King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Coraline

released: 6 February 2009

genre: animation/adventure/fantasy

rated: 3 out of 5








Based on Neil Gaiman's book, the movie Coraline, is about a young girl who finds a secret door in her home. Once Coraline opens the door, she finds a passageway into a different version of her own life. But she soon finds out that this new version of her life, with 'new and improved' parents is not all that it seems. Before she knows it, Coraline is fighting to get back home to her real family.





I liked Coraline because of the images and the animation, some scenes were beautiful. However, I took my children with me, and my 8 year old was afraid during some scenes, the ones with the 'Other Mother'. I think it didn't help that we were watching in in 3D, so everything seemed magnified. My husband and my 12 year old son hated it. My husband said it was 'The worst movie i've seen in a long time.'



The movie does stray away from the book, and I feel like I had such high hopes, then I was dissapointed. Turns out I am the only one in my family that liked it at all. I did find it to be too long though. And I like the book much better, you get to really like sweet Coraline when you read the story. During the film, they almost make her seem too grown up. For me, this film wasn't worth going to see it in theaters.

title: Stardust

author: Neil Gaiman

published: 1999

genre: fantasy

pages: 333

first line: There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire.

rated: 4 out of 5

In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here, in the hamlet of Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. And here, one crisp October eve, Tristran makes his love a promise -- an impetuous vow that will send him through the only breach in the wall, across the pasture... and into the most exhilarating adventure of his life.

Stardust starts off in the English countryside in a little town called Wall. Everyone who lives in Wall knows about a nearby high stone wall leading to a meadow, which no one is allowed to pass. Two guards are stationed at this wall night and day, only once every nine years the villagers of Wall are allowed to pass into the meadow beyond, into the land of Faerie, when the May Day fair arrives.



Sixteen year old Tristran Thorn is in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester and he wants to marry her one day.
When he asks her to marry him, Tristran tells Victoria that there is nothing he would not do for her. He will go to the ends of the Earth to get her jewels and gold. Victoria laughs it off, then they see a falling star, beyond Wall. Tristran tells her he will bring her that fallen star. She tells him that is what she wants, the star. And if he can get it for her, she will do whatever he wants of her.

"Kiss me", he pleaded. "There is nothing I would not do for your kiss, no mountain I would not scale, no river I would not ford, no desert I would not cross."

He gestured widely, indicating the village of Wall below them, the night sky above them. In the constellation of Orion, on the Eastern horizon, a star flashed and glittered and fell.

"For a kiss, and the pledge of your hand," said Tristran, grandiloquently, "I would bring you that fallen star."

Tristran soon sets off beyond the wall and into the land of Fairie in search of the star. He encounters a magical land where there are witches, fairies, gnomes and all kinds of other fairytale creatures and where nothing is what it seems.




I found Stardust to be a wonderful read. I liked the storyline and characters. It's a fairytale, geared more towards adults, I didn't expect that. I was quickly sucked into the plot and didn't want to put the book down.
I like how Gaiman wraps everything up in the end. This is my second time reading Neil Gaiman and it won't be my last.

He imagined he could see the very faces of the stars; pale they were and smiling gently, as if they had spent so much time above the world, watching the scrambling and the joy and the pain of the people below them, that they could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.

Click here for an excerpt at the author's website: http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/Stardust/in/199/




Stardust was made into a movie, but seeing the trailer, it looks like they changed it...alot. Swordfighting?? Huh? *sigh* the magic of Hollywood.






About the author:

Neil Richard Gaiman born November 10, 1960 is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic series, Stardust, and American Gods. The extreme enthusiasm of his fans has led some to call him a "rock star" of the literary world.


He lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, in an "Addams Family house". He is married to Mary T. McGrath and has three children, Michael, Holly and Madeleine.

Special thanks to Serena, for giving me a copy of this great book.

Okay, I just wanted to post...my son(12) is reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman !


He took my copy and began reading yesterday, he told me he really likes it.


Like mother, like son :)



Have you seen the movie trailer? It looks very good.

title: Coraline


author: Neil Gaiman



pages: 162


first line: Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.



rated: 5 out of 5 stars





I have finally read a Neil Gaiman book. Wow!

I kept hearing great things about this book and about Neil Gaiman. I wanted to see what all the fuss is about.

Okay, let me say, I loved this book. I began reading one evening, and finished it that same night. I literally couldn't put this book down and was sad to see it end.




It was entertaining, magical, and very creepy.


Little Coraline lives with her parents both of whom don't pay much attention to her because they are too busy. Coraline is on break from school as is always looking for something fun to do. She wonderes what's behind the locked door in the drawing room, and her when her mother opens the door, it opens to a brick wall. One day when Coraline's mother is out shopping, Coraline opens the door. This time a passageway mysteriously appears. She walks through and finds an apartment same as her own, only oddly different.

There she finds her "other" parents, creepy people with big buttons for eyes.

'It sounded like her mother. Coraline went into the kitchen, where the voice had come from. A woman stood in the kitchen with her back to Coraline. She looked a little like Coraline's mother. Only...

Only her skin was white as paper.'

Once Coraline leaves this alternate world, she comes back through the door and into her own apartment to find her real parents missing. She knows the 'other mother' must have taken them and she needs to go back through the door and bring them home. All throughout the story she faces terrifying creatures and scary situations and keeps telling herself she is not afraid.

'Coraline took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness, where strange voices whispered and distant winds howled. She became certain that there was something in the dark behind her: something very old and very slow. Her heart beat so hard and so loudly she was scared it would burst out of her chest. She closed her eyes against the dark.'

Another very creepy thing about this book is the illustrations.

Images show up every once in a while throughout the book, and this is the kind of book that really hooks you, so I was really into reading, then an unexpected image like this would show up:






This book was cute and creepy all mixed up together. You can't help but like Coraline and hope she makes it out ok.





'Coraline' is being made into a film, due in theaters February of 2009.

click here for details on the film

Dakota Fanning is Coraline (voice) &
Teri Hatcher as Coraline's Mother/Other Mother


here is a sneak preview:








this read was part of the following reading challenges:

once upon a time

triple 8


twisted fairy tales


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this book has also been reviewed by:

dewey

finding wonderland

1 more chapter

nymeth