fletchie's review against another edition
5.0
My never-ending love affair with the works of Neil Gaiman continues. This was a nice break from reading big, epic novels. A collection of short stories can sometimes be exactly what you need when you need to break up some mentally draining monotony. There was a higher proportion of sex in this collection than I was expecting, but this is understandable due to the large number of stories included in the book.
It was intriguing to get an insight into the evolution of Gaiman's work. While not ordered chronologically, the introduction contains small introductions to each short story, explaining when and why they were written, so an idea of progression is slowly unveiled.
All in all, a fantastic collection of widely varied, fantasy/supernatural/horror/erotic fiction.
It was intriguing to get an insight into the evolution of Gaiman's work. While not ordered chronologically, the introduction contains small introductions to each short story, explaining when and why they were written, so an idea of progression is slowly unveiled.
All in all, a fantastic collection of widely varied, fantasy/supernatural/horror/erotic fiction.
bia_reicht's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love Neil's novels, but can't grasp a lot of his short stories, thus this was a wild mix of really great stories and such that left me wondering what I am listening to at all.
illiterate_literate's review against another edition
May go back to it; not feeling the right moment for these stories right now.
13burkhart's review against another edition
Smashing Book as always. Neil Gaiman has an uncanny ability to create a world in a short amount of time, and I seem to fall in love with each and every one of them.
alannabarras's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent collection of short stories and poems. As always, Neil Gaiman does an excellent job of making each story just realistic enough to seem like it could be true, but still so fantastic you can't quite believe it would be.
The trademark of his story collections is the stomach-churning discomfort when reading each story. Its an excellent indicator of how vivid the worlds he creates are, even if you only get to glimpse the character's lives for a page or two.
The trademark of his story collections is the stomach-churning discomfort when reading each story. Its an excellent indicator of how vivid the worlds he creates are, even if you only get to glimpse the character's lives for a page or two.
falloutmeg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
dylanperry's review against another edition
2.0
While a part of me is glad to have read some of Neil Gaiman's early works, I can't say I enjoyed much of it. There are some gems scattered throughout, but on the whole, the stories felt nonessential to the point where even Gaiman's narration couldn't save it.
katie_elvira's review
3.0
Found this really hard to get into, perhaps it's just that Neil Gaiman's writing isn't for me. Found a lot of the endings of the stories so weird and confusing that they left me unsatisfied as a reader. A generous 3 tbh.
ajsterkel's review against another edition
5.0
People, this is how you write fantasy short stories! They're dark and weird and bloody and magical. The author is amazing at weaving the mundane with the fantastical. The stories start out ultra-realistic, but then there's suddenly a demon or troll or something. It catches you off-guard, but it still feels entirely plausible in the story's setting. Of course there's a troll under a bridge or a demon attacking stray cats. I could not put this book down. As soon as I finished one story, I started another because I wanted to know what horrifying thing Neil Gaiman would think of next. He has a twisted imagination. I don't think I fully "got" all the stories, but I didn't hate any of them. This is a 5-star collection. It would be perfect for Halloween. Warning: This book is NOT safe for work. A few of the stories have gross, graphic, horror sex. You wouldn't want your boss walking in while you're listening to that awkward weirdness. No one needs a detailed description of a troll's floppy dick in the workplace!