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mpclemens's review against another edition
4.0
Tight, imaginative stories. Child-friendly, without being pandering or simplistic. Gaiman's title for this collection is an homage to Bradbury's [b:R Is for Rocket|886229|R Is for Rocket|Ray Bradbury|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331204410s/886229.jpg|1142993] and [b:S is for Space|550202|S is for Space|Ray Bradbury|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184495081s/550202.jpg|537448], and it's a fine collection, worthy to stand alongside its inspiration.
bex22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
beccajoek's review against another edition
3.0
a collection of short stories.
"the price" reminded me of my parents and all of their cats :)
"the price" reminded me of my parents and all of their cats :)
bluestjuice's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, something of a disappointment. I like Gaiman's writing, but it's becoming clear to me that his short stories can be a bit of a mixed bag - which is fine, so far as it goes. This collection in particular ended up having a lot of overlap with other publications of his - I just got finished reading Fragile Things, which shared "October in the Chair," "Sunbird," and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," which I had also just read as a stand-alone graphic novel. "The Witch's Headstone" is really a piece of The Graveyard Book, which I have also very recently read, and of course "Instructions" is ubiquitous. But I don't mind because it's short and also fantastic, so I'll happily read it over again. I don't know which of these short story collections came first, so it's entirely possible M Is for Magic unluckily gets short shrift here by happening to be the one I read last, but there it is. I haven't even read Smoke and Mirrors yet, but apparently there is also a great deal of overlap with this, so I think I'll refrain, at least for awhile.
Leaving aside the annoyance of reading stories over again in short succession because my completionist nature means I can't just skip over them - there are some good stories here, and some I was nonplussed by. As is to be expected. I think my favorites (that were new to me here) were "Chivalry," about Sir Galahad's attempts to persuade a nice little old lady to let him take the Grail, and "The Price," which was ominous and evocative and didn't carry its limited conceit on and on for a prolonged time.
Leaving aside the annoyance of reading stories over again in short succession because my completionist nature means I can't just skip over them - there are some good stories here, and some I was nonplussed by. As is to be expected. I think my favorites (that were new to me here) were "Chivalry," about Sir Galahad's attempts to persuade a nice little old lady to let him take the Grail, and "The Price," which was ominous and evocative and didn't carry its limited conceit on and on for a prolonged time.
lelandbuck's review against another edition
4.0
This is a nice collection of stories, showing a wide range of Gaiman's talents and interests. Perhaps the most inspiring Introduction to a collection of stories I've read. In fact, it was reading Gaiman's short comments at the beginning of the collection that compelled me to buy and read the book. I've enjoyed several of his other books, including Coraline, but this collection really made me appreciate him as a writer.
sparklingreader's review against another edition
5.0
Neil Gaiman is an artist of prose and poetry. In his capable hands, ordinary things become new worlds of magic and mystery:
Favorite nursery rhyme friends become suspects in a film-noir detective’s murder case.
Mystical artifacts turn up on the bargain racks in the local charity donation shops.
Seemingly normal parties are mere covers for inter-galactic research and experimentation.
Readers can nearly always expect the unexpected from Gaiman and “M is for Magic” is no different. The short story format allows readers to squeeze a little bit of fantasy into their ordinary lives, while the finely crafted plots and characters leave one eagerly anticipating the next little journey, making it a hard-to-put-down treasure box.
In contrast to some of Gaiman’s more “adult” works, this collection of short stories was compiled to appeal to a younger audience. All of these stories were originally published in other collections or periodicals, but are still a delight to read over and over again. I would definitely recommend this book as an addition to any fantasy lover’s bookshelf – both young and old alike.
fishgirl182's review against another edition
2.0
some interesting stories in here. some repeats from fragile things. fun to hear neil gaiman read them.
finfortess's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely short story collection by Neil Gaiman. Had all the same imaginativeness, and the signature Giaman way of story telling. I always enjoy reading Gaiman, as he gives you all the clues to figure the story out for yourself, but tells it in such a way that you have no desire to put the book down even if you may know how it ends. Great read.