I love “The Graveyard Book”, I’ve posted about it here before, when I spent a few immensely enjoyable days reading it in various graveyards in my vicinity. So when, over at his blog, the esteemed author Mister Neil Gaiman answered a question a reader had about the precise steps for the Danse Macabre, and mentioned that he would try to link to any video footage of readers dancing the Macabray that found its way to the interweb – well, I knew what had to be done.
A few weeks later and here is the video, thanks to the wonderful efforts of Ben, Erin, Lili, Lizbt, M1K3Y, Melodie, Michael, Omega, Rachel, Sam and Warren – who all took time out on Sunday to come down to my local botanic garden and prance around for a spell. Thank you peoples.
Things didn’t go entirely as I’d hoped, as some thoughtless couple decided to choose the exact same time to get married in precisely the bit of the gardens that I had plotted out the shoot in the day before – but the ‘best laid plans of the living and the dead’ as they say…
I went a little farther from home to find a new graveyard for my latest Graveyard Book reading session, (Three quarters of the way through the story now by the way… I don’t want it to end!), and the cemetery I ended up in was considerably larger than the ones I’ve already visited.
This was a real Necropolis, a huge sprawling affair with chapels, mausoleums and a shed disguised as a house that had had a fleet of earth moving vehicles inside. So it was obviously still very much open for business. Unlike the other cemeteries I visited I saw quite a few people paying their respects, and at one stage even walked past half a dozen of the ground-staff having a leisurely chat under a gazebo.
The photo photo below suggests they are pretty serious about keeping people out after hours, too.
(Or is it for keeping people in I wonder?)
It was much to large for me to explore thoroughly, but I noticed one or two things before I settled down to read. Like for example this memorial.
And I was going to go all the way to Graceland, go figure.
The spot I eventually settled down to read in was naturally the shadowiest, oldest, most shambolic, and thus most authentic part of the graveyard. I shared my little corner with a magpie, whom I began to photograph until he looked at me like this -
The bird didn’t actually say so, but he gave me the feeling that he did NOT consent to be photographed, and if I continued to snap away then he might just be forced to come to me in the dead of night with a visitation of terror and madness.
The only other resident right by my designated reading spot that I thought warranted a photo was this lass…
The rest of my time there I put down the camera and picked up the book. Bliss.
Another day, another trip to a graveyard to read The Graveyard Book.
I went and found a new graveyard today, a little further a field than the last, but still quite close to my place.
I say ‘Almost No One Here But Us Dead Folk’ because I discovered this cemetery has a live-in caretaker, in a small residence right in the middle with a sign marked “PRIVATE”. (Insert jokes here along the line of “at least his/her neighbours are quiet.”)
Unfortunately I didn’t get that much actual reading done this time, so I’m not much further along in the story. One of the chapters I read today I had had the good fortune to have already heard Neil himself read earlier this year at a children’s book festival. This meant that every time I read the words the “Bishop of Bath and Wells”, I heard them in Neil’s delightfully distinctive voice – which was fun.
I think the two I’ve visited they are the only two Graveyards in my vicinity, so I shall have to re-visit them to finish the book. Or begin to explore more distant places of rest.
This particular graveyard had a “Garden of Angels” for the burial of babies. There were quite a few toys scattered among the plaques. Like this..
Well if there is a young boy living in the cemetary as there is in the Graveyard Book, at least he’ll have something to play with.
I also stumbled along a pleasingly ambiguous inscription while looking for a nice shady spot to read.
Another feature of note in today’s graveyard was it had a Vault. Just the one, but it was pretty impressive looking.
It was locked, but I managed to sneak a picture through a broken stain glass window.
I wonder how Septimus (1890-1925) and Clara (1866-1910) feel about sharing their vault with the traffic bollards the caretaker (presumably) has decided to stash there?
I went to my local graveyard today, took a packed lunch and everything. I was there to enjoy the all-too-rare good weather and to start to read my favourite author’s latest, The Graveyard Book.
It was a lovely, if solitary adventure and I enjoyed the whole experience so much that I have decided to read the book only while in the graveyard. (Well, any graveyard – I don’t have to limit myself to todays.)
If nothing else the restriction will hopefully mean I can take my time with the story, savouring it like a fine literary liqueur. The temptation to gobble it down in one or two greedy sittings is very real when you like an author’s work as much as I like the inimitable Mister Gaiman’s.
So far – three chapters in – am loving it.
If you are a Gaiman fan, or even if you have never heard of the chap, I wholeheartedly recommend you get yourself a copy of The Graveyard Book and read it in your local cemetery – aloud, if you feel the need.
I read it out loud myself, firstly because it slows me down and secondly, well… the dead like a good story too.
Below are a few photos I took of my particular local place of internment.
Note the grave broke ope. (Vandalism I presume. Or a restless former resident…)
I do like the pointing hand on top of the headstone in the last photo too. Its a nice touch. “I’m going straight up, dammit!”
A merry crew on a fine spring day.
