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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Probably not for everyone but I enjoyed this a lot.
I enjoyed how Gaiman seems to be happy for everyone.
I enjoyed the selections of books and authors he talks about. I hadn't heard of a number of them and now I have even more reading material. I enjoy how he introduces books in fun and interesting ways but stays down to earth with his descriptions and and analysis. He makes you want to read every book from every author he brings up.
I also enjoy listening to his voice. He's a great narrator.
I enjoyed how Gaiman seems to be happy for everyone.
I enjoyed the selections of books and authors he talks about. I hadn't heard of a number of them and now I have even more reading material. I enjoy how he introduces books in fun and interesting ways but stays down to earth with his descriptions and and analysis. He makes you want to read every book from every author he brings up.
I also enjoy listening to his voice. He's a great narrator.
Loved it. Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook because it's so much better actually listening to Gaiman narrate.
This book was not perfect. Too much of the middle part full of introductions to authors and books that was a bit repetive. To little of the end, which was basically heartbreaking. In the end and in the beginning (which is mostly about reading)- were interesting thoughts, beautiful written pieces.
But it was such a nice read. The world feels dark sometimes. People die. People are cynical. They hurt each other, they cannot talk about their love of reading without talking about how many people do not read (the right kind of books). They are always judging something or someone.
This book is an antidote. Every piece is written with love, for an author, a book, a genre. No piece is negative, every single one sees the best in people, books, the world. Maybe some people would find this naive, but honestly I think it is refresehing. This book makes me want to read, to write, to step out into the world and talk to people. It makes me want to smile to strangers. It makes me realize it's okay to be kind, that it's great to be kind. It makes me believe.
You do not have to read it all in one go. I think it's actually a better book to just pick up ocassionally and read two or three essays. Especially when you're sad, or you don't want to get up and face the world, or you really do not know what to read next - let this work as your antidote then.
But it was such a nice read. The world feels dark sometimes. People die. People are cynical. They hurt each other, they cannot talk about their love of reading without talking about how many people do not read (the right kind of books). They are always judging something or someone.
This book is an antidote. Every piece is written with love, for an author, a book, a genre. No piece is negative, every single one sees the best in people, books, the world. Maybe some people would find this naive, but honestly I think it is refresehing. This book makes me want to read, to write, to step out into the world and talk to people. It makes me want to smile to strangers. It makes me realize it's okay to be kind, that it's great to be kind. It makes me believe.
You do not have to read it all in one go. I think it's actually a better book to just pick up ocassionally and read two or three essays. Especially when you're sad, or you don't want to get up and face the world, or you really do not know what to read next - let this work as your antidote then.
This book was not perfect. Too much of the middle part full of introductions to authors and books that was a bit repetive. To little of the end, which was basically heartbreaking. In the end and in the beginning (which is mostly about reading)- were interesting thoughts, beautiful written pieces.
But it was such a nice read. The world feels dark sometimes. People die. People are cynical. They hurt each other, they cannot talk about their love of reading without talking about how many people do not read (the right kind of books). They are always judging something or someone.
This book is an antidote. Every piece is written with love, for an author, a book, a genre. No piece is negative, every single one sees the best in people, books, the world. Maybe some people would find this naive, but honestly I think it is refresehing. This book makes me want to read, to write, to step out into the world and talk to people. It makes me want to smile to strangers. It makes me realize it's okay to be kind, that it's great to be kind. It makes me believe.
You do not have to read it all in one go. I think it's actually a better book to just pick up ocassionally and read two or three essays. Especially when you're sad, or you don't want to get up and face the world, or you really do not know what to read next - let this work as your antidote then.
But it was such a nice read. The world feels dark sometimes. People die. People are cynical. They hurt each other, they cannot talk about their love of reading without talking about how many people do not read (the right kind of books). They are always judging something or someone.
This book is an antidote. Every piece is written with love, for an author, a book, a genre. No piece is negative, every single one sees the best in people, books, the world. Maybe some people would find this naive, but honestly I think it is refresehing. This book makes me want to read, to write, to step out into the world and talk to people. It makes me want to smile to strangers. It makes me realize it's okay to be kind, that it's great to be kind. It makes me believe.
You do not have to read it all in one go. I think it's actually a better book to just pick up ocassionally and read two or three essays. Especially when you're sad, or you don't want to get up and face the world, or you really do not know what to read next - let this work as your antidote then.
First let me say, this was way better than I thought it would be! I try to read quite a bit of non-fiction, but I've never read a book of speeches AND book introductions. This was interesting and touching and made me love Neil Gaiman just a little bit more than I already did. I also ended up adding so many new books to my TBR list! Although these essays are sometimes sad or about serious subjects the overall feeling this book gave me was very calming and soothing. It was almost like listening to a bunch of TED Talks, but all of them were done by Neil Gaiman!
I adore Neil Gaiman's novels. He has a way with words and images that I love. His non-fiction is similar. Some of the introductions and articles included in this book seem a bit dry to me (perhaps because I know nothing of the subject being written about or introduced) but quite a bit of these pieces provide imagery that puts me right there with who or what Gaiman was talking about.
3.5
I liked this book much more than I expected to. I like Gaiman’s fiction, but wasn’t sure I’d care enough about his opinions to read 500 pages of them. But he’s not that High Fidelity Guy waxing obnoxiously about the cannon and what’s “good.” He’s a nerd, nerding hard about things he really loves. Mostly eloquently, and with cheek.
This book is a lower brow version of Le Guin’s “Words Are My Matter.” More approachable, and even for things I know nothing and care nothing about (comics, e.g.), I learned something and enjoyed Gaiman’s thoughts on it.
I liked this book much more than I expected to. I like Gaiman’s fiction, but wasn’t sure I’d care enough about his opinions to read 500 pages of them. But he’s not that High Fidelity Guy waxing obnoxiously about the cannon and what’s “good.” He’s a nerd, nerding hard about things he really loves. Mostly eloquently, and with cheek.
This book is a lower brow version of Le Guin’s “Words Are My Matter.” More approachable, and even for things I know nothing and care nothing about (comics, e.g.), I learned something and enjoyed Gaiman’s thoughts on it.
“It’s a fairy tale,” I told him. “It’s like an ice cream. It’s to make you feel happy when you finish it.”
Αυτό είναι ένα βιβλίο γεμάτο με κάποια από τα πράγματα που αγαπάει ο Neil Gaiman ή γεμάτο με την αγάπη του γι'αυτά (όπως το πάρει ο καθένας). Την αγάπη του για την δουλειά του, για τα βιβλία και το διάβασμα, για την speculative λογοτεχνία και τη λογοτεχνία γενικότερα, για τα κόμικ, τα παραμύθια και τις ιστορίες, την μουσική, τα όνειρα και την τέχνη. Ο ενθουσιασμός του όταν μιλούσε για τα αγαπημένα του βιβλία ως παιδί, για τους συγγραφείς που θαυμάζει, για τους κάθε είδους καλλιτέχνες που τον επηρέασαν ή για τους αγαπημένους του φίλους ήταν διάχυτος και απίστευτα μεταδοτικός. Με έκανε να ψάξω πράγματα, να θέλω να διαβάσω βιβλία και κόμικ και να γνωρίσω συγγραφείς (και όχι μόνο) που δεν ήξερα καν ότι υπάρχουν ή που δεν είχα δώσει σημασία πιο πριν. Με έκανε να χαμογελάσω πολλές φορές, με συγκίνησε σε σημεία, με έκανε να σκεφτώ σε κάποια άλλα, να αναρωτηθώ με τις ερωτήσεις και τους προβληματισμούς του, με έβαλε για λίγο στον κόσμο του. Κι ήταν ωραία εκεί!
Χάρηκα πολύ που το διάβασα και είμαι σίγουρη πως κατα καιρούς θα το ξεφυλλίζω ψάχνοντας τα αγαπημένα μου κομμάτια.
Ideas, written ideas, are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our ideas from one generation to the next. If we lose them, we lose our shared history. We lose much of what makes us human. And fiction gives us empathy: it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gift of seeing the world through their eyes. Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.
Αυτό είναι ένα βιβλίο γεμάτο με κάποια από τα πράγματα που αγαπάει ο Neil Gaiman ή γεμάτο με την αγάπη του γι'αυτά (όπως το πάρει ο καθένας). Την αγάπη του για την δουλειά του, για τα βιβλία και το διάβασμα, για την speculative λογοτεχνία και τη λογοτεχνία γενικότερα, για τα κόμικ, τα παραμύθια και τις ιστορίες, την μουσική, τα όνειρα και την τέχνη. Ο ενθουσιασμός του όταν μιλούσε για τα αγαπημένα του βιβλία ως παιδί, για τους συγγραφείς που θαυμάζει, για τους κάθε είδους καλλιτέχνες που τον επηρέασαν ή για τους αγαπημένους του φίλους ήταν διάχυτος και απίστευτα μεταδοτικός. Με έκανε να ψάξω πράγματα, να θέλω να διαβάσω βιβλία και κόμικ και να γνωρίσω συγγραφείς (και όχι μόνο) που δεν ήξερα καν ότι υπάρχουν ή που δεν είχα δώσει σημασία πιο πριν. Με έκανε να χαμογελάσω πολλές φορές, με συγκίνησε σε σημεία, με έκανε να σκεφτώ σε κάποια άλλα, να αναρωτηθώ με τις ερωτήσεις και τους προβληματισμούς του, με έβαλε για λίγο στον κόσμο του. Κι ήταν ωραία εκεί!
Χάρηκα πολύ που το διάβασα και είμαι σίγουρη πως κατα καιρούς θα το ξεφυλλίζω ψάχνοντας τα αγαπημένα μου κομμάτια.
Ideas, written ideas, are special. They are the way we transmit our stories and our ideas from one generation to the next. If we lose them, we lose our shared history. We lose much of what makes us human. And fiction gives us empathy: it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gift of seeing the world through their eyes. Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.
A long and sometimes repetitive but often heartbreakingly beautiful and insightful book filled with observations on art, the value of stories, and of the things that shape a life. Highly recommend.
Some essays felt weird to read devoid of the context they were originally created in. Still delightful!