I watched the movie first, and it scared me a lot more than most other conventional horror stories. The book, while still being ridiculously scary, is not as much as the movie, probably because it doesn't have the added element of music. In any case Neil Gaiman is a very capable story teller, and this is no exception.

There a great characters, brilliant setting and a interesting story. There is nothing wrong with any of that.

It's just... it might be a bit too much of a children's story for me (I feel really bad saying this), and a few things were a bit too simple for my taste. And seeing as that is no fault of the story, rather of me, I feel a bit unjustified in giving it just 3 stars. It is a wonderful story, and I recommend it to everyone, but I think I was in the wrong time in my life to read it.

Still, it is deliciously scary and fantastical, and Gaiman never truly misses. Perhaps I'll have to hijack a child and read it with them next time.