Emil
1/5/2011
Gaiman has a knack for portraying complex people in all their uncertainties, determination, limitations, and courage. He does a particularly good job with Nobody, who often makes bad decisions, one of which makes you quiver, but Nobody knows it and deals with the consequences. The graveyard is atmospheric, the world outside perilous, as is generally true of Gaiman's worlds. Even so they also reward open-hearted empathy and common sense. I frequently come away from this story with a strange feeling that I've caught a glimpse of how to be a better person: "Truly life is wasted on the living... For one of us is too foolish to live..."
It's a delightful, enthralling coming-of-age tale, full of mystery, intrigue and that same sweet, touching magic we once experienced as naive and innocent little children right up to the moment our eyes opened to the wider concerns of existence.
"Kiss a lover,
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure.
Face your life,
It's pain, it's pleasure,
Leave no path untaken"
A very pleasant read.