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maddie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat underwhelming and less fantastical than I expected (or wished). A rather odd collection.
debthebee's review
5.0
This is one of my favourite short story collections. Neil chose a diverse set of authors with unique stories that came together perfectly.
debthebee's review against another edition
5.0
This is a well chosen collection of short stories coming from diverse authors, that makes each story unique and interesting.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
Quite a hefty collection. I really liked the Compleat Werewolf but also werewolves so take that with a grain of salt.
mehsi's review against another edition
3.0
There were a lot of good stories in here, but also some stories that weren't for me. I didn't like them, or (in case of the bees/wasps) I skipped it because I am afraid of/dislike bees/wasps.
Other then that, it was a magical journey through weird, gruesome and thrilling stories. We got Unicorns, Mermaids, Werewolves, Gryphons, scary blots that grow, and more!
I also liked the introductions to each story. They give a bit of background info about the writer and tell us a short bit of the story.
Overall a well balanced book, and I would recommend it to all who like a book with weird tales and various fantasy/imaginary beasts/monsters. :)
Other then that, it was a magical journey through weird, gruesome and thrilling stories. We got Unicorns, Mermaids, Werewolves, Gryphons, scary blots that grow, and more!
I also liked the introductions to each story. They give a bit of background info about the writer and tell us a short bit of the story.
Overall a well balanced book, and I would recommend it to all who like a book with weird tales and various fantasy/imaginary beasts/monsters. :)
david_brent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
MAN, I hated this.
I need to come to grips with the fact that story collections are not for me. I need to stop, because I am torturing myself. I blame Neil Gaiman for this one. This is all your fault, British man.
I didn't hate all of the stories. I could even see why these were picked for a collection culled by Gaiman. But some of these were so painful, I started reading tabloid magazines instead. Do you know how awful a book has to be for that?
Let's go down the list.
1. Inksplot (Title found on the copyright page) - This was a DELIGHTFUL start. REALLY set me up for failure, actually.
2. The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees - I don't think I quite followed this one. But the ideas behind it, maps and revolution, was extremely interesting.
3. The Griffin and the Minor Canon - I actually really loved this one. This Griffin is possibly my favorite of the unnatural creatures. I do think the story ran too long.
4. Ozioma the Wicked - No.
5. Sunbird - I mean, of course I'm going to love Gaiman's contribution. I have read this before, not sure which collection of his I read it in. It's been long enough that I forgot how the story ended, and it's still...delicious.
6. The Sage of Theare - WHY IS THIS SO LONG FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY IS THE STORY NOT OVER YET SCREW IT I'M SKIPPING TO THE END WELL THAT WASN'T SATISFYING AT ALL GAAAAAAAH.
7. Gabriel-Ernest - With a few edits and A LOT OF SNIPPING, this would be a fantastic ghost story.
8. The Cockatoucan; or, Great-Aunt Willoughby - Alice in Wonderland. Extremely abstract. Fun, though.
9. Moveable Beast - 7/10 for plot, 2/10 for execution. And it only gets a 2 because of her slamming the guy's head into a vat of ice cream.
10. The Flight of the Horse - A unicorn story with a gently futuristic quality. Could've been better, but in this collection, one of the betters.
11. Prismatica - WHY IS THIS SO LONG JUST GET ME TO THE END JUST GOOOOOOO wait, that's the end? All of that, and that's the end? COME ON! It does have a fable-like quality, which I normally like, but it's not done well here.
12. The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me - UGH NO.
13. The Compleat Werewolf - Didn't even read it. Just went to the table of contents and hopped right over that chapter in the ebook. Nazis and werewolves and noir, oh my NO.
14. The Smile on the Face - The only one where I want to see more of the universe. Love this one.
15. Or All the Seas with Oysters - The most supernatural one, the creepy one, the one that would fit beautifully in a Stephen King collection. I give this story by itself 5 stars. It would normally only garner 4 stars, but in this collection, 5 all the way.
16. Come Lady Death - This is the story in this collection that most screams "Neil Gaiman Would Love This". I liked it well enough, even if I don't really consider Lady Death an unnatural creature.
After writing all this up, I feel comfortable giving this book only 3 stars. Not enough winners.
I need to come to grips with the fact that story collections are not for me. I need to stop, because I am torturing myself. I blame Neil Gaiman for this one. This is all your fault, British man.
I didn't hate all of the stories. I could even see why these were picked for a collection culled by Gaiman. But some of these were so painful, I started reading tabloid magazines instead. Do you know how awful a book has to be for that?
Let's go down the list.
1. Inksplot (Title found on the copyright page) - This was a DELIGHTFUL start. REALLY set me up for failure, actually.
2. The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees - I don't think I quite followed this one. But the ideas behind it, maps and revolution, was extremely interesting.
3. The Griffin and the Minor Canon - I actually really loved this one. This Griffin is possibly my favorite of the unnatural creatures. I do think the story ran too long.
4. Ozioma the Wicked - No.
5. Sunbird - I mean, of course I'm going to love Gaiman's contribution. I have read this before, not sure which collection of his I read it in. It's been long enough that I forgot how the story ended, and it's still...delicious.
6. The Sage of Theare - WHY IS THIS SO LONG FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY IS THE STORY NOT OVER YET SCREW IT I'M SKIPPING TO THE END WELL THAT WASN'T SATISFYING AT ALL GAAAAAAAH.
7. Gabriel-Ernest - With a few edits and A LOT OF SNIPPING, this would be a fantastic ghost story.
8. The Cockatoucan; or, Great-Aunt Willoughby - Alice in Wonderland. Extremely abstract. Fun, though.
9. Moveable Beast - 7/10 for plot, 2/10 for execution. And it only gets a 2 because of her slamming the guy's head into a vat of ice cream.
10. The Flight of the Horse - A unicorn story with a gently futuristic quality. Could've been better, but in this collection, one of the betters.
11. Prismatica - WHY IS THIS SO LONG JUST GET ME TO THE END JUST GOOOOOOO wait, that's the end? All of that, and that's the end? COME ON! It does have a fable-like quality, which I normally like, but it's not done well here.
12. The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me - UGH NO.
13. The Compleat Werewolf - Didn't even read it. Just went to the table of contents and hopped right over that chapter in the ebook. Nazis and werewolves and noir, oh my NO.
14. The Smile on the Face - The only one where I want to see more of the universe. Love this one.
15. Or All the Seas with Oysters - The most supernatural one, the creepy one, the one that would fit beautifully in a Stephen King collection. I give this story by itself 5 stars. It would normally only garner 4 stars, but in this collection, 5 all the way.
16. Come Lady Death - This is the story in this collection that most screams "Neil Gaiman Would Love This". I liked it well enough, even if I don't really consider Lady Death an unnatural creature.
After writing all this up, I feel comfortable giving this book only 3 stars. Not enough winners.
lenore13's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
3.0
i remember being rather unimpressed with most of the works collected here, but it was still an interesting read.
hindlejack's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25