zermaslan's review against another edition
5.0
Increible, Neil Gaiman es un autor muy prolífico y sus obras en múltiples medios son excelentes, los cuentos cortos son una de las mejores exposiciones de este autor, me encantaron todos y leerlos uno tras otro no estaba en mis planes, pero no pude despegarme del libro una vez que comencé con el, recomendadísimo, si se cruzan con este libro leanlo pues tiene joyas que pueden encantarles.
Mi personal favorito de la colección es "Murder Mysteries" que trata de una muerte inesperada en la ciudad de la luz, increible narrativa, excelente historia, no cabe duda que Gaiman es un maestro y hace que la magia sea algo real.
Mi personal favorito de la colección es "Murder Mysteries" que trata de una muerte inesperada en la ciudad de la luz, increible narrativa, excelente historia, no cabe duda que Gaiman es un maestro y hace que la magia sea algo real.
ellie_perry's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great collection of short stories that showcases Neil Gaiman’s masterful storytelling. With a delightful blend of fantasy, horror, and the uncanny, each tale draws readers into a world of imagination that's both captivating and unsettling. Gaiman's ability to seamlessly weave the ordinary and the extraordinary is on full display, leaving you contemplating the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. While there were a few stories that didn't resonate with me, I’d say that overall this was still a great read. Whether you're a fan of his longer works or new to his writing, 'Smoke and Mirrors' is a captivating journey through the wondrous and eerie corners of Gaiman's creative mind.
lucyisreading's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
postmodernblues's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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
5.0
Not a single miss in the lot of them. This is some of the best Gaiman I've read in awhile. These stories seemed to hit me at just the right time. I'm so glad I picked this up. I'm begging you on my knees to read "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories". "Looking For The Girl", "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale", and "Murder Mysteries" were other standouts.
If you're a fan of Good Omens (the series and/or the book) and you haven't read "Murder Mysteries", do it. Do it right now.
If I should live to write half as well as Gaiman, I shall be contented.
If you're a fan of Good Omens (the series and/or the book) and you haven't read "Murder Mysteries", do it. Do it right now.
If I should live to write half as well as Gaiman, I shall be contented.
avery5683's review against another edition
I liked a few of the stories, but most were too dark or explicit for me.
lucrezi's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up as a teenager and, to be honest, it has set my standard for short stories ever since. I.e., I put it on a pedestal. I was expecting to be blown away by it again, but a decade of experience and reading other things can really change what you think.
I didn't realize how many stories there were. I didn't realize that majority of these stories were drabbles. Not to say that drabbles are bad; they just aren't my thing except for a rare few.
These were the really good stories:
1. The Wedding Present - I thought putting a story in the introduction was such a spicy twist.
2. Chivalry - So quaint. It was charming like a Ghibli movie, but in book form. A real pleasure to read.
3. The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories - When I was younger I wasn't very into this story, though there was a tingle of something I knew I didn't quite get. Now I get it.
4. Queen of Knives
5. Looking for the Girl - Like Humbert Humbert but instead of nymphets, he is fixated on barely-adults.
6. We Can Get Them For You Wholesale - I was reading a Reddit thread about having the unwanted urge to min-max when playing RPGs, and someone recommended picking a single rule, a specific and set-in-iron trait that your character must always follow to ensure the roleplay is preserved. And other than that rule, they can be whatever the fuck else. Peter Pinter is like the character you make in an RPG, with Greed (or should I say love of bargains) as the stat that Neil Gaiman the player pooled all his points in.
7. One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock - Among the more fantastical tales, this slice-of-life story about a boy yet to catch up with his classmates in puberty weirdly struck a chord in me.
8. Murder Mysteries - Angels and Biblical shit always get me going.
If the collection were just these 8 stories, it'd be a 5; they were the ones I always recalled vividly through the years. My brain just forgot about the drabbles that served as the fat around that juicy meat. Taken altogether, it's a 3.
P.S. Don't you just get the sense Neil Gaiman calls up his exes a lot?
I didn't realize how many stories there were. I didn't realize that majority of these stories were drabbles. Not to say that drabbles are bad; they just aren't my thing except for a rare few.
These were the really good stories:
1. The Wedding Present - I thought putting a story in the introduction was such a spicy twist.
2. Chivalry - So quaint. It was charming like a Ghibli movie, but in book form. A real pleasure to read.
3. The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories - When I was younger I wasn't very into this story, though there was a tingle of something I knew I didn't quite get. Now I get it.
4. Queen of Knives
5. Looking for the Girl - Like Humbert Humbert but instead of nymphets, he is fixated on barely-adults.
6. We Can Get Them For You Wholesale - I was reading a Reddit thread about having the unwanted urge to min-max when playing RPGs, and someone recommended picking a single rule, a specific and set-in-iron trait that your character must always follow to ensure the roleplay is preserved. And other than that rule, they can be whatever the fuck else. Peter Pinter is like the character you make in an RPG, with Greed (or should I say love of bargains) as the stat that Neil Gaiman the player pooled all his points in.
7. One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock - Among the more fantastical tales, this slice-of-life story about a boy yet to catch up with his classmates in puberty weirdly struck a chord in me.
8. Murder Mysteries - Angels and Biblical shit always get me going.
If the collection were just these 8 stories, it'd be a 5; they were the ones I always recalled vividly through the years. My brain just forgot about the drabbles that served as the fat around that juicy meat. Taken altogether, it's a 3.
P.S. Don't you just get the sense Neil Gaiman calls up his exes a lot?
danakm's review against another edition
3.0
With any anthology some are better than others. Like the intro that explained some background on the stories
kamja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
5.0
arod3431's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0