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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
This is what you want out of an Audiobook. Well cast, immersive. Reminded me of the production for Lincoln in the Bardo.
Awful. The story might be okay, but the British village hall drama club overacting is painful. I had to stop half way through.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Some of the concepts were interesting (what happen to people if they couldn't dream?) but the narration, music, and sound effects were very distracting and the stories started to get too gross for me.
It also took me a while to realize that this was one audiobook but based on a series of shorter stories that were not necessarily connected.
It also took me a while to realize that this was one audiobook but based on a series of shorter stories that were not necessarily connected.
Excellent recording. Reminds me of the old radio shows that hosted many voice actors and sound effects like War of the Worlds.
I’m not really a comic fan, so was hesitant to start this. But I love Neil Gaiman and was intrigued that it had so many actors and sound effects (like an old-school radio play). I’m glad I gave it a chance, as I really enjoyed it. I came to love the character of Morpheus, and the many different stories kept me entertained. The acting & sound effects were top-notch. It was fun to recognize the voices of some of the actors. Now I’m excited for the new Netflix series to drop.
This feels more like a radio play than an audiobook, which in this case is a good thing. It's immersive and dramatic, and, as someone unfamiliar with The Sandman, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've often cited 'The Sandman' as one of the comic series that got me into reading and collecting comics, way back in the 1990s. The surreal cover art by Dave McKean, the darkly fantastical stories inside by Neil Gaiman, and the interior art from various artists over the course of the original 75 issue comic run, hooked me in from the first issue I read.
Flashforward to 2020, and Dirk Maggs' adaptation for Audible. Wow! It had been a long while since I read the comics, but listening to this full cast recording brought the memories back, and it was great to be back in The Sandman universe again.
Beginning at the beginning, the Audible Original Drama starts with issue #1; 'Sleep Of The Just', with Roderick Burgess, magician and occultist, attempting to gain immortality by capturing and imprisoning the embodiment of Death. But instead, he binds Death's brother, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, instead. After many decades, he eventually escapes his confinement and seeks to restore his power that has waned during his years of imprisonment, and reclaim his possessions that were stolen from him. This task takes him into hell to face Lucifer, chasing downrogue nightmares, visit a serial killer convention and crosses paths with characters from the DC comics universe, as well as from ancient myths, and real-world history.
Covering volumes 1-3 ('Preludes and Nocturnes', 'The Doll's House', and 'Dream Country'), and running for around 11 hours, 'The Sandman: Act I' features a stellar cast that elevates this into a must listen. James McAvoy is Dream, Kat Dennings is Death, Taron Egerton is John Constantine, Riz Ahmed is The Corinthian, with Michael Sheen, Andy Serkis, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Arthur Darvill, and more, plus Neil Gaiman as the narrator, and a musical score by James Hannigan, the adaptation is brought to life and into your ears and imagination!
Listening to the 20 episodes, I had forgotten how dark, disturbing and horrific some of the issues were. Like '24 Hours', where the whole episode is set in a diner where the patrons go mad over the course of a day; the whole 'Doll's House' storyline, where Rose Walker searches for her younger brother and somehow ends up at a convention for serial killers; and 'Calliope', where one of the nymphs from Greek mythology has been captured, imprisoned and abused, while her presence provides the inspiration for an author's successful novels, before she is passed on to another frustrated writer until Dream intervenes.
But with the darkness, there is also light and hope, like 'The Sound Of Her Wings' where we're first introduced to Dream's sibling Death, where she persuades her brother to explore the world to get him out of his post-imprisonment depression as she's doing her rounds; 'A Dream Of A Thousand Cats', where a Siamese cat tells a story of the time she met the Dream Lord; and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which depicts the premiere of Will Shakespeare's play in front of an unusual audience.
'The Sandman: Act I' is an immersive trip into the dark fantasy universe of Neil Gaiman's original comics, superbly adapted by Dirk Maggs (who has also adapted several of Gaiman's books into audio format, which are also all worth checking out), boasting top drawer voice cast and production values, it's all too easy to lose yourself in the stories. Recommended!
Flashforward to 2020, and Dirk Maggs' adaptation for Audible. Wow! It had been a long while since I read the comics, but listening to this full cast recording brought the memories back, and it was great to be back in The Sandman universe again.
Beginning at the beginning, the Audible Original Drama starts with issue #1; 'Sleep Of The Just', with Roderick Burgess, magician and occultist, attempting to gain immortality by capturing and imprisoning the embodiment of Death. But instead, he binds Death's brother, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, instead. After many decades, he eventually escapes his confinement and seeks to restore his power that has waned during his years of imprisonment, and reclaim his possessions that were stolen from him. This task takes him into hell to face Lucifer, chasing downrogue nightmares, visit a serial killer convention and crosses paths with characters from the DC comics universe, as well as from ancient myths, and real-world history.
Covering volumes 1-3 ('Preludes and Nocturnes', 'The Doll's House', and 'Dream Country'), and running for around 11 hours, 'The Sandman: Act I' features a stellar cast that elevates this into a must listen. James McAvoy is Dream, Kat Dennings is Death, Taron Egerton is John Constantine, Riz Ahmed is The Corinthian, with Michael Sheen, Andy Serkis, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Arthur Darvill, and more, plus Neil Gaiman as the narrator, and a musical score by James Hannigan, the adaptation is brought to life and into your ears and imagination!
Listening to the 20 episodes, I had forgotten how dark, disturbing and horrific some of the issues were. Like '24 Hours', where the whole episode is set in a diner where the patrons go mad over the course of a day; the whole 'Doll's House' storyline, where Rose Walker searches for her younger brother and somehow ends up at a convention for serial killers; and 'Calliope', where one of the nymphs from Greek mythology has been captured, imprisoned and abused, while her presence provides the inspiration for an author's successful novels, before she is passed on to another frustrated writer until Dream intervenes.
But with the darkness, there is also light and hope, like 'The Sound Of Her Wings' where we're first introduced to Dream's sibling Death, where she persuades her brother to explore the world to get him out of his post-imprisonment depression as she's doing her rounds; 'A Dream Of A Thousand Cats', where a Siamese cat tells a story of the time she met the Dream Lord; and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which depicts the premiere of Will Shakespeare's play in front of an unusual audience.
'The Sandman: Act I' is an immersive trip into the dark fantasy universe of Neil Gaiman's original comics, superbly adapted by Dirk Maggs (who has also adapted several of Gaiman's books into audio format, which are also all worth checking out), boasting top drawer voice cast and production values, it's all too easy to lose yourself in the stories. Recommended!
This audible original is probably the best produced audiobook I've listened too! The story itself was very episodic and I really liked some of them but couldn't get into others. I also have a problem with stories where the main character is just too cool for everyone else and that's exactly how Morpheus came across.
One word of warning, if you don't like animal violence skip episode 18. You won't miss anything out of the main story.
One word of warning, if you don't like animal violence skip episode 18. You won't miss anything out of the main story.