I always feel as though Neil Gaiman is a great drafter of worlds. But when it comes time to finish a story he either meanders or let's it putter out. Or, a first draft makes it to publication, and the necessary tightening and book-ending and so-forth that would come with editing and rewrites, never happens.

Coraline is a beautiful, Gothic Alice in Wonderland. It's disturbing and necessary in the way it showcases neglected children, children who have /had/ to be brave by necessity. And of course, it does an amazing job of preying upon all the fears that come with living in an old house: rats and bugs, long dark corridors and creepy cellars, abandoned grounds and being home alone... If you wanted to, you could read the entire mid-section where Coraline is trapped in The Beldam's copycat realm as Coraline suffering from depression and enduring an abusive parent: the way the world becomes flat and lifeless, and The Other Mother's controlling, conditional version of "love" feels sinister.

But, I think this is one of the rare cases that an adaptation did better than the original text. I think the movie improved upon The Beldam by making her more astute and manipulative, creating not just a copycat world but an /enticing/ world which offered to fulfill all of Coraline's neglected dreams. I love the doll spies - the first hint that she's watching and making copies - as her whole, spider-like, web of lies, button eyes, THING comes together that way. I think, Coraline having /just/ moved into a new house, and going exploring one rainy day, because she isn't sure where else to be, is more compelling than Coraline having lived there for awhile and just being bored out of her mind one day. And the way the film didn't dawdle with the ending makes a LOT more sense! Why would book-Coraline leave the disembodied hand on the loose for several days?! Defeat The Beldam and move ON, girl!

A classic, a gem with hidden depths, buuuuut a book in need of tightening as well.