The graveyard book

The graveyard harbourA happy childhood is often described as one characterized by love, family, and a sense of security. Many adults are wont to complain that some disruptive behavior is due to some distant unlucky event in their childhood which may have affected their coping mechanisms as they matured, a commonplace, yet un kind, statement widely accepted by psychiatrists. A certain question now arises in my medically inclined mind what would psychiatrists predict for the little boy Nobody Owens? Nobody, or Bod, is the main character of Neil Gaimans The cemetery Book, the strange yet enlightening tale of a boy who was orphaned early in life and was then adopted by a enamour couple, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who turn out to be ghosts.The story is set in the fictional village of Old Town, a sleepy little village with a surreal quality about it. Within this quiet stretch of land is a graveyard, now unused and abandoned. It has been turned into a nature reserve and it is in this distinc t location that Bod finds himself as he escapes the murderer of his family. Raised by the graveyards phantasmal inhabitants and his mysterious guardian Silas, Bod grows up into a curious and pleasant boy. He encounters ghouls, werewolves, and a monstrous slithering creature hiding beneath the hill of the graveyard. He also manages to make friends with a girl, who visits the graveyard from time to time. speckle he is growing up, he is taught to read, to fade through walls and slip through shadows, and other uncanny abilities.Surprisingly entertaining despite the occasional macabre and bloodcurdling plights, Edinger (2009) calls Gaimans creation a novel of wonderweaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment. Common themes of familial closeness and zest for life are cleverly incorporated into this masterpiece. The subtleties with which these treasured values are imparted to readers are completely endearing. While I read the book, I was entranced to the point that I could not help but n ervously look over my shoulder to see if there was a ghoul-gate opening its jaws to swallow me into the dark city of Ghulheim, leading me to doubt if this truly was a childrens book. Although I generally do not favor the style which Howard (2009) describes as the episodic nature of the book, I found it completely appropriate for this tale. Since it is a childrens book, one would dribble a story that can be told in chapters, thus making it easier for parents to read a portion of the story every night before bedtime. Finally, admitting that the book was influenced by Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book by no means diminishes Gaimans skill in delivering this tale. For this reason, he was awarded the Newbery Medal which honors outstanding contribution to American childrens literature. Going clog up to my original question, I continue to wonder what conclusions psychiatrists would draw up regarding Bod. After all, his family was murdered, he was raised in a graveyard by specters, and he h as been in so many frightening situations enough to terrify a full-grown man. Would they say that he would grow up to be a disturbed unexampled man because of his experiences? Or would those same experiences have molded him to become stronger than the rest of us? Personally, I believe the love and warmth with which Bods ghost family accepted him has already made up for the loss of his real one. Whichever the case, I only make this point to show how curious I am about what Bod leave ultimately become. As Gaimans daughter Maddy so nonchalantly asked after her father read her the first chapter he wrote, I, too, can only ask, What happens next?One affaire is certain though, with Bods enthusiasm to live his life to the fullest, his life outside the safety of the graveyard would be peppered with new adventures and characters as elaborate and lively as those resting in his home.REFERENCESAnonymous,.(2009,April). Childrens Book Awards 2009. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books,62(8 ),343-345. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from faculty member Research Library. (Document ID1673481801).Edinger,M..(2009,February). Raised by Ghosts. New York Times Book Review,BR.15. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID1647333051).Howard,E..(2009,July). Neil Gaiman.The Horn Book Magazine,85(4),351-354. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID1786166631).Hunt,J..(2010,January). The Graveyard Book.The Horn Book Magazine,86(1),18. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID1936022361).