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A review by jennykeery
Eternals by Neil Gaiman
4.0
Having read Gaiman's short stories quite recently, many of which are steeped in the Cthulhu mythos, the idea of H.P. Lovecraft's Old Ones were fresh in my mind. It's not surprising, then, that when reading 'Eternals' I found Lovecraftian influences everywhere! However, although the slumbering Celestial that promises 'whoever freed me would perish first, and that would be my only gift' (eep) is a direct reference to the Cthulhu myth, the story and characters are by no means just copied. This is one of the things I love about Gaiman's writing, he draws on mythology (of all origins) but comes up with something new and interesting with each world, especially with characters he is reinventing such as the Eternals.
I found the story involving and exciting, although the characters lost a lot of their appeal as they discovered more about their true selves. I realise that remembering you are an immortal being would change your worldview somewhat, but I don't think this is a good enough reason for them to become less conflicted and interesting. This is a minor gripe though, as the plot and artwork (I especially loved the typography, something that I usually don't pay much attention to) made up for the later woodenness of the characters.
The extras at the back of the book were also excellent, and included early sketches, and interviews with Gaiman himself and Tori Amos. I have also just ordered a CD recommended in the extras called 'Where's Neil When You Need Him?' (a compilation of songs about Gaiman's writing by various artists) that I previously had no idea was a thing. Yay!
I found the story involving and exciting, although the characters lost a lot of their appeal as they discovered more about their true selves. I realise that remembering you are an immortal being would change your worldview somewhat, but I don't think this is a good enough reason for them to become less conflicted and interesting. This is a minor gripe though, as the plot and artwork (I especially loved the typography, something that I usually don't pay much attention to) made up for the later woodenness of the characters.
The extras at the back of the book were also excellent, and included early sketches, and interviews with Gaiman himself and Tori Amos. I have also just ordered a CD recommended in the extras called 'Where's Neil When You Need Him?' (a compilation of songs about Gaiman's writing by various artists) that I previously had no idea was a thing. Yay!