Neil Gaiman’s 2002 novella
Coralineis a well-established—arguably a canonical—piece of children’s literature. This is perhaps unsurprising given Gaiman’s status as a prolific modern literary writer, as well as the fact that the book reads a bit like a modern version of Lewis Carroll’s
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.Indeed, Gaiman was inspired by the classic text in his invention of
Coraline, as well as the 1882 short story “The New Mother” by Lucy Clifford, a cautionary tale in which a mother leaves her daughters and is replaced by their new mother (who has glass eyes and a wooden tale) after they are naughty.
Coralinewas further solidified as a mainstay of children’s popular culture with the publication of the graphic novel in 2008 and subsequent film adaptation…
2655 words
Citation: Slagle, Colette. "Coraline". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 August 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35028, accessed 22 October 2024.]
