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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
I’ve never read this collection, but I had read almost all the pieces in it. It was nice to revisit some of his shorter pieces. He reads these himself, and he’s quite good at it.
Thank you William Morrow for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction contains short stories and excerpts from Neil Gaiman's fiction career. Its excepts stem from five novels: Anansi Boys, American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. There are forty-seven short stories that cover a wide range of fairy tales, ideas, and mythologies. In sum, fifty-two works are contained in this reader, perfect for long-time fans and those new to Gaiman's prose.
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, who writes beautifully and with such care for characters and humor that I adore his works. Hence, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is right up my alley and immediately earns my highest recommendation. The excerpts from his novels will feel a tad redundant or superfluous for longtime fans, but for new readers, they certainly give a sampling of his greatest literary treasures, including my favorite, Stardust. The short stories cover many decades of his work, and combine what used to span many other collected works. For a one-stop collection of some of the finest fictional literature this side of Cthulhu, look no further than this fine reader to spark your imagination and enliven your senses. Prepare for your spine to tingle and your heart to lift as you linger with the children of gods, reach for a piece of the heavens, or prowl a darker side of London, among other fantastical adventures you will take with Neil Gaiman as your guide.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded to 5 ⭐'s.
The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction contains short stories and excerpts from Neil Gaiman's fiction career. Its excepts stem from five novels: Anansi Boys, American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. There are forty-seven short stories that cover a wide range of fairy tales, ideas, and mythologies. In sum, fifty-two works are contained in this reader, perfect for long-time fans and those new to Gaiman's prose.
“So, having found a lady, could you not have come to her aid, or left her alone? Why drag her into your foolishness?' 'Love,' he explained. She looked at him with eyes the blue of the sky. 'I hope you choke on it,' she said, flatly.” - Stardust
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, who writes beautifully and with such care for characters and humor that I adore his works. Hence, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is right up my alley and immediately earns my highest recommendation. The excerpts from his novels will feel a tad redundant or superfluous for longtime fans, but for new readers, they certainly give a sampling of his greatest literary treasures, including my favorite, Stardust. The short stories cover many decades of his work, and combine what used to span many other collected works. For a one-stop collection of some of the finest fictional literature this side of Cthulhu, look no further than this fine reader to spark your imagination and enliven your senses. Prepare for your spine to tingle and your heart to lift as you linger with the children of gods, reach for a piece of the heavens, or prowl a darker side of London, among other fantastical adventures you will take with Neil Gaiman as your guide.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded to 5 ⭐'s.
While I have heard the brunt of these stories from reading other novels and collections of his, the audiobook read by Gaiman was worth the listen.
I've read a few novels and liked them, and remember some short stories were good, so I decided to read this collection of a bunch of his short stories. Oh well. He's a great story teller, the skills are wonderful; he just doesn't have much to say. The early stories were all either Lovecraft ripoffs or too focused on his movie writing. Well written stories almost always ended up trite, dull, boring, or overblown.
The later ones with Shadow as the main character weren't bad. I think my favorite was the retelling of a couple of myths, smooshed together, in "The Sleeper and the Spindle". "The Return of the Thin White Duke" was intriguing. The ones I'd read before and liked were pretty much the only other ones I thought were good.
Overall, I notice that the ones I like best are later in his career, as he learned his craft. He finally began to learn to tell interesting stories, but overall it's not an impressive collection.
The later ones with Shadow as the main character weren't bad. I think my favorite was the retelling of a couple of myths, smooshed together, in "The Sleeper and the Spindle". "The Return of the Thin White Duke" was intriguing. The ones I'd read before and liked were pretty much the only other ones I thought were good.
Overall, I notice that the ones I like best are later in his career, as he learned his craft. He finally began to learn to tell interesting stories, but overall it's not an impressive collection.
Don’t want to listen to him anymore now that I know what he’s done
I received a free, advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
There were quite a few new-to-me stories. I could listen to Neil read the phone ok, so the audio was really enjoyable.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even parking the accusations, there’s some really dull stuff in here. Some great stuff too, but the lows are rather low.
To be clear, I bought this years ago and am just clearing out my Audible library of unread stuff. I didn’t buy this after the accusations came out, that wouldn’t be very me.
To be clear, I bought this years ago and am just clearing out my Audible library of unread stuff. I didn’t buy this after the accusations came out, that wouldn’t be very me.