The popular claymation stop-motion movie “Coraline”, released in 2009, was actually based on the short novel written by Neil Gaiman and published in 2002. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of the novel because of the popularity the movie has given the franchise. For many readers, the source material is almost always better than the media adaptations, so let’s talk about how the novel differs, and if or what is seen to have done better.
The book starts out with the door to the other world being the first thing that Coraline discovered in their new flat or apartment. The first chapter goes into detail about the house. In the novel, it is only ever referred to as the house, but the movie adaptation gave a name to the large house that was separated into different apartments – The Pink Palace. In the house, there are 4 apartments, however one is not being used. The door to the other world is what separates the unused flat, and where Coraline and her parents reside.
Unlike in the movie, Coraline wasn’t coaxed into unlocking the door to the other world with jumping mice, but instead had done so out of boredom and curiosity. Her mother had just left to get groceries, and she was left to her own devices in the flat. Before this, both of her neighbors had gotten vaguely ominous messages from sources that correlate to them, passing them on to Coraline much like in the movie.
There aren’t many differences between the novel and the movie, apart from visuals. The other mother, or the beldam, is described as more bug-like from the beginning of the book, and more pale with sharper features compared to her real mother. The scenes of when Coraline is retrieving the souls for the lost children are described in a much more unsettling way then what is shown in the movie. The acrobatic couple, Miss Sphinx and Miss Forcible in the otherworld are described in a much more unsettling manner than how it’s visualized in the movie.
A scene that was completely changed was the cellar scene in the book. It was replaced with the garden scene in the movie, while Coraline is gathering the souls. The intense scene was equally disturbing and thrilling to read. However, it is understandable that this was replaced to allow the movie to keep its PG rating.
A large difference in the movie is a whole new set of characters that were added: Wyborn and his grandmother. There was no mention of them in the novel, but they were added for both story purposes and for character development. I think that this was an amazing change to the story, and brings much more life to the house and its past. It also gives more of a connection to the spirits of the children in the other world.
My personal opinion is that both pieces are wonders in their own way. The beauty of the book describes the world around it and captures both the slightly unsettling atmosphere of the other world. The movie is able to portray a false sense of safety in the other world, but eases you into the true unsettling nature as it progresses. Both of these aspects are equally intriguing and very suspenseful. I do recommend this book to horror genre lovers, or people looking for a book they just can’t put down.
