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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Some stories are fascinating, all are well written, but I don’t feel great reading them. Some stories are bleh, which is whatever...some fascinating stories left me feel ill at ease. Definitely not a feel good read, I went into it knowing that, just a morbid interest that kept me reading. I think it’s the time we are in now, not a recommended read now, but definitely recommended post-rona.
3 stars
Pretty average collection of short shorties, they all very much have the weird dark spooky Neil Gaiman feel about them. A few definitely pulled me in, but overall pretty average.
Pretty average collection of short shorties, they all very much have the weird dark spooky Neil Gaiman feel about them. A few definitely pulled me in, but overall pretty average.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
medium-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
dark
mysterious
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
4.5/5 stars
Recommended for if you like: anthologies, short stories, Neil Gaiman, writing
Chivalry
5/5 stars
This was a cute story. I enjoyed Mrs. Whitaker and the way she had about her. She was very matter-of-fact, even in the face of some odd things. Galaad was interesting too, and far nicer for a knight than I’d been expecting him to be.
Nicholas Was…
3/5
This was a bit of an odd story, and I’m not entirely sure what the purpose was.
The Price
4/5
I liked the theme of rescuing the cats and the little personalities that were put into each of them. I also thought this story had an interesting take on guardian angels. I wasn’t super fond of the Black Cat getting hurt, though, even if he was protecting the house.
Troll Bridge
4/5 stars
I liked the weirdness of this one. It was also faintly atmospheric, which I liked. I wasn’t expecting the ending, which was a nice surprise.
Don’t Ask Jack
3.5/5 stars
This one was pretty atmospheric but didn’t really feel like there was a story behind it. I think if the role of the children creeping up to the playroom had been played up more I would’ve had a higher rating for it.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories
5/5 stars
I liked the length and repetitive nature of this one. There were a lot of repetitions but they were repeated in a way that created a purposeful, Groundhog Day kind of effect. I liked Pious a lot, even if some of his conversations with the narrator were a bit pointless.
The White Road
3.5/5 stars
I’m honestly not really sure what to think of this one. I’m not a fan of the prose-poem format this is written in, and I was a bit confused at first as to 1) who was talking and 2) whether the narrative was aware they were narrating or simply telling a story within the story.
Queen of Knives
4/5 stars
This was also in verse format, but it was quite a bit easier to follow than the last one. It didn’t really have a nice ending, but I still liked it and thought it had a good bit of mystery to it.
Changes
4/5 stars
I liked the formatting of this one a lot. It allowed for a good amount of explanation that I think was needed. The story itself is interesting, though to be honest I don’t really know why anyone cares if someone has rebooted or not.
The Daughter of Owls
3.5/5 stars
TW attempted rape
This story is two and a half pages long and not graphic at all, but I figured I’d still mention the TW. I like the concept of the story, and the weird spellings are easy enough to get used to, but I think it would’ve worked better expanded.
Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar
5/5 stars
This one was hilarious. There isn’t really a ton that goes on in this story, but there are a lot of good lines and moaning about H.P. Lovecraft.
Virus
3/5 stars
This is a quick little story that isn’t really my type.
Looking for the Girl
3.5/5 stars
I liked the concept of the story, and indeed Gaiman’s explanation for it makes me like it a little better. However, I’m just not a fan of the older guy lusting after younger woman thing. Not when there’s that big of an age difference. Not when one of the narrator’s so-called girlfriends was 16.
Only the End of the World Again
5/5 stars
This one is one of my favorites of the collection. I liked the werewolf aspect and the casual Lovecraftian nature of the town and storyline. The scenic descriptions were also nice.
Bay Wolf
4/5 stars
I actually felt bad for Grand Al. I did like seeing Talbot again, though.
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale
5/5 stars
This one was funny and weird. Peter’s obsession with a bargain was kind of ridiculous. I will say, though, that I don’t totally understand the ending. I understand what happened, but I don’t really get the complete subtext of “they’d been ready for a long time, but they had to be asked.”
One Life, furnished in Early Moorcock
4/5 stars
This one wasn’t really my cup of tea. I did find myself enjoying the narrator’s view on writing and books. However, there’s also a somewhat concerning line from a classmate about giving handjobs to adults.
Cold Colors
5/5 stars
I like the stories that present alternate versions of reality as normal. I’m not quite sure entirely what’s going on in this story, but it seems like there’s magic, damnation, and evil computers, and I like the combination.
The Sweeper of Dreams
3.5/5 stars
This one is another very short one and I just kind of skimmed it.
Foreign Parts
4/5 stars
This was interesting. I would’ve preferred more body horror to it, though.
Vampire Sestina
4/5 stars
It was a nice poem, but I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of sestinas. I think they’re a tad repetitive (as is their design) in a way I’m just not sure I like.
Mouse
4/5 stars
I don’t actually know if I think this is a 4- or 3.5-star story. I don’t really understand how the narrator can have such compassion for the mice in his house but not even care about his wife’s pain after getting an abortion and the issues that were the reason for her pain in the first place.
The Sea Change
3.5/5 stars
Just not really feeling this one. I think it has potential if it were expanded somewhat.
When We Went to See the End of the World
3.5/5 stars
I liked the take on the end of the world in this one. It wasn’t really what I’d been expecting it to be. I also liked how the story was written the way a child might write/spell, but I do think an 11.75-year-old would know how to spell certain things that Gaiman had purposefully misspelled (I also knew the difference between there/their/they’re at 11).
Desert Wind
3.5/5 stars
It’s kind of hard to rate these shorter stories since they tend to only be a page or two long. I liked the origin concept for this, though.
Tastings
4/5 stars
There’s an odd sort of graphicness to this story that’s both too explicit and not explicit enough. It does give an interesting take on pillow-talk, though.
Babycakes
4/5 stars
I liked this one quite a bit. It’s definitely horrifying when you realize what’s first happening, but I enjoyed it.
Murder Mysteries
5/5 stars
This one was so good. I loved the angels and the mysteries. The story within a story was interesting. I also liked the surprise(s) that were in there as well.
Snow, Glass, Apple
5/5 stars
This was a pretty good take on Snow White. I would’ve liked for it to end well, but since it was following the original story, it didn’t. Definitely one of the best of the collection.
Recommended for if you like: anthologies, short stories, Neil Gaiman, writing
Chivalry
5/5 stars
This was a cute story. I enjoyed Mrs. Whitaker and the way she had about her. She was very matter-of-fact, even in the face of some odd things. Galaad was interesting too, and far nicer for a knight than I’d been expecting him to be.
Nicholas Was…
3/5
This was a bit of an odd story, and I’m not entirely sure what the purpose was.
The Price
4/5
I liked the theme of rescuing the cats and the little personalities that were put into each of them. I also thought this story had an interesting take on guardian angels. I wasn’t super fond of the Black Cat getting hurt, though, even if he was protecting the house.
Troll Bridge
4/5 stars
I liked the weirdness of this one. It was also faintly atmospheric, which I liked. I wasn’t expecting the ending, which was a nice surprise.
Don’t Ask Jack
3.5/5 stars
This one was pretty atmospheric but didn’t really feel like there was a story behind it. I think if the role of the children creeping up to the playroom had been played up more I would’ve had a higher rating for it.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories
5/5 stars
I liked the length and repetitive nature of this one. There were a lot of repetitions but they were repeated in a way that created a purposeful, Groundhog Day kind of effect. I liked Pious a lot, even if some of his conversations with the narrator were a bit pointless.
The White Road
3.5/5 stars
I’m honestly not really sure what to think of this one. I’m not a fan of the prose-poem format this is written in, and I was a bit confused at first as to 1) who was talking and 2) whether the narrative was aware they were narrating or simply telling a story within the story.
Queen of Knives
4/5 stars
This was also in verse format, but it was quite a bit easier to follow than the last one. It didn’t really have a nice ending, but I still liked it and thought it had a good bit of mystery to it.
Changes
4/5 stars
I liked the formatting of this one a lot. It allowed for a good amount of explanation that I think was needed. The story itself is interesting, though to be honest I don’t really know why anyone cares if someone has rebooted or not.
The Daughter of Owls
3.5/5 stars
TW attempted rape
This story is two and a half pages long and not graphic at all, but I figured I’d still mention the TW. I like the concept of the story, and the weird spellings are easy enough to get used to, but I think it would’ve worked better expanded.
Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar
5/5 stars
This one was hilarious. There isn’t really a ton that goes on in this story, but there are a lot of good lines and moaning about H.P. Lovecraft.
Virus
3/5 stars
This is a quick little story that isn’t really my type.
Looking for the Girl
3.5/5 stars
I liked the concept of the story, and indeed Gaiman’s explanation for it makes me like it a little better. However, I’m just not a fan of the older guy lusting after younger woman thing. Not when there’s that big of an age difference. Not when one of the narrator’s so-called girlfriends was 16.
Only the End of the World Again
5/5 stars
This one is one of my favorites of the collection. I liked the werewolf aspect and the casual Lovecraftian nature of the town and storyline. The scenic descriptions were also nice.
Bay Wolf
4/5 stars
I actually felt bad for Grand Al. I did like seeing Talbot again, though.
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale
5/5 stars
This one was funny and weird. Peter’s obsession with a bargain was kind of ridiculous. I will say, though, that I don’t totally understand the ending. I understand what happened, but I don’t really get the complete subtext of “they’d been ready for a long time, but they had to be asked.”
One Life, furnished in Early Moorcock
4/5 stars
This one wasn’t really my cup of tea. I did find myself enjoying the narrator’s view on writing and books. However, there’s also a somewhat concerning line from a classmate about giving handjobs to adults.
Cold Colors
5/5 stars
I like the stories that present alternate versions of reality as normal. I’m not quite sure entirely what’s going on in this story, but it seems like there’s magic, damnation, and evil computers, and I like the combination.
The Sweeper of Dreams
3.5/5 stars
This one is another very short one and I just kind of skimmed it.
Foreign Parts
4/5 stars
This was interesting. I would’ve preferred more body horror to it, though.
Vampire Sestina
4/5 stars
It was a nice poem, but I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of sestinas. I think they’re a tad repetitive (as is their design) in a way I’m just not sure I like.
Mouse
4/5 stars
I don’t actually know if I think this is a 4- or 3.5-star story. I don’t really understand how the narrator can have such compassion for the mice in his house but not even care about his wife’s pain after getting an abortion and the issues that were the reason for her pain in the first place.
The Sea Change
3.5/5 stars
Just not really feeling this one. I think it has potential if it were expanded somewhat.
When We Went to See the End of the World
3.5/5 stars
I liked the take on the end of the world in this one. It wasn’t really what I’d been expecting it to be. I also liked how the story was written the way a child might write/spell, but I do think an 11.75-year-old would know how to spell certain things that Gaiman had purposefully misspelled (I also knew the difference between there/their/they’re at 11).
Desert Wind
3.5/5 stars
It’s kind of hard to rate these shorter stories since they tend to only be a page or two long. I liked the origin concept for this, though.
Tastings
4/5 stars
There’s an odd sort of graphicness to this story that’s both too explicit and not explicit enough. It does give an interesting take on pillow-talk, though.
Babycakes
4/5 stars
I liked this one quite a bit. It’s definitely horrifying when you realize what’s first happening, but I enjoyed it.
Murder Mysteries
5/5 stars
This one was so good. I loved the angels and the mysteries. The story within a story was interesting. I also liked the surprise(s) that were in there as well.
Snow, Glass, Apple
5/5 stars
This was a pretty good take on Snow White. I would’ve liked for it to end well, but since it was following the original story, it didn’t. Definitely one of the best of the collection.
Review updated 11/11/2019. New additions to the review marked by “update:”
There were some really, really fantastic stories here.
Favorites include:
“The Wedding Present”—once again, the story within the introduction happens to be one of my favorites. And of course, the introduction itself was wonderful, and I always love reading Gaiman’s comments on each story. Update: I really, really loved this. Might be my favorite story actually; so incredibly heartbreaking and well-written.
“Chivalry”—update: added this on second read. I’ve read this story many times now, as it appears in several collections, and I like it a bit more each time.
“Nicholas Was . . .”
“The Price”
“Don’t Ask Jack”
“The Goldfish and Other Stories”—update: I had originally stated how this story resonated with me the most. Upon rereading it I’m not sure why. It was good, but didn’t stand out the way it obviously did the first time I read it. It’s still one of my favorites in the collection, though.
“Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar”—update: another story that, upon a reread, didn’t stand out to me. It was good, but not one of my favorites
“Looking for the Girl”—update: added this one on second read. Loved how melancholic this ultimately was, and how protagonist is a sad, obsessed artist.
“Tastings”—update: added this one upon second read. I loved this, and the idea is super cool. Wish he’d write a follow up to it, as I think there’s a lot that can be explored. Also reminds me a bit of Sex Criminals.
“We Can Get Them For You Wholesale”—probably my favorite. A hilarious story about a guy who cannot resist bargains.
“The Sweeper of Dreams”—update: added on second read. I loved this, and don’t remember reading this at all. Also very fitting considering how Gaiman wrote more than 75 comic issues about Dream.
“The Sea Change”
“Murder Mysteries”—although I didn’t really enjoy the bookend scenes, the “story within the story” was very enjoyable and unique.
“Snow, Glass, Apples”
Update: I also have to mention that this Subterranean Press edition is glorious, and Dave McKean’s illustrations and design definitely add to the book.
There were some really, really fantastic stories here.
Favorites include:
“The Wedding Present”—once again, the story within the introduction happens to be one of my favorites. And of course, the introduction itself was wonderful, and I always love reading Gaiman’s comments on each story. Update: I really, really loved this. Might be my favorite story actually; so incredibly heartbreaking and well-written.
“Chivalry”—update: added this on second read. I’ve read this story many times now, as it appears in several collections, and I like it a bit more each time.
“Nicholas Was . . .”
“The Price”
“Don’t Ask Jack”
“The Goldfish and Other Stories”—update: I had originally stated how this story resonated with me the most. Upon rereading it I’m not sure why. It was good, but didn’t stand out the way it obviously did the first time I read it. It’s still one of my favorites in the collection, though.
“Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar”—update: another story that, upon a reread, didn’t stand out to me. It was good, but not one of my favorites
“Looking for the Girl”—update: added this one on second read. Loved how melancholic this ultimately was, and how protagonist is a sad, obsessed artist.
“Tastings”—update: added this one upon second read. I loved this, and the idea is super cool. Wish he’d write a follow up to it, as I think there’s a lot that can be explored. Also reminds me a bit of Sex Criminals.
“We Can Get Them For You Wholesale”—probably my favorite. A hilarious story about a guy who cannot resist bargains.
“The Sweeper of Dreams”—update: added on second read. I loved this, and don’t remember reading this at all. Also very fitting considering how Gaiman wrote more than 75 comic issues about Dream.
“The Sea Change”
“Murder Mysteries”—although I didn’t really enjoy the bookend scenes, the “story within the story” was very enjoyable and unique.
“Snow, Glass, Apples”
Update: I also have to mention that this Subterranean Press edition is glorious, and Dave McKean’s illustrations and design definitely add to the book.
Some were quite good, some were just weird. Made for good lunch-at-work reading material, though.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have to admit that I've had this book for ages, but I haven't read it because I had a difficult time getting into the paper version. However, at this time of COVID-19, I needed something that I could focus on in short bursts. My mind has been wondering a lot, and even with this, I took a few notes on each story as I walked using my phone. It kept my brain focused.
My favorite of the stories are Murder Mysteries, about the creation of the universe and a bit more; Nicholas Was, offering a twist of Santa's adventures; The Price, about how animals our important in our world; and Chivalry, putting The Quest into the modern era.
Actually, in this collection there were very few that I didn't enjoy, so Yeah! Reading this in 2020 also provides an opportunity to reflect on how the world has changed a bit since the stories also were written over a few decades.
My favorite of the stories are Murder Mysteries, about the creation of the universe and a bit more; Nicholas Was, offering a twist of Santa's adventures; The Price, about how animals our important in our world; and Chivalry, putting The Quest into the modern era.
Actually, in this collection there were very few that I didn't enjoy, so Yeah! Reading this in 2020 also provides an opportunity to reflect on how the world has changed a bit since the stories also were written over a few decades.