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Coraline the Graphic Novel
The illustrations offer many new aspects this story. The reactions of characters can be seen in the illustrations beyond what just words have to offer for example, "Oh don't let Hamish eat the fruitcake or he'll be up all night with his tummy" (p. 3) Miss Spink is talking to Miss Forcible and the readers is able to see Caroline's judgment of Miss Spink, something just shy of disgust. -
Characters from a New Perspective
Author's character interpretations can be compared to reader's imagined characters based on the words alone. -
Emphasis of Each Cell/Scene
In the graphic novel each cell demands its own attention. Rather than the words being simply details to further explain, describe or tell the story. The separation of the words into short segments requires the reader to give attention to each segment individually rather than as a while with smaller less important details. I found myself spending time relating the few words to the details in the picture trying to make meaning of each piece. -
Action between Words
I noticed that there were many more actions included in the graphic novel than I imagined in my mind reading just the words alone in the novel. -
The Movie Changes the Perspective Again
I definitely think that all three of these are very different. It could be a result of my limited imagination (or so I felt after reading the graphic novel and then watching the movie). The start alone gave the tone of the text a more childish with the asynchronous music that has children singing and bright chiming but then a darker humming or underlying tone. -
Mixture of Shots Give Wide Range of Experiences
The movie opens with a long shot to welcome the "reader" home. Then we see Caroline moving into a pink house that looks like a doll house made for imagination or play more than imagined or shown in the graphic novel. Caroline herself is shown as brightly colored again the bleak setting and her and the cat are the only movement through most of the opening scenes. -
Movie Suggests New Theme
The theme of growing and needing nurturing was most clear in the movie for me. It was because of what was present beyond words. For example, while she is putting seed packets in the window sill while talking to her mother and how happy she looks when waiting for the "gravy train" to come around. On the other hand, her voice adds more to her character, she sounds more bratty with a greater need to grow up a little. Caroline's voice along with the visual experience of her emotions add to her. -
Knowing Character at Different Levels
While I felt engaged with Coraline's thoughts through just the words in the novel, the illustrations in the graphic novel offered more and then in the movie we get the scenes that alone add more to her character and emotion. For example, when she goes to sleep and has the stuffed version of her parents kissing them goodnight and the camera is a long medium shot that moves to a close up to reveal Coraline's sadness in missing her real parents. -
Overall
These three versions of this story really do offer totally different experiences. There are different elements to each of them. Illustrations and then movement and sound. -
Illustrations as Another Story Element
The illustrations are able to stand alone without words and offer extra details. Page 8 for example, the videos, toys, and books offer more personal details about Caroline's personality and interests and can even provide an extra detail for readers to connect with. Page 118 the key getting pulled out of the other mother's mouth shown close up covered in saliva emphasizes the disgust of the act of handing it over and transferring the saliva to Caroline's hand. -
References
Photos, Screen Shots and evidence from Gaiman, N. (2002). Coraline. HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York, NY.
Gaiman, N. & Russel, C. (2008). Coraline: a graphic novel. HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York, NY.
Kozachik, P. (Director). (2009). Coraline [Motion picture]. Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
