The Graveyard Book

I just finished Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. While on the whole I found it cute and entertaining with a very likable, if not very talkative main character, I couldn't help but think that it was a way watered down version of A Fine And Private Place, and, for all its cool bits and very nice flow, it lacked the aspect of ghost stories that I most like, a sense of poignancy and melancholy. But that's okay because Gaiman is a fine writer, though no Beagle, and deserves to be judged on his own merits.

I liked Bod very much and was quite happy to see him stop the bullies at his school even though it cost him personally. Well, because it cost him personally. Too often main characters in stories DO THE RIGHT THING, but it's so easy that it might as well be a decision between a tuna salad sandwich on a croissant or a tuna salad sandwich or bread instead of DOING THE RIGHT THING, which implies some heft and obligation. I loved the ghost witch Liza, and okay, I said the novel lacked poignancy, but I guess I must correct that, the bit with the paperweight and Liza's grave made me sorta teary-eyed. I adored Silas and Miss Lupesca. They were my favorite characters. Which brings me to my next point: Does anyone else who read this think there needs to be books about the Honor Guard, because I do! They had a werewolf, I mean Hound of God, a mummy, an ifrit, though stupid, and a vampire! And it wasn't even the least bit stupid sounding when I read it. I love that the mummy carried a pig for luck into battle.

Meme!

Ganked from wordsofastory, mainly because I love to list things and well, I've read so many books that listing "favorites" helps me remember all the wonderful things I've read...and/or watched because a movie character or two made it in as well.



Name your 10 absolutely favorite characters and ask people to see what trends they notice about your characters. Try to pick different characters.

1. Ged (A Wizard of Earth Sea/Earthsea Cycle)
2. Molly Grue (The Last Unicorn)
3. Lal (The Innkeeper's Song)
4. Balsa (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit)
5. Drizzt Do'Urden (Forgotten Realms/Legend of Drizzt)*
6. Li Kao (Bridge of Birds/Master Li series...whatever other title they've slapped on them)
7. The Nameless Samurai/Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro and Yojimbo)
8. Pip Bernadette (Hellsing)
9. The Count of Monte Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo)**
10. Keith Anyan (Towards the Terra)***



*I am not as embarrassed by Drizzt being number five as much as I should be given my age and current reading habits.
**I am actually quite fond of Edmond Dantes, but considering the characterization in the novel of Dantes and his alter ego, I find I must count Edmond and the Count separately and on the whole, as much as I like Edmond, I find the count positively delicious...and frightening. I also like the Count from Gakutsuou quite a bit, but again, I feel he counts as a different character than the original CoMC. He's, er, more demonic...and blue....also, if I had an 11th choice it'd be Abbe Faria from CoMC. I like grumpy old men quite a bit.
***From the anime, not the manga. I have the manga, but I have not started it yet.