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#Unearthing Its Dark Themes Ahead of the Adaptation

“Unearthing Its Dark Themes Ahead of the Adaptation”

After years of wandering the seemingly endless corridors of development purgatory, Walt Disney Studios has confirmed the process is underway to unearth The Graveyard Book — a 2008 young adult novel by Neil Gaiman.

The Graveyard Book follows the lonely and often dangerous exploits of Nobody “Bod” Owens. Saved from certain death as an infant, Bod grows up playing between the tombs of a long-neglected graveyard. Over the years, he learns to read, write, and understand the world under the careful tutelage of paternal ghosts and a somber vampire guardian named Silas. Bod eventually learns to utilize the Freedom of the Graveyard — a set of mystical abilities that allow him to disappear, slip through walls, and even communicate with ghosts.

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Though written for a target age of 8-11, The Graveyard Book contains some pretty intense scenes and themes that might prove a bit too gritty for some children and adults alike. Double-check the locks and pull up the sheets – here is an eerie gaze at some of the darkest moments found within the pages of The Graveyard Book.

The Opening Scene is Intense

The story begins with perhaps its most shocking scene. The central antagonist, a ruthless killer known as Jack Frost, murders Bod’s family with brutal calculation. His father, mother, and sister all fall beneath the cold slice of Jack Frost’s knife. Though only eighteen months old, Frost is intent on also finishing off Bod, who incidentally wanders into the quiet safety of the local graveyard.

Related: Will These Children’s Books Ever Get The Adaptation They Deserve?

The scene of violent death is relatively brief and executed with artful taste. The book does not contain direct depictions of the violence, a tactic Disney will most likely follow in the screen adaption. Still, viewers should be aware of the dark subject matter likely to open the screen adaptation of The Graveyard Book.

The Book Discusses Suicide

Neil Gaiman rarely passes up an opportunity to deal with the heavy realities of life. The many macabre themes present in The Graveyard Book prove no exception. While walking through the many gravestones, Silas and Bod’s conversation gives way to a brief discussion on suicide. Silas, the vampire tutor, begins the conversation:

“There are always people who find their lives have become so unsupportable they believe the best thing they could do would be to hasten their transition to another plane of existence.”

“They kill themselves, you mean?” said Bod. He was about eight years old, wide-eyed and inquisitive, and he was not stupid.

“Indeed.”

“Does it work? Are they happier dead?”

“Sometimes. Mostly, no. It’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.”

The Graveyard Book often seeks to lay out to bare truth of human suffering — naming it, discussing it, and in so doing, humanizing the very real struggles people experience every day. If the movie proves a faithful adaptation of the source material, viewers can expect to be confronted with these stark realities of life and death.

The Reality of Death is a Primary Theme

As most of The Graveyard Book takes place within the confines of a cemetery, the heavy presence of death within the story shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Death, quite literally, can be found on almost every page of the book. Many of the supporting characters within the story are the various ghosts that tell Bod of their myriad life experiences. Further, Jack Frost belongs to a secretive cult known as the Jack of All Trades that engages in vicious acts of human sacrifice to strengthen their magical abilities.

The Grim Conclusion

The Graveyard Book sets out to tell a visceral and relatable coming-of-age tale through the eyes of a boy learning at the hands of the deceased. The story delves deep into the human experience and unflinchingly offers perspectives on pain, loss, processing trauma, and the certainty of death waiting down the road.

Related: Neil Gaiman Says He Can’t Just Ignore Trolls Who Target The Sandman For Being ‘Woke’

Still, the book’s general demeanor speaks of death as a natural and even beautiful component of life. It is ultimately a thing not to be feared but respected, learned from, and valued. The dead are found secure and safe from the worries that beset the living. There is no fear of bullies, illness, or, as in Bod’s case, the prospect of being murdered.

Further Viewing


Neil Gaiman is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest authors of our time. In fact, Gaiman will receive the 2023 St. Louis Literary Award early next year. As such, Gaiman’s macabre stories are no stranger to film adaptation. Successful film properties like Coraline, Stardust, and Beowulf offer an accessible opportunity to acclimate to Gaiman’s spooky and often unsettling story sensibilities.

More in the mood for a TV show? Look no further than Gaiman’s The Sandman. Garnered with an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this new Netflix series is sure to make otherworldly bingeworthy material.

The film adaptation of The Graveyard Book is moving further into development with Mark Forster set to direct. Forster is known for his directorial work on films such as World War Z, Christopher Robin, and Finding Neverland.

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