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Karen, thanks for the welcome!

Great, welcome Christina!

Just got my copy from the library! Looking forward to the 15th :-)

Excellent :)
I had to take my copy back to the library, but I was able to get another from a different library :D

I'd like to join in on this one too.

I've held out for as long as I can. I'm starting this one today.

:)

I'm starting it this evening as I've just finished my last reading. Can't wait for your great questions!! =D

Moderators of Nothing but Reading Challenges (All the Mods) wrote: ""

Love that quote! That and the one about the peas too. :)

“Peas baffled me. I could not understand why grown-ups would take things that tasted so good raw, and then put them in tins, and make them revolting.�

Yes! I loved that peas quote too. So very true.

haha yes I loved that one aswell. As a kid I would eat bags full of peas. Just sit there shelling them. Yum!

Well it is the 15th here...

Questions and comments
Chapters: Prologue-04, pages 01-62

1. I liked the introductory quote from Maurice Sendak. This seems to be setting up the theme of the book which is similar to the main theme of Coraline. What do you think of this concept of children being braver than adults would want them to be?

2. Is this your first Neil Gaiman book? What do you think of the writing style and the subtle descriptions? Do you like how we start with a Prologue and then go back to when the narrator is 7?
Here is a picture of a lane with Hazel trees on both sides:


3. The narrator doesn't seem to have a name yet. Is there a significance to this?

4. One of the interesting ways NG writes, for me, is maneuvering our emotions deftly and describing a usually tragic situation with subtle humour. For example, the scene of the child abandoned at his seventh birthday I found so sad and I was surprised that soon after when he described that the dead Fluffy being replaced by Monster I was smiling rather than horrified. Are you finding humour in the book so far?

5. The Hemstock ladies are interesting. They seem to have some kind of psychic abilities and speak "in the language of shaping". What are your thoughts on them? Are they witches or spirits or deities, or can they not be categorised?

6. Do you think that the narrator catching the "thing" thrown at him "from the centre of the flapping canvas" will have a lasting impact? What could it be?

Ack! Questions already. #2 on the waiting list at the library so hopefully it comes soon.

Questions and comments
Chapters: Prologue-04, pages 01-62

1. I liked the introductory quote from Maurice Sendak. This seems to be setting up the theme of the book which is similar to the main theme of Coraline. What do you think of this concept of children being braver than adults would want them to be?

I think there are times when children are too brave, but it's usually because they don't know the danger in what they are doing. I also think there are times that adults would like children to be braver. I think knowing when to be brave and when to be cautious comes with age. Although, I don't think it is aalways clear cut as to when to be brave versus cautious, so many of us never really figure it out.

2. Is this your first Neil Gaiman book? What do you think of the writing style and the subtle descriptions? Do you like how we start with a Prologue and then go back to when the narrator is 7?

This was my first Gaiman book! I have finished it already. I read it right before Coraline and it is the reason that I decided to try out some of his other books. I like his writing style in this book a lot.

5. The Hemstock ladies are interesting. They seem to have some kind of psychic abilities and speak "in the language of shaping". What are your thoughts on them? Are they witches or spirits or deities, or can they not be categorised?

I liked them. They just reminded me of a couple of eccentric old ladies. :)

I hope the html I attempted works. Never done this before.

1. Introductory quote from Maurice Sendak
I interpreted this as more about the knowing child protecting a parent’s innocent assumptions about their child’s innocence. If that makes any sense.

2. Is this your first Neil Gaiman book? Etc.
My first exposure to NG was “Neverwhere� on audio, and it was an enchanting experience. I’ve experienced many of his other works, all on audio and all read by NG himself. This was my first bound book that I actually *read*, and curiously enough, I heard the narrator in his voice as I read it.
I do like starting with the prologue as a adult. It sets up the mystery, so that you know he survived the childhood experience, but not how he got there or how it might have changed him. In other words, you sort of know how it all ends, but the journey is the mystery. It makes me eager to know more.

3. The narrator doesn't seem to have a name yet. Is there a significance to this?
I don’t know. It didn’t occur to me that it might be. It just seemed another emphasis of the essential loneliness of his character, of how he seems to inhabit his own little bubble that is separate and apart from the lives that others live around him.

4. One of the interesting� Are you finding humour in the book so far?
Hm. NG always seems to find a humorous twist to any situation, an alternative POV if you will. But more surprising to me is that I had the opposite reaction to yours. I found the birthday party funny and the dead Fluffy terribly sad. Maybe because I really identify the child that he is with the child that I was. I wouldn’t have cared much about other children attending my birthday � more than likely I would have forgotten to invite other children at all. I felt more sorry for his mother, who probably felt the insult more keenly, and might have been grieved that her son was friendless. But the kitten is the only character that the boy really connects with, so far in the story. Everyone else is as remote to him as characters in a story, but he felt a genuine affection for Fluffy that the kitten seems to return.

5. The Hemstock ladies� ?
No idea at this point, except that the Mrs. Hempstocks are obviously older than just mother- and granny-aged, but Lettie appears to be both wiser than eleven and still very much a child.

6. Do you think that the narrator catching the "thing" thrown at him "from the centre of the flapping canvas" will have a lasting impact? What could it be?
(view spoiler)[ This isn’t really fair for me to answer, since I’ve already read the whole book. But it was obvious to me during the first reading that the “thing� was going to be a big problem, because of the repeated emphasis that he should not let go of Lettie’s hand. (hide spoiler)]

Sheri wrote: "6. Do you think that the narrator catching the "thing" thrown at him "from the centre of the flapping canvas" will have a lasting impact? What could it be?
(view spoiler)"

Sheri - I didn't write a response for this one because I've already finished the book (I didn't even think of using a spoiler), but I had the same thoughts that you did as it happened.

I loved the prologue. I was drawn into the book right away because of this strong feeling of nostalgia right off the bat.

This is my first Neil Gaiman but I did really enjoy his writing.

This is the first Neil book I'm sure I'll finish cause of you guys.

The relevance of the narrator being nameless could relate to what I've heard about this bring the closest thing to Neil Gaiman writing an autobiography.

Did anyone else notice the from dedication before the quote? -- Because Amanda wanted to know.

@Kristie

1. True!
5. Yes, kind of like the crazy ladies downstairs in Coraline ;)

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@Sheri

All html working!

1. Yes it does ;)

2. I haven't "read" one of his audio books yet, but I sure intend to

3. I like that as an idea

4. haha. I guess that shows your own experiences can affect how you take a situation. I wonder how everyone else will find it

6. Indeed!

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@Sarah
I was drawn into it too for the same reason

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@Nicole

yes, I liked that dedication too Nicole. And it all fit in with that blog that Amanda wrote.

Questions and comments
Chapters: Prologue-04, pages 01-62

1. I liked the introductory quote from Maurice Sendak. This seems to be setting up the theme of the book which is similar to the main theme of Coraline. What do you think of this concept of children being braver than adults would want them to be?
I like that quote too. I think that sometimes children are braver especially when testing the limits imposed by adults. Like when the parent says "don't go to the basement because there is a scary monster there" and the child still gathers its courage and goes there to see the monster.

2. Is this your first Neil Gaiman book? What do you think of the writing style and the subtle descriptions? Do you like how we start with a Prologue and then go back to when the narrator is 7?
Yes, this is my first Neil Gaiman. I really enjoy his writing style. It kind of combines more relaxed passages with alert ones and it really suck you in. The Prologue provides a nice framework for the story.

3. The narrator doesn't seem to have a name yet. Is there a significance to this?
Probably. It might make it easier to identify with the story.

4. One of the interesting ways NG writes, for me, is maneuvering our emotions deftly and describing a usually tragic situation with subtle humour. For example, the scene of the child abandoned at his seventh birthday I found so sad and I was surprised that soon after when he described that the dead Fluffy being replaced by Monster I was smiling rather than horrified. Are you finding humour in the book so far?
I have to agree with Kristie. It was opposite for me too. The party was funny because of the mother trying too much.

5. The Hemstock ladies are interesting. They seem to have some kind of psychic abilities and speak "in the language of shaping". What are your thoughts on them? Are they witches or spirits or deities, or can they not be categorised?
I think I would say they are guardians, watching out for evil stuff. They are definitely very interesting.

6. Do you think that the narrator catching the "thing" thrown at him "from the centre of the flapping canvas" will have a lasting impact? What could it be?
That was a bit weird and I think that it will have an impact.

Ah Christina - I like the idea of the ladies being guardians!

This is my first time reading a Neil Gaiman book and I'm certainly enjoying his writing style. I was quickly intrigued at the beginning and there is already enough of a fantasy element for me to be thinking that maybe the duck pond really is/was a lake. I can't say I was amused by the kitten, I was more horrified that no one really cared his kitten died than his birthday debacle! But then I do love cats... I'm finding the Hemstock ladies really interesting, esp their evasiveness when asked how old they are - they feel much older than they appear, and I like what Cristina said about them being guardians, they certainly are behaving like guardians of those around them. Better get back to it and finish chapter 4...

Chapters: Prologue-04, pages 01-62

1. I liked the introductory quote from Maurice Sendak. This seems to be setting up the theme of the book which is similar to the main theme of Coraline. What do you think of this concept of children being braver than adults would want them to be?

Did he mean that the adults wanted to protect the child from the terrible things or that the adults would be scared of the terrible things if they knew they were true? It could be either. As a parent I want to protect my children from terrible things. Sometimes children don't tell the truth because they are worried it might hurt a parent or that they might not believe them, (like when he found the coin in his throat and didn't know who to tell)


2. Is this your first Neil Gaiman book? What do you think of the writing style and the subtle descriptions? Do you like how we start with a Prologue and then go back to when the narrator is 7?

Yes, this is my fist Neil Gaiman. I'm really enjoying it so far. It was interesting how it starts at "the end". I think this is because the journey is more interesting than the destination.


3. The narrator doesn't seem to have a name yet. Is there a significance to this?

I honestly hadn't even noticed that until I read this question, then even had to go back and check. The writing style is so first person I just knew the character as "me".

4. One of the interesting ways NG writes, for me, is maneuvering our emotions deftly and describing a usually tragic situation with subtle humour. For example, the scene of the child abandoned at his seventh birthday I found so sad and I was surprised that soon after when he described that the dead Fluffy being replaced by Monster I was smiling rather than horrified. Are you finding humour in the book so far?

Ironic humour. No kids turning up for the party was a sad thing, but the writing style didn't wallow in the sadness, it accepted that this is how it is and lets just get on with it. He wan't surprised that no one came because he didn't have any friends, and looked at the positives, getting a batman figure too. Fluffy dying wasn't funny, but the "cat for a cat" was in that it was so wrong. A cute loving fluffy kitten and a mean old beat up tom cat are not equal.

5. The Hemstock ladies are interesting. They seem to have some kind of psychic abilities and speak "in the language of shaping". What are your thoughts on them? Are they witches or spirits or deities, or can they not be categorised?

They may be immortal, or at least very long lived. I think they have come from another plane and when they brought their farm with them they may have created a bridge of sorts thet they are now responsible for. So yeah Christina - I'm with you on the Guardians idea.

6. Do you think that the narrator catching the "thing" thrown at him "from the centre of the flapping canvas" will have a lasting impact? What could it be?

When he caught the thing he felt a sharp pain in his foot, so maybe he has been marked or contaminated in some way. Lettie told him not to let go of her hand, but he did, so he wasn't protected. Something will come of this but I don't know what. Maybe he will deveop some of their psycic powers?

1. I think it's a well-known fact that kids are braver. At least I used to be a lot braver in my childhood than I am now. Your question made me think about why kids are braver and I think it's more than "not understanding how dangerous some things are", maybe it's also because they don't really understand the impact their action can have on other people. I'm rambling too much, sorry.

2. Not my first book and I am already used to his writing style. Despite being an adult novel, this one feels like a children book - might be because the narrator is a kid but I don't think it's that.

3. I read the book when it was released and I forgot about this.

4. I thought the death of the kitty was sadder than no one showing up to his party.

5. I think they are old... really old.

Nicole wrote: "The relevance of the narrator being nameless could relate to what I've heard about this bring the closest thing to Neil Gaiman writing an autobiography.

Did anyone else notice the from dedication before the quote? -- Because Amanda wanted to know."

I hadn't heard about the autobiographical aspect. Curious, because he seems a very social kind of guy, based on his social media presence. Very different from the narrator. Yes, I saw the dedication and was curious about it. I'll have to read the article that his wife wrote.

I've read a bit further, and I'm loving the writing style. I've been listening to a bunch of things spoken by Neil lately and he has a very distinct voice. I can hear it in my head as I read this.

I'm already thinking of grabbing one of the books he does the audio book for. Does any one here know the names of those titles?

The only trouble I'm having (the only reason I've put it down at all so far) is how dark it is. Is anyone noticing this? I thought the movie of Coraline was similarly creepy. For some reason, I didn't expect it ahead of time with this one.

Karen wrote: "2. I haven't "read" one of his audio books yet, but I sure intend to"

I highly recommend. Not all authors make very good audio narrators, but he is genius at the pacing and rhythm, always with that little bit of humor lurking underneath.

Kristie wrote: "I think there are times when children are too brave, but it's usually because they don't know the danger in what they are doing. I also think there are times that adults would like children to be braver. I think knowing when to be brave and when to be cautious comes with age. Although, I don't think it is aalways clear cut as to when to be brave versus cautious, so many of us never really figure it out."
I think, for the most part, that small children and adults are simply afraid of very different things. The adult doesn't need to be brave about the unknown darkness in the corners of the room at night, but if we feared the same things that children do, then I think we'd find them much braver than we are.

Hi Alison! welcome to this group :)
That is true that no-one seemed to really notice or care about fluffy!

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@Renee
1. I took it as more of the latter. I agree kids want to protect their parents just as much as vice versa sometimes!

2. Good point

3. :)

4. Yes it was the "cat for the cat" I found myself smiling and kind of shaking my head. Especially "fluffy" for "monster". lol!

6. Hmmm perhaps!

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@Andreea

1. That is true (not rambling) ;)

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@Nicole

I didn't expect it either, but this isn't a kids book so it didn't 'bother' me as much, or 'surprise' me I guess as much as it did with Coraline

Have continued to read. Do all of Neil's book sort of blur the line between fantasy and horror?

Many of them do, yes, but not all. Books like Stardust song really have the horror element

Steven wrote: "Many of them do, yes, but not all. Books like Stardust don't really have the horror element"

Stardust is definitely his "lightest" novel.

Neil talked about the darkness of this book in particular when I saw him at a book reading. He said that he was going back and forth about whether this book should be classified as YA or adult, and he settled on adult because he feels it lacks a sense of hope that all his YA or middle grade books have had.

It's been so fun to read everyone's responses :) I've read this book twice since it came out (already!), so I'm just sort of following along to avoid spoilering people.

Re: the Hempstocks - they reminded me of the Fates from mythology. The mother, maiden, and crone seemed like close analogs to them, in my opinion...

At least as long as you assume the fantastical portions of the narrative are true and our narrator is trustworthy.

The Hempstocks as the three aspects of fate... Nice!

Christy wrote: "The Hempstocks as the three aspects of fate... Nice!"

Ditto. That didn't even occur to me, but it fits.

Nicole wrote: "I've read a bit further, and I'm loving the writing style. I've been listening to a bunch of things spoken by Neil lately and he has a very distinct voice. I can hear it in my head as I read this.
..."

Try Neverwhere or the Graveyard Book, if you're looking for audio that NG did the reading for.

1. (Agree with comments made by Renee & Karen) - I think Maurice knew terrible things as a child (such as the Wild Things that mashed their terrible teeth and wanted to eat him up) that he couldn't tell the adults about. He may have had to be be brave every night and face them ( or something like them) alone.

2. Not my first, but is my favorite so far. I like the rewind in time.

3. Haha! How do I get through (a whole book??) and not notice I don't have a name? Wow! Really?? (I have read once before. Re-listening now.)

4. Yes ironic humor. What Renee said. :) "cat for a cat" "so wrong!"

5. I think they are powerful. The Fates idea Ashley Marie mentioned was good. Remember when Lettie "nudged them to look in his pocket" for the note? A Fate could do that! But I don't know that a fate would have to bind the flapping canvas woman, but maybe a witch of some kind would.

6. Maybe! It seemed to be an effective ?strategy? to have him let go of Lettie's hand for a moment.

I thought the same, Ashley Marie. Definitely the fates.

Thanks for the titles, Sheri!

I read this book in August, now I have a lot of pleasure following the comments.

I love the picture of the lane, it is a truely magical sight, great setting for a fantasy story.

I really like the idea of three aspects of fate manifested in Hempstocks women, I totally agree it is symbolic, I wonder what other connection can we find in this story. I must say, I'm particularly interested in this level of understanding Gaiman's book :)

@Ashley Marie

I like the fates idea too!!

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@Christy

1. True. It is easy to forget what scared us as kids, that we may not have told anyone

3. lol. Isn't he clever to have you not even realise ;)

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@Anima

Great - I'm glad you are enjoying 're-living' the book

Questions and Comments for Chapters 5 - 8

7. "Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences." I rather liked this statement. Do you ever take time to step off the path?

8. Should the boy have killed the worm after all? I wonder if it would be possible? Do you like the symbolism Gaiman uses by making the monster a worm--a term used to describe someone as a weak or despicable person?

9. What kind of hold does Ursula have on his father to make a man who won't hit his children try to drown one? The whole tub scene was pretty scary. Do you think if the boy hadn't managed to get a hold of his father's tie things would have ended differently?

10. If the boy tried to describe what was going on to a grownup it would all easily be dismissed as something his childhood mind had conjured up. Do you think adults should listen a little closer to what children say? Are they often dismissed too easily?

11. The scene in the library would be an awful sight for a boy to witness. I'm surprised how quickly Ursula got her claws into everyone. Do you think Ursula/the monster is the personification of selfish desires?

12. We know that the boy's father was a little vain because at the beginning of the story he was remembered as saying, "looking good" to his own reflection. Could the story of the beautiful young man the narcissi were named after be Gaiman's clever way of giving us a better insight of the boy's father? Was Ursula, described as being very pretty, a reflection of the father rather like the pond reflected narcissus' own image back?

13. "Growing up, I took so many cues from books. They taught me most of what I knew about what people did, about how to behave. They were my teachers and my advisors." Another quote I liked. Did you like the way the boy used what he'd learned?

14. "My parents were a unit, inviolate. The future had suddenly become unknowable: anything could happen: the train of my life had jumped the rails and headed off across the fields and was coming down the lane with me, then." I think Gaiman captured beautifully how children feel about their parents. They're their security, stability, and rock. Take one or both away and they feel less rooted.

15. Is anyone else getting the idea this will be a tale with a message behind it? In the first section the strange canvas like creature claims it was approached by someone saying, "That they were simple creatures, and all any of them want is money, just money, and nothing more." Plus, there were all the stories of the people in the area needing money. I'm thinking it will have something to do with happiness or money. What do you think?

7. I must admit I rarely step off the path, but I constantly admire this ability in children and even envy them a little. I really like this quote, it is in agreement with children's nature.

10. I would say that children are dismissed too easily, although I also think that there are more considerate parents nowaday than in our little character's times. I believe that children see more than adults, and they have a unique, extremely creative way of perciving the world and connecting the facts they observe, that's why it is worth to listen to them carefully.

13. I am so much like him, I also find books extremely important source of knowledge of the world. I like the idea of books being crucial teaching factor, but I also believe in power of human relations and wouldn't like to abandon them.

14. I think that parents, but also other members of the family are crucial to child's healthy development. Without those family roots and family history we may be very confused about our identity and thus less stable in the world.

I think there is a lot in Gaiman's story. I find these layers very intriguing and due to them I tend to come back to this book searching for more clues.

7. It's an interesting statement. I think in a way this is how we evolve: we start by exploring different ways of doing things and settle for the ones that work for us. For me, I sometimes like to explore more.

8. I don't think killing it would have worked. I like the symbolism in this book. Portraying the "creature" as a worm initially shows that it can be defeated eventually.

9. The bathtub scene was definitely scary. I think Ursula is very manipulative, showing a person what it wants to see and feel. I think the act of the boy holding tightly to his father's tie was symbolic showing the struggle against injustice.

10. I don't think children should be dismissed so easily. They may perceive some events as extraordinary and exaggerate their description in some way, but that doesn't mean there isn't a grain of truth in there, awaiting to be discovered.

11, 12, 15 - I think these questions relate to each other so I'm going to answer to all of them in one go. I think Ursula is the personification of greed, the want for more. The father might be a bit vain and wanting a more prettier woman to validate his own "beauty", so the creature takes the form of a beautiful and likable woman. Also, the creature initially threw money at people, and made money appear in an area with a lot of people who needed money. I think this will somehow relate to happiness, as greed always comes with something negative like the destruction of a family, fights (there was a fight in a household where money appeared in a girl's bag), even violence.

13. A lot of good quotes. I think the boy also learn good principles, like standing up for something you think wrong and resisting temptation.

Back to reading now, because it's fascinating.

Questions and Comments for Chapters 5 - 8

7. "Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences." I rather liked this statement. Do you ever take time to step off the path?

I'm not a big risk taker, so I usually stay on the path. But I encourage my kids to explore their environment and have fun being a kid, and sometimes find myself getting caught up in their adventure.

8. Should the boy have killed the worm after all? I wonder if it would be possible? Do you like the symbolism Gaiman uses by making the monster a worm--a term used to describe someone as a weak or despicable person?

I would have squished the worm, then washed it down - that's what I do to the bush ticks I find on my dog, don't want them crawling back up the drain. If you cut an earthworm in half, the back end will regenerate, so the fact that the worm snapped when he pulled it out wouldn't kill it. Though it looked like an earthworm, the way it used his body as a host to travel into our world, it is a parasite. A creature that feeds off another. Does Ursula feed off greed?

9. What kind of hold does Ursula have on his father to make a man who won't hit his children try to drown one? The whole tub scene was pretty scary. Do you think if the boy hadn't managed to get a hold of his father's tie things would have ended differently?

Maybe she has a physical parasytical hold over people, maybe she can "nudge" people to do something like Lettie can.

10. If the boy tried to describe what was going on to a grownup it would all easily be dismissed as something his childhood mind had conjured up. Do you think adults should listen a little closer to what children say? Are they often dismissed too easily?

We tell children they should always go to an adult for help, so we should always listen to them. Kids often have a fantastic imagination, but the ideas usually come from somewhere. Small children dont know how to lie so the truth can be easily drawn out. If older kids are lying, there is usually an underlying reason for that which should be uncovered so you can help them.

11. The scene in the library would be an awful sight for a boy to witness. I'm surprised how quickly Ursula got her claws into everyone. Do you think Ursula/the monster is the personification of selfish desires?

Or maybe she feeds on selfish desires.

12. We know that the boy's father was a little vain because at the beginning of the story he was remembered as saying, "looking good" to his own reflection. Could the story of the beautiful young man the narcissi were named after be Gaiman's clever way of giving us a better insight of the boy's father? Was Ursula, described as being very pretty, a reflection of the father rather like the pond reflected narcissus' own image back?

I think the narcissi story highlighted the fathers pride.Not sure about the reflection though, Narcissus died because he couldn't have the object of his desire - his own reflection, but the father was definately "having" Ursula.

13. "Growing up, I took so many cues from books. They taught me most of what I knew about what people did, about how to behave. They were my teachers and my advisors." Another quote I liked. Did you like the way the boy used what he'd learned?

Yes, I liked that quote too.

14. "My parents were a unit, inviolate. The future had suddenly become unknowable: anything could happen: the train of my life had jumped the rails and headed off across the fields and was coming down the lane with me, then." I think Gaiman captured beautifully how children feel about their parents. They're their security, stability, and rock. Take one or both away and they feel less rooted.

I agree.

15. Is anyone else getting the idea this will be a tale with a message behind it? In the first section the strange canvas like creature claims it was approached by someone saying, "That they were simple creatures, and all any of them want is money, just money, and nothing more." Plus, there were all the stories of the people in the area needing money. I'm thinking it will have something to do with happiness or money. What do you think?

The description of the book on goodreads refered to it as a fable, which is a story that illustrates a moral lesson. Reading so far it feels like a fable, like it has something to say. The guy who suicided met Ursula in the other realm and told her that everyone just wants more money to be happy, but I don't think more money will make everyone happy. The money she has thrown around already is only causing problems. The old "be careful what you wish for", the genie's always twist around what people wish for and that never turns out well for selfish wishes.

@Christy
I thought of the Wild Things too

I would actually like to see there being a moral or a deeper message uncovered in the later part of this story. I'd be surprised if there wasn't.

God, the bath scene definitely made me put the book down for a while. That was the freakiest bit yet.

Though, the cute little black kitten he found at Lettie's pretty much makes up for it!

@Anima - I agree, there are so many layers that it can be easy to miss some

@christina & Nicole - oh that bath scene so scary!

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@Renee
7. That is the joy of having kids isn't it? :)

9-11. I like your theories!

15. True. I agree, I read it as a fable

Questions and comments
Chapters 09-11, pages 122-178


16. There are so many food references in this book, and I especially liked the one about him sitting in the bath eating soup. Have any taken your fancy?

17. Old Mrs Hempstock got to "snipping and stitching" and removed that horrible evening. Did you like this concept?

18. They were able to get the hole out of his foot, but what about the pain he also has in his chest?

19. I loved the descriptions of the Hempstock home when he stayed the night. Did anything stick out to you?

20. Lettie makes a boundary out of marbles, toys and dolls heads for the confrontation with Ursula. How did you feel about this confrontation and the hunger birds eating her? Ursula says "I never made any of them do anything". Does that mean that his father really is that cruel?

21. Here are a few quotes that Lisarenee really liked:
Lettie shrugged. “Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside. You don’t. I don’t. People are much more complicated than that. It’s true of everybody.�

“Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are things people are scared of. Some of them are things that look like things people used to be scared of a long time ago. Sometimes monsters are things people should be scared of, but they aren’t.�

She finds what they think they need and she tries to give it to them. She’s doing it to make the world into something she’ll be happier in. Somewhere more comfortable for her. Somewhere cleaner. And she doesn’t care so much about giving them money, not anymore. Now what she cares about more is people hurting.�

"I wondered if that was true: if they were all really children wrapped in adult bodies, like children’s books hidden in the middle of dull, long adult books, the kind with no pictures or conversations."

Lisarenee commented that last one be a hint at what Gaiman tried to do?