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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Do you ever realise how middle-class white an author is? I've loved Gaiman's writing ever since I picked up Neverwhere, but this collection of essays strikes me more as a self-indulgent, patronising pat on the back. (The multiple repetitions of that tulip story are evidence enough.) His style of writing also gets tiresome across a bunch of short introductions in the way that it might not in a novel, and although I got a lot of recommendations for other books out of this, I didn't get much from the book itself. Read Neverwhere instead.
Comencé este libro al inicio de un viaje y hoy, un par de días después de haberlo terminado, finalmente también termino de leerlo. Gaiman es fácil de leer, siempre, pero esta vez su texto es una forma de conversación llena de detalles interesantes de su propia carrera y de su visión de las cosas, de sus amigos y de su arte. Los textos son mejores cuando se trata de historias sobre relaciones o cuando son artículos, un poco menos interesantes las introducciones a obras ajenas.
This books compiles a bunch of things... but it mostly comes down to the fact that art and creativity are important and that people should strive to add those things into their life. Whether it's comic books, music, movies, or novels, Neil Gaiman demonstrates a genuine appreciation for each medium. He also discusses some of his motivations to be involved in these things and seeks to encourage others to get into them.
As someone attempting to make a name for myself as a writer, this came into my life at an apropos time. While I'm not a diehard fan of Neil Gaiman, or of the sci-fi genre in general, I found his ponderings, musings, and assessments of all things literary and artistic to be enjoyable to read.
I. Love. Neil. Gaiman.
This may have been a collection of his non-fiction contributions to the world of writing, but it is no less brilliant, true or, at times, magical than his many contributions to the fictional world.
As with any collection of writing, some pieces are stronger than others. Some are more meaningful than others, for a number of reasons. For example, I am saddened to say he lost me for much of the fantasy section, since that is really just not my area of expertise. I read fantasy, yes, but Neil Gaiman himself is the cornerstone of my fantasy reading.
I will say that reading this book added to my (already much too long) to-read list, thanks to Gaiman's impassioned and intelligent words about so many books, writers, and artists. I have a few more movies to watch too (like MirrorMask, currently in the lineup for this weekend).
Not everything in this collection was new to me, but it was nice even to revisit those essays and introductions I was already familiar with. Seeing his wide array of non-fiction pieces in one place really provided new insight to him as a person, and a lover of art. Because that is what he is - a lover of art, in all of its various forms. he doesn't just love books because he is primarily a writer - he also reveres great artists, and has a passion for television, movies, and music as well. They've all played a part in making him the person and the artist he has become.
I loved the journey this took me on. it made me excited to explore things I haven't before. it made me proud to be a librarian, a reader, and (sometimes) a writer. It inspires me to want to "make good art" and embrace all of the great art and artists in the world.
This may have been a collection of his non-fiction contributions to the world of writing, but it is no less brilliant, true or, at times, magical than his many contributions to the fictional world.
As with any collection of writing, some pieces are stronger than others. Some are more meaningful than others, for a number of reasons. For example, I am saddened to say he lost me for much of the fantasy section, since that is really just not my area of expertise. I read fantasy, yes, but Neil Gaiman himself is the cornerstone of my fantasy reading.
I will say that reading this book added to my (already much too long) to-read list, thanks to Gaiman's impassioned and intelligent words about so many books, writers, and artists. I have a few more movies to watch too (like MirrorMask, currently in the lineup for this weekend).
Not everything in this collection was new to me, but it was nice even to revisit those essays and introductions I was already familiar with. Seeing his wide array of non-fiction pieces in one place really provided new insight to him as a person, and a lover of art. Because that is what he is - a lover of art, in all of its various forms. he doesn't just love books because he is primarily a writer - he also reveres great artists, and has a passion for television, movies, and music as well. They've all played a part in making him the person and the artist he has become.
I loved the journey this took me on. it made me excited to explore things I haven't before. it made me proud to be a librarian, a reader, and (sometimes) a writer. It inspires me to want to "make good art" and embrace all of the great art and artists in the world.
The one and only book I read during the *readathon* but it was too good not to savor. Love Gaiman!
A fun collection of essays, speeches, introductions and other random short pieces written by Gaiman. I skipped around the book, cruised the table of contents and the index to find the titles/topics/mentions that interested me. I always love reading about Neil's life and family so I went to a lot of the personal pieces first. I started every single essay, I skimmed some and skipped a few that didn't hold my attention, but most of them I enjoyed thoroughly. I loved the essays about libraries and books and those in which he talks about his inspiration, his collaborations and the writing process.
4.5⭐️
If you are a reader, writer, or just a Neil Gaiman fan, you should definitely pick this book up! This is a collection of essays, articles, and introductions that Neil Gaiman has written over the years, and it was fascinating to hear about all of the different things he's written about and the people he knows.
I knew that Neil Gaiman had been around for a long time, but I didn't quite realise how long and how vast his career has been. He has such a wide knowledge of the sci-fi and fantasy genre, as well as having huge respect for it and all of the people working in the space; his love for the work and people that he writes about shines off the page and everything written in this book feels so personal, you can tell he was passionate about every subject. He also speaks about his childhood throughout the different entries in this book, and you really see that his love for speculative fiction has been deep in his bones throughout his entire life.
Some of the parts that I really loved were the ones about Doctor Who, Terry Prachett, and those generally about reading and his love of books. His love of comics shines so much that it made me want to read every comic he mentioned, and his respect for every person he speaks about was so deep that I wanted to knownmore about each of them. There were so many books and authors mentioned that I had never heard of before, but I'm so interested in seeking out their now. He also speaks about the industry and gives some great advice for writers and artists.
Due to the nature of the book, it can be a little bit repetitive at times; some anecdotes and ideas are repeated in multiple entries, but I can forgive that because of what the book is. This is definitely a book I will return to and flick through, I underlined a lot.
If you are a reader, writer, or just a Neil Gaiman fan, you should definitely pick this book up! This is a collection of essays, articles, and introductions that Neil Gaiman has written over the years, and it was fascinating to hear about all of the different things he's written about and the people he knows.
I knew that Neil Gaiman had been around for a long time, but I didn't quite realise how long and how vast his career has been. He has such a wide knowledge of the sci-fi and fantasy genre, as well as having huge respect for it and all of the people working in the space; his love for the work and people that he writes about shines off the page and everything written in this book feels so personal, you can tell he was passionate about every subject. He also speaks about his childhood throughout the different entries in this book, and you really see that his love for speculative fiction has been deep in his bones throughout his entire life.
Some of the parts that I really loved were the ones about Doctor Who, Terry Prachett, and those generally about reading and his love of books. His love of comics shines so much that it made me want to read every comic he mentioned, and his respect for every person he speaks about was so deep that I wanted to knownmore about each of them. There were so many books and authors mentioned that I had never heard of before, but I'm so interested in seeking out their now. He also speaks about the industry and gives some great advice for writers and artists.
Due to the nature of the book, it can be a little bit repetitive at times; some anecdotes and ideas are repeated in multiple entries, but I can forgive that because of what the book is. This is definitely a book I will return to and flick through, I underlined a lot.
I thought I would follow Neil Gaiman to the ends of the Earth, and I probably still will, but I was a bit disappointed in this, even in audiobook form. It had some of what I was expecting--his best speeches, anecdotes from his blogs, a collection of nonfiction to inspire. More of Neil Gaiman. But most of the book was actually introductions he's written for other authors. I wouldn't have minded *some* of this, but it really was most of the book. Introductions are interesting in that, when you know you like the subject, personal anecdotes about the authors are intriguing and fun, nuggets of information about a person you care about. I enjoyed Diana Wynne Jones', for example, because I loved her book Dogsbody, so hearing his reactions to that book meant something to me, personally. But if you don't have a personal investment in the authors he's talking about, the interest wanes. He would also often do two pieces about each author, with overlapping tidbits in them, which continually made me wonder how he didn't have more nonfiction to chose from.
A friend of mine called this book "a love letter to all of the authors who inspired Neil Gaiman." It's a totally accurate statement, and it's why I couldn't personally love this book. I wanted more Neil, less everyone-else. Gaiman is an amazing person. When he writes about others it doesn't come across as an I-know-this-famous-person brag, and rarely seems self-involved even when he relates the anecdotes to himself and his relationship with the authors. This is truly a wonderful quality in someone so famous, and it makes me happy knowing that Gaiman was so shy he published a nonfiction book that barely features himself. It simply makes for a boring book. About halfway through, I wondered if I should skip the "middle bit" that was supposed to be author introductions. Then I realized that the "middle" was almost the entirety of the book, and I struggled to get through. It all came together to make something less inspiring than I was hoping for. I will absolutely make note of all the writers I didn't know, and it will be worthwhile exploring Gaiman's taste, as it has rarely led me astray. But I wouldn't recommend this book, which is basically a book of recommendations itself.
A friend of mine called this book "a love letter to all of the authors who inspired Neil Gaiman." It's a totally accurate statement, and it's why I couldn't personally love this book. I wanted more Neil, less everyone-else. Gaiman is an amazing person. When he writes about others it doesn't come across as an I-know-this-famous-person brag, and rarely seems self-involved even when he relates the anecdotes to himself and his relationship with the authors. This is truly a wonderful quality in someone so famous, and it makes me happy knowing that Gaiman was so shy he published a nonfiction book that barely features himself. It simply makes for a boring book. About halfway through, I wondered if I should skip the "middle bit" that was supposed to be author introductions. Then I realized that the "middle" was almost the entirety of the book, and I struggled to get through. It all came together to make something less inspiring than I was hoping for. I will absolutely make note of all the writers I didn't know, and it will be worthwhile exploring Gaiman's taste, as it has rarely led me astray. But I wouldn't recommend this book, which is basically a book of recommendations itself.