Log #4

Name of The Book: Coraline

I start my second novel with Coraline, which style is a lot different from the first one. Coraline is actually much easier to read. I guess it is probably a book for children. In the beginning of the book, I really like the saying by the G.K. Chesterton “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragon exist, but because they tell us that dragon can be beaten.” Besides I’ve watched the adapted movie, this quote impressed me so much that become the reason I started this novel.

This is talking about a story happened after Coraline’s family moved into a new house. The author makes the atmosphere in the story freaky and horrifying just in the beginning by his description of environment and characters. Coraline has really wired neighbors, who act really wired without doubt. Two of them are retired actresses who have special taste of outfit and make up, always have argument about everything. And another one is a crazy old man with big mustache who claims that he was training a mouse circus. In addition to strange neighbors, what makes it scarier is the warning. The warning to tell Coraline to keep away from the dangerous well. It makes me more curious.

Speaking of curiosity, Coraline is a curious girl. She likes to explore things. In the book, she calls herself an explorer. However, because of a downpour, Coraline was forced to stay at home. Her parents are both too busy to spend time with her. Feeling too bored, Coraline has no choice but to explore the house. She starts to count every door and window at home. Then, she finds out one door was in the corner of the room: the fourteenth door, which is locked. This inspires her curiosity to explore it. To Coraline’s surprise, it turns out to be that this door doesn't go anywhere; it opens onto a brick wall. However, after the day she opened the fourteenth door, she started to have freaky dream. However, in the beginning, Coraline considers it to be a fantastic dream because in that world she meet her other parents who play perfect roles and fulfill her every expectation which her real parents are too busy to do for her in reality.

Her dreams remind me of mine. I had similar ones before. Compared to Coraline's feeling, I was really scared and saw them as nightmare instead of fantastic ones. Impressed by horror movies and novels, I was highly influenced when I was little. Things like other parents, talking animals all made me uncomfortable; not to mention I would like the dream.