Tuesday July 2, 2002: Gaiman was in the San
Francisco Bay Area, giving a full reading of Coraline.
The event was organized by Cody’s Books (one of the
largest independent bookstores in Northern California)
and held at a local church, with tickets going on sale
for ten dollars for adults and five for people sixteen
and under. While much mention is made of the book
being for kids, the theater was jam packed with
adults, perhaps an expected (or unexpected?) side
effect of having a three-hour reading begin in the
evening.
The show was delayed and the six-thirty start time
quickly dragged on and became seven. Roaring applause
echoed through the large church as Neil Gaiman walked
onto the stage, clad in what could easily be mistaken
for a biker motif-black, steel-toed boots, black
pants, black shirt, black leather jacket. In fact,
with his long scruffy hair and heavy stubble, Gaiman
looks like he could blend in at a Hell’s Angel
drink-up just as comfortably as he could stand up in
front of a large audience and read for three hours.
There were two 90-minute reading sections with an
intermission in-between. Gaiman read excellently,
changing his voice to suit different characters,
slowing his words to toy with the audience and most
importantly reading clearly, concisely and eloquently.
His seventh grade teacher would be beamingly
proud-every syllable of every word was clearly
enunciated. He gave off an air of relaxed, casual
confidence that transferred straight to the audience.
Everyone listening in the hard, church seats felt
wanted there, felt like Gaiman was the best friend who
had grown up down the street from them.
An electric current ripped through the audience as
Gaiman spoke-he had everyone’s full attention. When
a joke was told (and occasionally when one wasn’t),
people laughed. During moments of suspense, the
theater was silent enough to hear a pin drop, except
for Gaiman’s skillful reading as he dragged out the
words to edge the suspense.
Mention must be made of the idea of reading the
whole book. The concept of renting out an auditorium
(or church), filing it with people and then reading
them a complete beginning-middle-end 160-page book in
its entirety (not just an excerpt) is a new and great
one. Gaiman and Cody’s Books demonstrated a terrific
amount of bravery for staging such a mad, crazy show.
The fact that it worked out so well is a testament to
the type of intelligence that everyone involved
possesses.
Receiving a story by auditory means is an odd
experience, one that most American adults aren’t
used to. More focus is required then is necessary to
follow along with a movie, but the needed effort you
have to put in is worth the work, especially when the
reader is as talented as Gaiman. Hopefully, there will
be other full readings of Coraline and with a
little luck, of other short books as well.
Although at times it became tiring and
uncomfortable, hearing Gaiman read his own complete
work was a treat to be savored. If the Coraline
tour (assuming it is a tour) comes to your town, take
the opportunity to hear him. Otherwise, just buy the
book (or the audio tapes, which Gaiman also reads).
You won’t be disappointed, even if you are left with
an unsettled,
double-check-behind-the-curtains-before-you-fall-asleep
kind of feeling.
Click here to purchase the Coraline Hardcover on sale for $11.19!
Click here to purchase Coraline, read by Neil Gaiman on CD for $15.40
NeilGaiman.com
Neil Gaiman Tour Information
Slushfactory.com's interview with Neil Gaiman
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