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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Everything that emerges from Neil Gaiman's brain simply blows me away, and this collection of stories was no different.
What I really loved about this book was the unique telling of each tale. No two stories are told the same way, and Gaiman has the enviable ability to change into different narrators in order to serve his purpose. Gaiman states in the introduction that the stories were written at different points in his life and it's incredibly interesting to see how his writing has changed throughout the years.
With fairy tales turned upside down, monsters, mythology and real life exposed, there's isn't a single story in Smoke and Mirrors that won't leave you craving more. I highly recommend this book to Gaiman fans, as well as those who are just looking for a good read that will challenge them to think about the world they live in and the stories they grew up with.
What I really loved about this book was the unique telling of each tale. No two stories are told the same way, and Gaiman has the enviable ability to change into different narrators in order to serve his purpose. Gaiman states in the introduction that the stories were written at different points in his life and it's incredibly interesting to see how his writing has changed throughout the years.
With fairy tales turned upside down, monsters, mythology and real life exposed, there's isn't a single story in Smoke and Mirrors that won't leave you craving more. I highly recommend this book to Gaiman fans, as well as those who are just looking for a good read that will challenge them to think about the world they live in and the stories they grew up with.
I didn't know that this was a collection of short stories when I picked it up from my TBR list. I don't think I would have picked it if I had, because I'm not usually fond of short stories. I was actually surprised the average rating came out as high as it did (I rated each short story separately then used the total to calculate an average). The collection includes some poems, which I also didn't rate, because I'm even less fond of poems than short stories. Interestingly, I did enjoy the longer short stories more than the shorter ones. (To reinforce my preferences.)
I haven't read much Neil Gaiman yet. He is certainly very creative and a great writer, however sometimes he can just go a little too far into the dark and violent side for my taste. Some of the things he comes up with! That said, this collection also included some gems that I really enjoyed (even though I wished they were longer). So I'll probably persevere in reading more of his work.
I haven't read much Neil Gaiman yet. He is certainly very creative and a great writer, however sometimes he can just go a little too far into the dark and violent side for my taste. Some of the things he comes up with! That said, this collection also included some gems that I really enjoyed (even though I wished they were longer). So I'll probably persevere in reading more of his work.
Neil Gaiman’s writings are a peculiar sort of comfort for me. When I read his stories, I am struck with the realization that he too finds these strange paths through his imagination, paths that are wrought with magic and horror and the mundane made beautiful. I definitely consider him to be one of the greatest storytellers of our age.
Some of the highlights from this were definitely Chivalry, Vampire Sestina, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass, Apples.
Some of the highlights from this were definitely Chivalry, Vampire Sestina, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass, Apples.
Gaiman flexing his range, I love it.
My favorites are Chivalry, We Can Get Them for You Wholesale, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass and Apples.
Babycakes is pretty memorable.
My favorites are Chivalry, We Can Get Them for You Wholesale, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass and Apples.
Babycakes is pretty memorable.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Neil Gaiman is a super cool dude for someone who writes pretty disturbing stories. These are all bound to scare you or shock you or maybe just entertain you and it's worth it because they're all strange in that beautifully enticing way. One of my favorite parts was actually reading the introduction and finding out how the stories ended up being written. They all seem so original, but in fact he took a lot of inspiration from other writers. That seems impossible because the stories all seem so incredibly unique and individual, full of imagery, both pleasant and gross, and prose. Some stories were better than others of course. Personally I liked Murder Mysteries (I'm a sucker for detectives), We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, and Bay Wolf (because what?). There's a couple that seriously weirded me out, maybe too much, but that's just because I'm a wimp. Overall, the variety of topics is crazy and it's just a great collection.
I love short stories. Neil Gaiman weaves horror, science fiction and magical realism (my favorite genre) in a captivating way. My favorite ones were Chivalry, The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories, The White Road, Changes, and Murder Mysteries.
Not great in all respects, but ending with a couple of the best stories I’ve ever read. One even made me join a message board to discuss it.
Neil is freaking weird. I mean everyone knows that right? He writes weird books and he has weird movies and tv shows based on his weird books. And weird people like his weird books about weird things and get weirdly excited when he shows up at conventions.
And that weirdness is fully on display here. And his weirdness works, when given a full novel to give it form and purpose and a plot with twists and turns. And that is where this book falls flat for me. Each story has a little intro to it, most of which goes along the lines of "I was reading/listening/watching (insert random piece of entertainment here), and when I woke up, I wrote this story." Some of them are ok, some are not great, the ones that stand out and remind me, why I like his writing are the longer stories where he takes something and turns it on it's head. Like the story of Snow White that is a very different story when told from the point of view of the stepmother. Or the one with the angel charged with solving a murder mystery. Unfortunately the stories that grab you (with consent, mind you) are few in this collection. And I miss them, I truly do.
And that weirdness is fully on display here. And his weirdness works, when given a full novel to give it form and purpose and a plot with twists and turns. And that is where this book falls flat for me. Each story has a little intro to it, most of which goes along the lines of "I was reading/listening/watching (insert random piece of entertainment here), and when I woke up, I wrote this story." Some of them are ok, some are not great, the ones that stand out and remind me, why I like his writing are the longer stories where he takes something and turns it on it's head. Like the story of Snow White that is a very different story when told from the point of view of the stepmother. Or the one with the angel charged with solving a murder mystery. Unfortunately the stories that grab you (with consent, mind you) are few in this collection. And I miss them, I truly do.
Update- 4/8 I was wrong the first time I read this. I think I was being too critical. This time around, I loved it. There were a few stories that I felt were a wrong fit for this particular anthology, but not to a distracting degree. I had forgotten what a masterclass Murder Mysteries in particular is. I still maintain my favorites and least favorites.
This is not a bad short story collection, it just pales in comparison to his other two- Fragile Things and Trigger Warning. If I had not read the other two, this could be a 4, at least. But I know what Gaiman is capable of, and this was his least impressive of the three to me. There were several standout stories included that I loved, but far more that I only liked, or – forgot as soon as they were over.
Favorite Stories:
1. Murder Mysteries. I desperately want this to be expanded into a novel. It is the story of Creation, wrapped around the death of an Angel.
2. We Can Get Them for You Wholesale. Very funny, a clever premise and a funny take on people who just can’t resist a deal.
3. Snow, Glass, and Apples. A retelling of ‘Snow White’. Gaiman has an innate gift for reimagining classic fairy tales, and I hope to one day see a full collection released dedicated to his mastery of this niche.
Least Favorite Stories:
1. Mouse. The story of a guy who is a total dink.
2. Queen of Knives. This felt like filler to me. The story of a boy and his grandparents, and a magic show gone ‘wrong’.
3. Babycakes. Two words: eating babies. Nope.
Overall, it’s solid. If it was written by another author, I’d think it was quite good. But having read so much of Neil Gaiman at this point, and knowing all the amazing work he’s capable of, it’s a bit of a letdown in comparison. I do wish in retrospect that I had read his short story collections in the correct order as the stories often overlap or interweave. It’s worth the read, but I’d suggest for anyone venturing into Gaiman for the first time to start with this collection and move through in chronological order from there.
This is not a bad short story collection, it just pales in comparison to his other two- Fragile Things and Trigger Warning. If I had not read the other two, this could be a 4, at least. But I know what Gaiman is capable of, and this was his least impressive of the three to me. There were several standout stories included that I loved, but far more that I only liked, or – forgot as soon as they were over.
Favorite Stories:
1. Murder Mysteries. I desperately want this to be expanded into a novel. It is the story of Creation, wrapped around the death of an Angel.
2. We Can Get Them for You Wholesale. Very funny, a clever premise and a funny take on people who just can’t resist a deal.
3. Snow, Glass, and Apples. A retelling of ‘Snow White’. Gaiman has an innate gift for reimagining classic fairy tales, and I hope to one day see a full collection released dedicated to his mastery of this niche.
Least Favorite Stories:
1. Mouse. The story of a guy who is a total dink.
2. Queen of Knives. This felt like filler to me. The story of a boy and his grandparents, and a magic show gone ‘wrong’.
3. Babycakes. Two words: eating babies. Nope.
Overall, it’s solid. If it was written by another author, I’d think it was quite good. But having read so much of Neil Gaiman at this point, and knowing all the amazing work he’s capable of, it’s a bit of a letdown in comparison. I do wish in retrospect that I had read his short story collections in the correct order as the stories often overlap or interweave. It’s worth the read, but I’d suggest for anyone venturing into Gaiman for the first time to start with this collection and move through in chronological order from there.