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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Oh Neil Gaiman. The way you wield words is extraordinary. These short tales only prove to emphasize Neil's craftsmanship of words, with the way he gives detail and nuance to characters and settings in only a few sentences. The short tales starts off with a magical, whimsical vibe and as the novel progresses, they get darker and grittier. I have to say that I enjoyed the first half more, but that is personal preference, as I do enjoy Gaiman's work more when it is lighter and more entrancing. A lot of his work seems to explore the darker side of human nature, and I enjoy more positivity in what I read. However, all the stories in this book are excellent and extremely varied.
There are short poems and prose pieces interspersed with the longer short fictions and many are thought provoking and present unique outlooks on very mundane occurrences. I felt like each piece was almost a puzzle to decipher because it was very hard to see where Neil was taking the story and what the moral or piece of wisdom would be in the end. The story "Changes" in particular resonated with me - perhaps because I am in the Science field - but the way Neil takes a new scientific discovery - a cure for cancer - and makes it a parable for the pitfalls of advanced technology was genius. In another favorite tale: "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale", the story becomes a pure farce, albeit with that macabre touch, that shows how easily human weakness can be exploited. It's all very entertaining, and it is fun to pick up and read a couple stories here and there when you have the time.
I read this book for Project Fairy Tale and Neil Gaiman's "The White Road" is based on my chosen fairy tale "Mr. Fox." Gaiman's story emphasizes the imminent danger of the original fairy tale, by starting with a different tale about a woman who went mad when she found out her lover wanted to kill her. The writing is concise and lyrical, which only seemed to heighten the eeriness of the story. And the story is told through "Mr. Fox's" eyes, which makes the twist at the end very interesting, as well as justifying completely the beginning tale. It's a very thought-provoking piece, and gave me chills, it so beautifully turned the original fairy tale on it's head.
I can't highly recommend this book enough. Though there were stories in it that did not resonate with me, I feel pretty confident that most people will come across one or two stories (or more!) that they absolutely adore as I did. I may be a little biased because I have so much admiration for Neil Gaiman's skill, but this book is a perfectly magical way to transport your mind into new worlds and ideas.
There are short poems and prose pieces interspersed with the longer short fictions and many are thought provoking and present unique outlooks on very mundane occurrences. I felt like each piece was almost a puzzle to decipher because it was very hard to see where Neil was taking the story and what the moral or piece of wisdom would be in the end. The story "Changes" in particular resonated with me - perhaps because I am in the Science field - but the way Neil takes a new scientific discovery - a cure for cancer - and makes it a parable for the pitfalls of advanced technology was genius. In another favorite tale: "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale", the story becomes a pure farce, albeit with that macabre touch, that shows how easily human weakness can be exploited. It's all very entertaining, and it is fun to pick up and read a couple stories here and there when you have the time.
I read this book for Project Fairy Tale and Neil Gaiman's "The White Road" is based on my chosen fairy tale "Mr. Fox." Gaiman's story emphasizes the imminent danger of the original fairy tale, by starting with a different tale about a woman who went mad when she found out her lover wanted to kill her. The writing is concise and lyrical, which only seemed to heighten the eeriness of the story. And the story is told through "Mr. Fox's" eyes, which makes the twist at the end very interesting, as well as justifying completely the beginning tale. It's a very thought-provoking piece, and gave me chills, it so beautifully turned the original fairy tale on it's head.
I can't highly recommend this book enough. Though there were stories in it that did not resonate with me, I feel pretty confident that most people will come across one or two stories (or more!) that they absolutely adore as I did. I may be a little biased because I have so much admiration for Neil Gaiman's skill, but this book is a perfectly magical way to transport your mind into new worlds and ideas.
A great collection of stories in different styles, dark and yet touching.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There were a couple of really shocking stories, but there were lovely heartwarming tales as well. The one with the knight was my favourite.
There were surprisingly a lot of stories with sexual elements, I did not expect that.
There were surprisingly a lot of stories with sexual elements, I did not expect that.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Some of those stories were beautifully written - I especially liked The Goldfish Pool and The Wedding Present and One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock.
But so many of them were explicitly sexual, and enjoying the stories seemed reliant on you enjoying crude material, which I just don't.
But so many of them were explicitly sexual, and enjoying the stories seemed reliant on you enjoying crude material, which I just don't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
There were some real bangers in this book and also some real duds.
One thing I loved was that so many of the stories seemed to feature a main character that is fashioned after Gaiman himself.
One thing I really, really didn't enjoy was the number of stories that featured older men hooking up with young women. One story (Looking for the Girl) even mentioned a middle aged man in a "relationship" with a sixteen year old. 🤢
I found all the stories based on H P Lovecraft's fictional town to be boring.
The stories that I would give five stars were:
🗡️Chivalry🗡️
🎅Nicholas Was...🎅
👾Virus👾
🃏Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot🃏
👶Babycakes👶
🫀Snow, Glass, Apples🫀
Reading the illustrated version Snow, Glass, Apples is what made me want to pick up an anthology of Niel Gaiman's short stories.
One thing I loved was that so many of the stories seemed to feature a main character that is fashioned after Gaiman himself.
One thing I really, really didn't enjoy was the number of stories that featured older men hooking up with young women. One story (Looking for the Girl) even mentioned a middle aged man in a "relationship" with a sixteen year old. 🤢
I found all the stories based on H P Lovecraft's fictional town to be boring.
The stories that I would give five stars were:
🗡️Chivalry🗡️
🎅Nicholas Was...🎅
👾Virus👾
🃏Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot🃏
👶Babycakes👶
🫀Snow, Glass, Apples🫀
Reading the illustrated version Snow, Glass, Apples is what made me want to pick up an anthology of Niel Gaiman's short stories.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Another work (or set of works, really) that proves Gaiman is one of the best writers of our time. He is funny, clever, intelligent, and can move between pure prose, poetry, and everything in between. The stories range from (semi) typical works of fantasy to almost magical-realist pieces whose oddness doesn't even arise until after you've finished reading it. As with his novels and the 'Sandman' series, I highly, highly recommend this collection of short stories. If you haven't read anything by Gaiman, drop whatever you're doing now and pick up one of his books. You won't regret it.
Not all that great, which was a disappointment since I love Coraline and Good Omens so much. However, the last two stories were phenomenal. Totally worth it.