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Fragile Things Short Fictions and Wonders Neil Gaiman 9780060515225 Books

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Fragile Things Short Fictions and Wonders Neil Gaiman 9780060515225 Books

Neil Gaiman is, I think, the only author who writes short stories that I enjoy. Generally speaking, I prefer long fiction - the characterizations, build, settings, emotions are all better to me when they're well-developed, and for most authors that requires length. Not so, Mr. Gaiman. I have never read anything by him that I didn't enjoy - even the ones that aren't my favorite (I'm thinking the Sandman stuff, only because graphic novels aren't my cup of tea - I'm a word person, not a picture person) are still incredibly detailed and interesting... If you haven't picked him up before, definitely do - and if you want an introduction to him, his short stories are a great way to go. They can be a bit dark and exceedingly creepy - but they aren't all so, and are definitely worth keeping an extra light on even if that's not your usual type of story!


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Fragile Things Short Fictions and Wonders Neil Gaiman 9780060515225 Books Reviews

I've read this book before, in paperback, but got the soft copy for a much-needed re-read. Love Neil Gaiman, and the stories in Fragile Things do not disappoint. Especially love the follow-up to American Gods. Every so often I miss Shadow, miss the mysteries, and the story in Fragile Things brings me back to the world of the gods.

The other stories, poems, thoughts in Fragile Things are good, too. Typical Neil Gaiman taking you into the worlds just beneath the surface of our own.
Another rather bulky collection of short stories and poems by Neil Gaiman. Since I have read all his other collections, there was a little overlap here, I think I have read maybe 5 or 6 of these stories in other books. Like his other collections, this will be a mix of things great and things good, and then some things that are merely OK. What got me was the complete randomness of the stories; this book, much more than his others, seemed to be really thrown together, almost like Neil went to his "story vault" and started just pulling anything and everything that hadn't been published up to this point and threw it together. To his defense, he includes a little blurb section at the beginning, explaining the significance of each story and why and when he wrote it (which was actually quite a nice touch), but it became a pain to go back and forth on the kindle, so about halfway through I stopped reading the explanations anyway, because I could see the trend, basically, when you are a writer of Neil's caliper, you get a lot of requests to write stories from many different sources, and once you have enough, if you really want readers to read them all you need to publish them in a collection, or let them be forgotten. There are some really great stories in here, namely 'A Study in Emerald', 'Closing Time', 'Bitter Grounds', 'Harlequin Valentine', 'The Problem of Susan', and 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties'. The book is almost worth it just to read 'A Study in Emerald, which is a fantastic mix of genres story, including Sherlock Holmes, Cthulhu Mythos, Dracula, and Frankenstein (and probably a few more I missed). Pretty good read, with a little skimming.
A little uneven. I found a few stories and poems tedious, but most of them are very inventive. I will read more of his writings. It is definitely not formulaic.
Only one of the stories that I have read so far had explicit sexual content; it was integral to the plot.
I read this book right after reading one by Patricia Bear. Had I read Gaiman's book following one by a mediocre writer, I probably would have given Gaiman 4 stars.
A collection of short stories I loved and replaced by the version for space. I love Neil Gaiman and find his style very unique. He writes many different genres, but usually there is some kind of fantastical or mythological element. The stories are not long, and you can read over time, a story at a time, if you wish. His characters are generally fleshed out, but sometimes the fantasy element plays a bit more of a focus than the character development. Still, he often uses twists or unique ideas. A great storyteller I recommend to everyone. He really has written something for everyone.
While I love Neil Gaiman's works, I've come to find I'm not particularly a fan of short stories. There are some in this anthology that I really enjoyed, others were so-so, and some I just didn't get. This anthology includes 31 short stories and a lovely introduction by Gaiman which briefly discusses the origins of each story and how they came to be, as well as an interesting story about the Mapmaker. Below is a list of the stories included in the anthology

A Study in Emerald
The Fairy Reel
October in the Chair
The Hidden Chamber
Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire
The Flints of Memory Lane
Closing Time
Going Wodwo
Bitter Grounds
Other People
Keepsakes and Treasures
Good Boys Deserve Favors
The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch
Strange Little Girls
Harlequin Valentine
Locks
The Problem of Susan
Instructions
How Do You Think It Feels?
My Life
Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot
Feeders and Eaters
Diseasemaker’s Croup
In the End
Goliath
Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
The Day the Saucers Came
Sunbird
Inventing Aladdin
The Monarch of the Glen

Most of these I listened to from the audio version, narrated by Gaiman himself. I think that endeared me to some of the stories even more than if I’d read them myself. Gaiman is a great voice actor and he really drew me into his stories. I’ll review my favorites below

<b>A Study in Emerald</b> was a nice throwback to a Sherlock Holmes story. Lestrade seems omniscient at times and I enjoyed hearing him tell of how he came to his conclusions.

<b>October in the Chair</b> was wondrous to me and lovely. It baffles me how Gaiman comes up with some of the ideas for his stories. Who else would have thought to have the months sitting around talking and sharing stories? It’s really quite beautiful in its elegance. An excerpt from the story <i>October was in the chair, so it was chilly that evening, and the leaves were red and orange and tumbled from the trees that circled the grove. The twelve of them sat around a campfire…. “Your turn in the chair next time,” said October. “I know,” said November. “I like your stories. Mine are always too dark.” “I don’t think so,” said October. “It’s just that your nights are longer. And you aren’t as warm.”</i>

<b>Bitter Ground</b> was an interesting story of a wanderer of sorts who has decided to give up his life. He stumbles upon a new life to lead, taking the place of a fellow that seems to have disappeared. He winds up in New Orleans where he meets some strange people.

<b>Other People</b> was really odd. I had no real idea where it was going, nor did I really like it, until the very end. Then it seemed brilliant. <i>“Time is fluid here,” said the Demon.</i>

<b>Keepsakes and Treasures</b> had me intrigued, more for the narrator in the story than anything else. He seems almost amoral, but he drew me in just the same. He’s basically a thug for hire for Mr. Alice, a rich-beyond-belief man with a taste for the extravagant. Mr. Alice, and indeed the narrator, I believe, show up in a couple stories in the anthology, which made me smile.

<b>Harlequin Valentine</b> was odd and fun. On Valentine’s Day, Harlequin gives his heart to a woman, literally. It seems he’s normally a trickster, who loves to play pranks on people, but once he’s given his heart away, playing tricks lacks the thrill that it used to hold for him. I love the twist that the story takes when Harlequin’s desire guesses who he is and decides what to do with the heart.

<b>The Problem of Susan</b> was a fun story as it is a tangent off the Chronicles of Narnia. We come upon Susan in her later years where she is dreaming of fantastical places.

<b>Goliath</b> was a lot of fun. It’s an expansion on the "Matrix" type of world. Interesting how a lifetime can fly by in 20 minutes.

I love <b>The Day The Saucers Came</b>. It’s really a short little poem, but very fun, and made even better by the way Gaiman read it (in the audio version).

<b>Sunbird</b> was a little odd at first. It’s a story about the Epicurean Club, who’s goal it is to taste everything edible on the planet. They’ve come to the conclusion they’ve tried everything and there’s nothing else to try. Then, it's suggested they try the Suntown Sunbird. The rest of the story follows them traveling to Suntown to track down and eat the Sunbird….and what happens to them when they do.

<b>The Monarch of the Glen</b> is an offshoot of the <b>American Gods</b> novel. It was an interesting story and really makes me want to pick up American Gods to learn more.
Neil Gaiman is, I think, the only author who writes short stories that I enjoy. Generally speaking, I prefer long fiction - the characterizations, build, settings, emotions are all better to me when they're well-developed, and for most authors that requires length. Not so, Mr. Gaiman. I have never read anything by him that I didn't enjoy - even the ones that aren't my favorite (I'm thinking the Sandman stuff, only because graphic novels aren't my cup of tea - I'm a word person, not a picture person) are still incredibly detailed and interesting... If you haven't picked him up before, definitely do - and if you want an introduction to him, his short stories are a great way to go. They can be a bit dark and exceedingly creepy - but they aren't all so, and are definitely worth keeping an extra light on even if that's not your usual type of story!