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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I love Gaiman's writing. Some of these spoke to me more than others, but all in all enjoyable.
Gaiman at his best...I've read a good deal of his novels, and this collection of short stories is right on! I should definitely get my hands on FRAGILE THINGS soon.
Some of the stories are great, some less so, and perhaps a few are included when they should not have been. His influences seem to be literary rather than personal - particularly Bradbury - so the sense of the stories is more bookish than say those of writers like Hemingway. He saves his best (in my opinion) to the end: ‘Snow, Glass, Onions’.
mysterious
medium-paced
i swear to god, there's always an air of horniness in each story, and im reminded again how much of a sex pest this guy is.
personally enjoyed Troll Bridges, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, and Murder Mysteries.
personally enjoyed Troll Bridges, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, and Murder Mysteries.
Content Warnings
horny
Gaiman can throw more feeling into you in 5 pages than some books can in a week
I propose a new word in honor of Neil Gaiman: "pathotic." Not pathetic - but a pathosis, a sickness of sadness that isn't numb, not like depression, or clearly directed, like despair.
Like with Fragile Things, I mostly took my time with Smoke and Mirrors, keeping it within arm’s reach for when I wanted to read something strange, shadowy, or fantastical. Gaiman has become like a constant friend whom I meet occasionally for coffee or a bite to eat, who always has a fascinating story to tell.
One of the stories, “Murder Mysteries,” is basically the shaggy dog story to end all shaggy dog stories: an old man on the street bums a cigarette off a guy, and proceeds to tell him the story of the first murder mystery, that happened amongst angels before the universe was created. But somehow, even this is too simple, and there is something else lurking in the dark corners of the tale.
They’re not all as good as that one, but many come close, and even the mediocre ones written earlier in his career can be forgiven in light of the overall excellence. It is interesting to have finished his short story collections in reverse, but in a way it is appropriate. After all, Gaiman’s eye for wonder, mystery, and magic is almost timeless.
One of the stories, “Murder Mysteries,” is basically the shaggy dog story to end all shaggy dog stories: an old man on the street bums a cigarette off a guy, and proceeds to tell him the story of the first murder mystery, that happened amongst angels before the universe was created. But somehow, even this is too simple, and there is something else lurking in the dark corners of the tale.
They’re not all as good as that one, but many come close, and even the mediocre ones written earlier in his career can be forgiven in light of the overall excellence. It is interesting to have finished his short story collections in reverse, but in a way it is appropriate. After all, Gaiman’s eye for wonder, mystery, and magic is almost timeless.
Very interesting! I especially liked the last two stories, a take on creation and a take on Snow White. This was my first Gaiman book, can't wait to read American Gods.
Weird! I forgot how much I disliked this.
Probably my least favorite Gaiman book. I didn't really vibe with any of the stories except for the few in the beginning (I really like the one about the black cat). Plus, there's too much sex used for freaky + weirdness value, which is not my taste at all.
Probably my least favorite Gaiman book. I didn't really vibe with any of the stories except for the few in the beginning (I really like the one about the black cat). Plus, there's too much sex used for freaky + weirdness value, which is not my taste at all.
DNF after Foreign Parts (23 of 33 stories). i kept cringing and hoping the stories would improve, and finally realized i didn't have to do that to myself. several stories were enjoyable, with creepy twists and end of the world scenarios, though with less hope and whimsy than i remember in his other works. the amount of objectified, purely self-gratifying sex (even when it was with another person) was dismaying. like no one even enjoyed the sex or masturbating, it was just another gross and depressing part of life. and, except in "Chivalry", there were few fully personified female characters - they were largely a backdrop for male activities or a sexual interest. a very disappointing read overall.