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sams84's review against another edition
3.0
I must admit I was quite disappointed by this book overall. Yes there are some real gems within its pages but many of the stories felt a little neglected and unfinished compared to his other work. The first few stories I thoroughly enjoyed including 'the Wedding Present' which was hidden within the introduction and the last two tales, Murder Mysteries and Snow, Glass, Apples, were brilliant. However the stories and poems in between left me unmoved and a little let down, given the high standard that Gaiman has set himself elsewhere.
zaxtreme's review against another edition
4.0
There were some absolutely amazing stories in here. and there were also some that just didn't work for me. Overall though, I loved more often than I merely didn't enjoy. Mr. Gaiman, it was a pleasure, as always, to traipse around in your mind. Thank you, for all of the windows you leave, cracked and unlocked, by which to explore the wonderful expanse that is your imagination.
ezra_lambert's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
Over the past two years I decided to give Neil Gaiman a chance. I haven't loved every single book of his, but I did love enough of them to see that there is something about his writing that attracts me.
So I bought both of his books Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things around the same time. I chose Smoke and Mirrors based off the stories on the back.
Finishing the book, I can only say that a handful of the stories were interesting while the rest really didn't grab me. I understand that to make a buck he was sending out a lot of stories to Penthouse, SF Erotica, etc., so the themes are adult at times. Those were the stories I found lacking and truly not the best.
The good stories were ones like the Troll Bridge, Chivalry, the Snow White retelling... the fantasy and or supernatural ones.
I hope Fragile Things is a bit more akin to what I want to read. Nevertheless, if you love Neil, this would be the book for you.
So I bought both of his books Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things around the same time. I chose Smoke and Mirrors based off the stories on the back.
Finishing the book, I can only say that a handful of the stories were interesting while the rest really didn't grab me. I understand that to make a buck he was sending out a lot of stories to Penthouse, SF Erotica, etc., so the themes are adult at times. Those were the stories I found lacking and truly not the best.
The good stories were ones like the Troll Bridge, Chivalry, the Snow White retelling... the fantasy and or supernatural ones.
I hope Fragile Things is a bit more akin to what I want to read. Nevertheless, if you love Neil, this would be the book for you.
jcoryv's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't like all of the stories, but I really liked several and appreciated them all... and the Introduction, which included another story and an explanation of the origin of each story, was very cool.
casual_henk's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite neil Gaiman book.
Still well written. Just did not enjoy the stort that much
Still well written. Just did not enjoy the stort that much
raygersh's review against another edition
3.0
It is exceedingly difficult to rate short story collections. My expectations for short stories differ greatly from what I hope to take away from a novel. With such a limited word count in a short story, the story needs to pack a punch. Some of these stories succeeded in doing that. Others did not. The stories I loved most were The Price, the Goldfish Pool and Other Stories, Changes, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass, Apples.
There is no denying that Neil Gaiman is a wordsmith and beautiful storyteller. As soon as I read a word of his, I am enthralled. His specialty is charming tales, but I enjoyed the way he pushed some of his own self-constructed boundaries in several of these stories.
Reading the Entrails (3)
The Wedding Present (4) – I nearly missed this one because it was buried in the introduction (shh… mustn’t tell how often I skip or skim introductions) but I am glad I did not. A strange hybrid of Dorian Gray and the question of if it is better to have loved an lost or to never have loved at all, The Wedding Present poses an interesting question on the could-have-beens of life.
Chivalry (3) – Stereotypically charming for Gaiman. Cute and fun but missing the X factor.
Nicholas Was... (5) – Love horror Christmas!
The Price (5) – Black Cat Club 4 life. This was a sweet and dark tale of the things we take for granted in life. A wonderful short story.
Troll Bridge (4) – I liked this take on the trolls hiding under the bridge story. This one is a bit of a thinker.
Don't Ask Jack (3) – A good ambience piece, but lacking in substance.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories (4.5)
The White Road (3)
Queen of Knives (2)
The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch (3)
Changes (5) – I personally found this to be a fascinating and unbiased case study on gender reflection. Gaiman simply examines the what if? of a world where people could change gender at a moment’s notice. It is not out to make a point; it simply exists to initiate thought. The speculative nature of how the world changes with these changes was worth the read.
The Daughter of Owls (1) – WTF?
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar (4) – A fun little Lovecraftian tale in the midst of a random seaside English town.
Virus (3)
Looking for the Girl (3)
Only the End of the World Again (3)
Bay Wolf (2)
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale (3)
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock (2)
Cold Colors – Literally don’t even remember this
The Sweeper of Dreams (4) – Gaiman’s imagination must be an interesting place. I love that many of his stories are inspired by artwork. The imagery of the sweeper of dreams drives this short, sensational tale.
Foreign Parts (3) – Hmm this was quite odd. I haven’t really grasped the full though behind this story. It was interesting and made some interesting points, but, as Gaiman mentions in the introduction, it’s not really a marketable story to most audiences.
Vampire Sestina (3.5)
Mouse (3.5) – One of the more depressing stories in the collection, Mouse tells the tale of a man trying to deal with a mouse in his home while in the background his partner is getting an abortion and is abandoned to pick up the pieces herself. I think it was okay but could have been executed better.
The Sea Change (2)
When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11¼ (4) – Quirky and a bit odd, this story was a fun representation of an apocalypse through the eyes of a child.
Desert Wind (2)
Tastings (3.5) – Gaiman’s introduction for this story is hilarious. It was an interesting story to read and quite a departure from his normal work.
Babycakes (5) – Snappy and to the point, this short story was a lovely piece of satire. It was highly reminiscent of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It’s funny how humbly suggesting eating babies tends to get everyone’s attention.
Murder Mysteries (4) – To be fully transparent, I fear I didn’t fully understand the ending to this story. It was on track to be my favorite of the bunch. The dialogue was riveting, and the mystery was enrapturing. But what was the point? I see bits and pieces that were really working here, but I need some time and discussion for this.
Snow, Glass, Apples (4) – Who doesn’t love a good fairytale retelling from the villain’s POV? Our evil queen reveals to us the true nature of Snow White and the queen’s unjust treatment. It was a little dark and a fun take on the tale.
Overall: I don’t know, initially this was a 3, but I did really enjoy a lot of it, so I was going to give Mr. Gaiman a 4 for this collection, but then I thought about how boring a few of these stories were so, again, I don’t know. 3.5 stars
There is no denying that Neil Gaiman is a wordsmith and beautiful storyteller. As soon as I read a word of his, I am enthralled. His specialty is charming tales, but I enjoyed the way he pushed some of his own self-constructed boundaries in several of these stories.
Reading the Entrails (3)
The Wedding Present (4) – I nearly missed this one because it was buried in the introduction (shh… mustn’t tell how often I skip or skim introductions) but I am glad I did not. A strange hybrid of Dorian Gray and the question of if it is better to have loved an lost or to never have loved at all, The Wedding Present poses an interesting question on the could-have-beens of life.
Chivalry (3) – Stereotypically charming for Gaiman. Cute and fun but missing the X factor.
Nicholas Was... (5) – Love horror Christmas!
The Price (5) – Black Cat Club 4 life. This was a sweet and dark tale of the things we take for granted in life. A wonderful short story.
Troll Bridge (4) – I liked this take on the trolls hiding under the bridge story. This one is a bit of a thinker.
Don't Ask Jack (3) – A good ambience piece, but lacking in substance.
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories (4.5)
The White Road (3)
Queen of Knives (2)
The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch (3)
Changes (5) – I personally found this to be a fascinating and unbiased case study on gender reflection. Gaiman simply examines the what if? of a world where people could change gender at a moment’s notice. It is not out to make a point; it simply exists to initiate thought. The speculative nature of how the world changes with these changes was worth the read.
The Daughter of Owls (1) – WTF?
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar (4) – A fun little Lovecraftian tale in the midst of a random seaside English town.
Virus (3)
Looking for the Girl (3)
Only the End of the World Again (3)
Bay Wolf (2)
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale (3)
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock (2)
Cold Colors – Literally don’t even remember this
The Sweeper of Dreams (4) – Gaiman’s imagination must be an interesting place. I love that many of his stories are inspired by artwork. The imagery of the sweeper of dreams drives this short, sensational tale.
Foreign Parts (3) – Hmm this was quite odd. I haven’t really grasped the full though behind this story. It was interesting and made some interesting points, but, as Gaiman mentions in the introduction, it’s not really a marketable story to most audiences.
Vampire Sestina (3.5)
Mouse (3.5) – One of the more depressing stories in the collection, Mouse tells the tale of a man trying to deal with a mouse in his home while in the background his partner is getting an abortion and is abandoned to pick up the pieces herself. I think it was okay but could have been executed better.
The Sea Change (2)
When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11¼ (4) – Quirky and a bit odd, this story was a fun representation of an apocalypse through the eyes of a child.
Desert Wind (2)
Tastings (3.5) – Gaiman’s introduction for this story is hilarious. It was an interesting story to read and quite a departure from his normal work.
Babycakes (5) – Snappy and to the point, this short story was a lovely piece of satire. It was highly reminiscent of Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It’s funny how humbly suggesting eating babies tends to get everyone’s attention.
Murder Mysteries (4) – To be fully transparent, I fear I didn’t fully understand the ending to this story. It was on track to be my favorite of the bunch. The dialogue was riveting, and the mystery was enrapturing. But what was the point? I see bits and pieces that were really working here, but I need some time and discussion for this.
Snow, Glass, Apples (4) – Who doesn’t love a good fairytale retelling from the villain’s POV? Our evil queen reveals to us the true nature of Snow White and the queen’s unjust treatment. It was a little dark and a fun take on the tale.
Overall: I don’t know, initially this was a 3, but I did really enjoy a lot of it, so I was going to give Mr. Gaiman a 4 for this collection, but then I thought about how boring a few of these stories were so, again, I don’t know. 3.5 stars
cooperca's review against another edition
3.0
Let me state for the record that I am a HUGE Neil Gaiman fan. And most every thing he writes makes me feel like a complete failure as a writer myself...thinking 'how could I ever be as good.'
Overall, I appreciated the many written styles that Mr. Gaiman choose for his various stories and enjoyed the majority of the them. Reading the inspirations and gestation of each story provided such insight into his writing process and how some stories need to be put away for a bit and then brought back out at the right time. I am always in awe of Mr. Gaiman's ability to create such vivid worlds and characters.
There were a few stories in Smoke and Mirrors that I didn't care for. It may be me....I'm not a big fan of any poetry of any kind (not even 'Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...') and some of the short stories were written in said manner. A couple of stories felt incomplete.
My favorite:
The Wedding Present (yes, I do read Introductions)
Chivalry
The Price
Troll Bridge
Don't Ask Jack
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stores (reminds me of my life in LA)
Looking for the Girl
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale
Change
Overall, I appreciated the many written styles that Mr. Gaiman choose for his various stories and enjoyed the majority of the them. Reading the inspirations and gestation of each story provided such insight into his writing process and how some stories need to be put away for a bit and then brought back out at the right time. I am always in awe of Mr. Gaiman's ability to create such vivid worlds and characters.
There were a few stories in Smoke and Mirrors that I didn't care for. It may be me....I'm not a big fan of any poetry of any kind (not even 'Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...') and some of the short stories were written in said manner. A couple of stories felt incomplete.
My favorite:
The Wedding Present (yes, I do read Introductions)
Chivalry
The Price
Troll Bridge
Don't Ask Jack
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stores (reminds me of my life in LA)
Looking for the Girl
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale
Change
fortunesdear's review against another edition
2.0
- Reading the Entrails -3/5
• The Wedding Present - 3/5
• Chivalry - 3/5
• Nicholas Was... - 5/5
• The Price - 3/5
• Troll Bridge - 3/5
• Don't Ask Jack - 4/5
• The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories - 3/5
• Eaten (Scenes from a Moving picture) - 2/5
• The White Road - 5/5
• Queen of Knives (for Eric Stern's opera of the same name see Queen of Knives) - 2/5
• The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch - 2/5
• Changes - 3/5
• The Daughter of Owls - 5/5
• Shoggoth's Old Peculiar - 2/5
• Virus - 3/5
• Looking for the Girl - 3/5
• Only the End of the World Again - 5/5
• Bay Wolf - 3/5
• Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot - 5/5
• We Can Get Them For You Wholesale - 2/5
• One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock - 2/5
• Cold Colors - 2/5
• The Sweeper of Dreams - 3/5
• Foreign Parts - 2/5
• Vampire Sestina - 4/5
• Mouse - 2/5
• How Do You Think It Feels? - 3/5
• When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11¼ - 2/5
• Desert Wind - 3/5
• Tastings - 2/5
• In the End - 2/5
• Babycakes - 2/5
• Murder Mysteries - 3/5
- Snow, Glass, Apples - 5/5
• The Wedding Present - 3/5
• Chivalry - 3/5
• Nicholas Was... - 5/5
• The Price - 3/5
• Troll Bridge - 3/5
• Don't Ask Jack - 4/5
• The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories - 3/5
• Eaten (Scenes from a Moving picture) - 2/5
• The White Road - 5/5
• Queen of Knives (for Eric Stern's opera of the same name see Queen of Knives) - 2/5
• The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch - 2/5
• Changes - 3/5
• The Daughter of Owls - 5/5
• Shoggoth's Old Peculiar - 2/5
• Virus - 3/5
• Looking for the Girl - 3/5
• Only the End of the World Again - 5/5
• Bay Wolf - 3/5
• Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot - 5/5
• We Can Get Them For You Wholesale - 2/5
• One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock - 2/5
• Cold Colors - 2/5
• The Sweeper of Dreams - 3/5
• Foreign Parts - 2/5
• Vampire Sestina - 4/5
• Mouse - 2/5
• How Do You Think It Feels? - 3/5
• When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11¼ - 2/5
• Desert Wind - 3/5
• Tastings - 2/5
• In the End - 2/5
• Babycakes - 2/5
• Murder Mysteries - 3/5
- Snow, Glass, Apples - 5/5
lionisblue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75