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lijura's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
sylvivresavie's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
3.25
The problem with collections of this sort is how uneven they tend to be, but there are moments when Gaiman's talent shines; moments, even, of brilliance. Still, it is largely merely "pretty good" with the occasional outright misfire. I loved Neverwhere and Coraline when I was young, and this collection, while it did not bowl me over, has convinced me that I should revisit Gaiman as a novelist now, in my 30s.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
One of my co-worker's loaned me this short story collection after I loaned him Wicked-- due to the fact that this book contained 1 or 2 short stories that were also "twisted" versions of familiar childhood stories. It was the first time I had read anything by Gaiman and I really enjoyed the stories in this collection.
sabrinatheghost's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
emmalinegc's review against another edition
4.0
This is great! There's a wide selection of topics, but overall the feel of the book is a little dark. There are really great stories mixed in with so-so ones.
septan's review against another edition
3.0
I don't particularly enjoy short story collections as they tend to be a bit of a mixed bag and this was no different. Some were brilliant (Nicholas Was...) and others, like the one entirely about a man's penis, I did not like at all. Honestly what is it with this #menwriting.
khorsch926's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maddie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
4.0
Gaiman plays with a huge variety of styles in this short story collection.
Ok, so as with every collection, there were some stories I really liked (Chivalry, Troll Bridge, Apple), some that really creeped me out (Babycakes, Eaten), and some I really wish I knew the source material better (The White Road, Shoggoth's Old Peculiar, One Life...). Even more varied than the genres were the writing styles--stylistic imitations, prose, free-form poems, and even a sestina (something I had promptly forgotten existed after high school English). All the stories were extremely well-written and thought-provoking, though I might skip some of the gorier ones on a re-read.
Ok, so as with every collection, there were some stories I really liked (Chivalry, Troll Bridge, Apple), some that really creeped me out (Babycakes, Eaten), and some I really wish I knew the source material better (The White Road, Shoggoth's Old Peculiar, One Life...). Even more varied than the genres were the writing styles--stylistic imitations, prose, free-form poems, and even a sestina (something I had promptly forgotten existed after high school English). All the stories were extremely well-written and thought-provoking, though I might skip some of the gorier ones on a re-read.