Scan barcode
A review by ellie_cripps
The Sandman: Act I by Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
5.0
This is an extraordinary audiobook, I am certain that the graphic novel version is just as excellent but I personally absolutely adore a full cast audiobook performance of a story.
Broken up in to episodes/ chapters, which aligns with the original, it is extremely fun to see how the character of Dream/ Morpheus weaves throughout history.
Speaking of Dream, James McAvoy was exceptional as the character. Every time his character appeared I felt calmed, as I think his voice was the perfect choice for a character who epitomises all parts of dreams, from the most peaceful and pleasant to the scariest.
The other stand out characters/ voices for me were Kat Dennings as Death, a really wonderful performance of a fascinating interpretation of the character, and Taron Egerton as John Constantine, who was very evocative and interesting as one of my favourite DC characters, despite making only a short appearance.
While I enjoyed the whole book, I did think the beginning was the strongest part, with some weaker stories in the middle and only picking up again at the end with Midsummer Night's Dream, but I am not surprised nor really bothered that not all stories cannot translate as well to audio format. I thought the whole book was well paced, brilliantly performed and overall very enjoyable.
The story is full of excellent quotes, but I'll finish with my personal favourite
'I find myself wondering about humanity. Their attitude to my sister's gift is so strange. Why do they fear the sunless lands? It is as natural to die as it is to be born.'
Broken up in to episodes/ chapters, which aligns with the original, it is extremely fun to see how the character of Dream/ Morpheus weaves throughout history.
Speaking of Dream, James McAvoy was exceptional as the character. Every time his character appeared I felt calmed, as I think his voice was the perfect choice for a character who epitomises all parts of dreams, from the most peaceful and pleasant to the scariest.
The other stand out characters/ voices for me were Kat Dennings as Death, a really wonderful performance of a fascinating interpretation of the character, and Taron Egerton as John Constantine, who was very evocative and interesting as one of my favourite DC characters, despite making only a short appearance.
While I enjoyed the whole book, I did think the beginning was the strongest part, with some weaker stories in the middle and only picking up again at the end with Midsummer Night's Dream, but I am not surprised nor really bothered that not all stories cannot translate as well to audio format. I thought the whole book was well paced, brilliantly performed and overall very enjoyable.
The story is full of excellent quotes, but I'll finish with my personal favourite
'I find myself wondering about humanity. Their attitude to my sister's gift is so strange. Why do they fear the sunless lands? It is as natural to die as it is to be born.'