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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Four stars for the story "Murder Mysteries" alone. Probably my favorite single thing I've read by Gaiman... that or a couple of stand-alone stories early in the Sandman run.
Neil is definitely my favourite author. I love how all his stories are unique in their own way. This compilation was a good start for his short stories and poems. I enjoyed reading the story, then going to the front of the book where he provides a description on where the piece of literature was published and inspiration behind it.
This is a super fun short story collection, a lot of them are really short, so I just kind of went and read it day by day. But It is perfect for the spooky season, my personal favorite story is Snow, Glass, Apple. I definitely suggest giving this a read if you are in to fantasy, or even a milder horror.
I like Neil Gaiman's range- the funniest of his stories is hilarious and the scariest is almost too creepy for me. In this anthology the funny include "Chivalry" which is Python-esque in some of its action and "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" which is a very funny Cthulhu style tale, a mix of Robert Rankin and HP Lovecraft collaborated. The scariest is "The Gift", a great read for cat lovers as well as horror fans.
I'm a borderline geek. But i don't usually go for books that a true geek loves. I picked up this book by accident and enjoyed reading it. The writing flows well.
The first half of the book was truly a pleasant surprise. Creative, original, good writing, and interesting stories. The best part was how Gaiman mixed realistic modern life with magic and fantasy. I loved that. His prose had good rhythm, they ran smoothly like a beautiful river.
My favorites are the one about the black cat ("The Price"). "He looked like a small panther, and he moved like a patch of night." and the one about Hollywood âaeThe Goldfish Pool and Other Stories". Or rather, i liked the courtyard in "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories." The main character's friendship with the old black man. Their talks of past stars in that quiet courtyard. I always imagined there were leaves on the ground, damp and colorful, and the wind of the Fall blow through the desolate scene. All that used to be glorious are no longer, except the three gold fish running around and around in circles...
The other ones that I would recommend are "The Wedding Present", which is hiding in his introduction; "Chivalry," "Troll Bridge," "Murder Mysteries," and "Snow, Glass, Apples."
These are cleverly written. Rich in originality and beautiful or tender imagination.
The rest fell back into the category of fantasy that i don't care for, werewolf, vampire, and unnamed creatures took over something, someone, or someplace. The Stephen King stuff that would sure make you fear and sick to your stomach.
I also like what he wrote in his introduction, about writing.
"Writing is flying in dreams.
When you remember. When you can. When it worksã,
It's that easy.
-Author's notebook, February 1992
Mirrors are wonderful things. They appear to tell the truth, to reflect life back out at us; but set a mirror correctly and it will lie so convincingly you'll believe that something has vanished into thin air, that a box filled with doves and flags and spiders is actually empty, that people hidden in the wings or the pit are floating ghosts upon the stage. Angle it right and a mirror becomes a magic casement; it can show you anything you can imagine and maybe a few things you can't.
Stories are, in one way or another, mirrors. We use them to explain to ourselves how the world works or how it doesn't work. Like mirrors, stories prepare us for the day to come. They distract us from the things in the darkness."
The first half of the book was truly a pleasant surprise. Creative, original, good writing, and interesting stories. The best part was how Gaiman mixed realistic modern life with magic and fantasy. I loved that. His prose had good rhythm, they ran smoothly like a beautiful river.
My favorites are the one about the black cat ("The Price"). "He looked like a small panther, and he moved like a patch of night." and the one about Hollywood âaeThe Goldfish Pool and Other Stories". Or rather, i liked the courtyard in "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories." The main character's friendship with the old black man. Their talks of past stars in that quiet courtyard. I always imagined there were leaves on the ground, damp and colorful, and the wind of the Fall blow through the desolate scene. All that used to be glorious are no longer, except the three gold fish running around and around in circles...
The other ones that I would recommend are "The Wedding Present", which is hiding in his introduction; "Chivalry," "Troll Bridge," "Murder Mysteries," and "Snow, Glass, Apples."
These are cleverly written. Rich in originality and beautiful or tender imagination.
The rest fell back into the category of fantasy that i don't care for, werewolf, vampire, and unnamed creatures took over something, someone, or someplace. The Stephen King stuff that would sure make you fear and sick to your stomach.
I also like what he wrote in his introduction, about writing.
"Writing is flying in dreams.
When you remember. When you can. When it worksã,
It's that easy.
-Author's notebook, February 1992
Mirrors are wonderful things. They appear to tell the truth, to reflect life back out at us; but set a mirror correctly and it will lie so convincingly you'll believe that something has vanished into thin air, that a box filled with doves and flags and spiders is actually empty, that people hidden in the wings or the pit are floating ghosts upon the stage. Angle it right and a mirror becomes a magic casement; it can show you anything you can imagine and maybe a few things you can't.
Stories are, in one way or another, mirrors. We use them to explain to ourselves how the world works or how it doesn't work. Like mirrors, stories prepare us for the day to come. They distract us from the things in the darkness."
Did Not Finish-74 percent.
Look, I cannot. With the terrible poems and then all of the short stories seemingly focused around masturbation, this collection is just awful. I am mad I spent money on this, but refuse to finish it. It's terrible.
An Introduction (4.5 stars)-Well this first story fooled me good. Gaiman goes into a short story he wrote for a friend's wedding, but worried they would take it wrong (yes they would have) but then includes the story here. This story follows a newly married couple, Belinda and Gordon who are happy together. But when they find a mysterious letter, it shows a different ending for them. He also gives some backstory about the rest of the stories coming. I started to skim since it felt endless after a while.
Chivalry (4.5 stars)-Loved this story of Mrs. Whitaker who finds the Holy Grail and meets a mysterious man that readers will be familiar with.
Nicholas Was...(2.5 stars)-An interesting look at Santa Claus that was too short.
The Price (3.5 stars)-I read this story about a mysterious black cat in another collection. Didn't hit as hard the second time through.
Troll Bridge (3.5 stars)-A young boy makes a deal with a troll that is determined to eat him. I think the bigger problem I had with this one was that it just felt hollow. I wanted more details.
Don't Ask Jack (2 stars) A story about a toy. It didn't hit me at all.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories (1 star)-This was so long and tedious. A story about a writer, who gets a chance to go to Hollywood to have one of his books turned into a movie. Look, I imagine Gaiman was saying something about how creativity is killed in Hollywood, he should have been more concise.
The White Road (1 star)-Poem
Queen of Knives (1 star)-Other poem that I tried to read. I gave up.
Changes (2 stars)-I feel like this story may be offensive to a lot of different people. A story surrounding the cure for cancer with a surprising side effect. I don't even know what to say. My head hurt.
The Daughter of Owls (1 star)-Yeah, no memory of this one. And I am not going to read it again.
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar (2 star)-Eh just a story about Cthulhu.
Virus (1 star)-Another poem.
Looking for the Girl (1 star)-The beginning of the stories that seem focused on masturbation. A man who becomes obsessed with an ageless girl who appears in Playboy. Yes, that is what the story is about. No it wasn't that good.
Only the End of the World Again (2.5 stars)-Cthulhu and a werewolf.
Bay Wolf (1 star)-Poem.
We Can Get Them for You Wholesale (3 stars)-A man who takes the rejection of a woman so badly the whole world suffers.
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock (1 star) this was weird and I am still confused about it and there's a lot of discussion about masturbation. I don't know. Boarding schools too.
Cold Colors (1 star)-Other poem.
The Sweeper of Dreams (1 star)-Short.
Foreign Parts (1 star)-A man catches a STD that has him not wanting to masturbate. I don't know. I think an alien is part of this one too. Looking at my notes and I refuse to try to re-read this one.
Look I finished more stories but I don't have the heart/energy to write them up. Just hard pass on this one.
Look, I cannot. With the terrible poems and then all of the short stories seemingly focused around masturbation, this collection is just awful. I am mad I spent money on this, but refuse to finish it. It's terrible.
An Introduction (4.5 stars)-Well this first story fooled me good. Gaiman goes into a short story he wrote for a friend's wedding, but worried they would take it wrong (yes they would have) but then includes the story here. This story follows a newly married couple, Belinda and Gordon who are happy together. But when they find a mysterious letter, it shows a different ending for them. He also gives some backstory about the rest of the stories coming. I started to skim since it felt endless after a while.
Chivalry (4.5 stars)-Loved this story of Mrs. Whitaker who finds the Holy Grail and meets a mysterious man that readers will be familiar with.
Nicholas Was...(2.5 stars)-An interesting look at Santa Claus that was too short.
The Price (3.5 stars)-I read this story about a mysterious black cat in another collection. Didn't hit as hard the second time through.
Troll Bridge (3.5 stars)-A young boy makes a deal with a troll that is determined to eat him. I think the bigger problem I had with this one was that it just felt hollow. I wanted more details.
Don't Ask Jack (2 stars) A story about a toy. It didn't hit me at all.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories (1 star)-This was so long and tedious. A story about a writer, who gets a chance to go to Hollywood to have one of his books turned into a movie. Look, I imagine Gaiman was saying something about how creativity is killed in Hollywood, he should have been more concise.
The White Road (1 star)-Poem
Queen of Knives (1 star)-Other poem that I tried to read. I gave up.
Changes (2 stars)-I feel like this story may be offensive to a lot of different people. A story surrounding the cure for cancer with a surprising side effect. I don't even know what to say. My head hurt.
The Daughter of Owls (1 star)-Yeah, no memory of this one. And I am not going to read it again.
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar (2 star)-Eh just a story about Cthulhu.
Virus (1 star)-Another poem.
Looking for the Girl (1 star)-The beginning of the stories that seem focused on masturbation. A man who becomes obsessed with an ageless girl who appears in Playboy. Yes, that is what the story is about. No it wasn't that good.
Only the End of the World Again (2.5 stars)-Cthulhu and a werewolf.
Bay Wolf (1 star)-Poem.
We Can Get Them for You Wholesale (3 stars)-A man who takes the rejection of a woman so badly the whole world suffers.
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock (1 star) this was weird and I am still confused about it and there's a lot of discussion about masturbation. I don't know. Boarding schools too.
Cold Colors (1 star)-Other poem.
The Sweeper of Dreams (1 star)-Short.
Foreign Parts (1 star)-A man catches a STD that has him not wanting to masturbate. I don't know. I think an alien is part of this one too. Looking at my notes and I refuse to try to re-read this one.
Look I finished more stories but I don't have the heart/energy to write them up. Just hard pass on this one.
Interesting collection for sure. Didn't enjoy it as much as Fragile Things. Really liked the alternate take on Snow White in the last story. Very dark, but very entertaining.
A wonderful collection of dark, twisted and funny tales. Stand out ones for me were Troll Bridge / Murder Mysteries / Snow, Glass, Apples.