I can either move on from Gaiman until he publishes something new … or I could re-read his adult novel, a little masterpiece called “American Gods” … which will be presented as a television series next year.