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Loading... The Dream Hunters (Sandman, Book 11) (edition 2000)by Neil Gaiman, Yoshitaka Amano
2   fyrefly98 | Mar 23, 2009 | 
Tradução de The Sandman: The Dream Hunters  ericoassis | Sep 28, 2011 | If I remember right, this is Neil Gaiman's first return to The Sandman after the series concluded its venerable run. It's not a comic book, but a prose novella with illustrations on almost every page. And it's brilliant-- possibly the second-best Sandman story after Brief Lives. It's a fairy tale in a vaguely Japenese style about a monk and the fox who loves him. Like many Gaiman stories, it doesn't know what its focus is, but that works so well here, as the story gently drifts from tangent to tangent, showing love at its best and its worse. The illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano are gorgeous, and invite the eye to linger over them slowly. It's hard to explain why I liked this so much; it just hits that primal nerve good stories should hit-- you feel like you've learned something new that you've always known. Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Spin-Offs: « Previous in sequence | Next in sequence » Stevil2001 | Aug 6, 2011 | A nice little novella with great artwork. Not a graphic novel per say, but it still has the sandman feel. It reminds me of many an Asian fairy tale with the animal spirits and the monk interacting in the spirit world and also in the real world. Overall a pleasant addition to the Sandman stories. (  ) BenjaminHahn | Feb 26, 2011 | While the Sandman series may be over in some sense, in many ways it lives on - and The Dream Hunters is one such continuation of the series. Taking place in Japan, Gaiman weaves a tale of a fox and a monk, and the unusual circumstances which bring them together. Naturally, a fox and a monk do not make the best pair, so perhaps a certain King of Dreams is required - and indeed he plays a large part in only a small portion of the story, as he has in the previous volumes of the series, complete with many familiar faces (albeit slightly disguised and adapted to East Asian folklore). While this volume was written by Gaiman, and is indeed part of the universe many readers are familiar with, there are very drastic differences to be had. First and foremost is the style of the book - while all the previous volumes were the standard comic format, this volume is a book complete with illustrations on roughly every other page. The dialogue is not shown in speech bubbles above characters heads, rather it takes place with the rest of the narrative in traditional story style. However different the style may be, Gaiman spins one of the best tales that has taken place in the Sandman universe - a dramatic tale of love and East Asian religion. This is only complete with Yoshitaka Amano's amazing artwork, which does not merely add to the story, as many illustrators have, but literally creates a richness so deep the story would be lost without his wonderful work. Perhaps this particular volume may not be included in the canon of the Sandman series, but it does take place in the universe, and through Gaiman's exceptional writing and Amano's stellar art the reader is treated to one of the greatest stories in the Sandman universe. (  ) deslni01 | Nov 18, 2009 | D- I cry every time I read this book. "He told me not to seek revenge, but to seek the Buddha," said the fox spirit, sadly. "I shall seek the Buddha," said the fox, with a toss of her head. "But first I shall seek revenge." (  )1 bramon | Oct 12, 2009 | An exceedingly beautiful story of a monk and a fox, told in the way only Neil Gaiman can. He truly has the gift of being able to weave even a simply fairy tale into something special, and something that will always be a part of you. Amano's art perfectly adds to the story. And honestly, I'm not used to seeing quite this quality in a Sandman story. Most of the time, you read Sandman for the writing, not the art, though at times the art is quite good. But here, the art and story blend perfectly together in a way that I had always wanted for the Sandman. Such a story deserves such art, and at last we have it. ( ) nesum | Oct 11, 2009 | BEAUTIFUL pictures. Worth it just for that :) ( ) thanemal | Jul 15, 2009 | Although the concept was interesting and the illustrations were beautiful, I entered this expected the same level of depth as the main Sandman volumes and found myself disappointed. (  ) TurtleKnitta | May 15, 2009 | "Nothing is done entirely for nothing. Nothing is wasted. You are older, and you have made decisions, and you are not the fox you were yesterday. Take what you have learned, and move on." "The Sandman: The Dream Hunters" is a novella by Gaiman and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano of "Final Fantasy" fame. The story is tangential to the "The Sandman" comic book series, and can be read without prior knowledge of the main sequence. Portraying Dream in this Eastern milieu just so vividly points up again the truly universally mythical nature of the character -- truly an elegant confection of literary and artistic matrimony. You will find etheral, haunting paintings with a traditional Japanese feel to them which seem to take on their own life. Amano uses color dramatically, whether in a few somber tones or wild splashes of color that take your breath away. It begins with a wager between a kitsune (fox) and a tanuki (raccoon dog), the prize being the monk's temple that the winner will use as a den. But the fox falls in love with the monk and later, when she discovers that the lord of a nearby estate means him ill, she goes into The Dreaming and strikes a bargain with Morpheus (the King of All Night's Dreaming) to enable her to save the monk's life. The story retains the serene bittersweetness that often characterizes Asian stories, and Amano's mysterious illustrations lend a depth and elegance that is simply breathtaking. Gaiman's afterword states that it was based on an old Japanese folk tale, drawn from Y. T. Ozaki's "Old Japanese Fairy Tales" and retooled to fit in the world of the Sandman, but no such tale is to be found in Ozaki's work. Gaiman has since stated when asked that the story was entirely of his own devising, most recently in the Foreword to "The Sandman: Endless Nights". Book Details: Title The Sandman: The Dream Hunters Author Neil Gaiman & Yoshitaka Amano Reviewed By Purplycookie ( ) purplycookie | Apr 12, 2009 | Summary: The Dream Hunters is a lavishly told and gorgeously illustrated take of the Japanese folk tale "The Fox, The Monk, and The Mikado of All Night's Dreaming", set in the Sandman universe. In it, a fox falls in love with a monk who lives alone in a remote temple, and she is willing to sacrifice her life to save his - even if it means invoking the Dream King's help. The tale is told in prose, not in typical graphic-novel format, but Yoshitaka Amano's ethereal illustrations adorn every facing page. Review: A beautiful little book that should be enjoyed by Sandman fans and non-Sandman fans alike. While a fair bit of this does take place in the Dreaming, and several familiar faces other than Morpheus make an appearance, it would certainly be understandable and enjoyable without having read the ten volumes that make up the "main" Sandman canon. It's a lovely tale, and I loved how Gaiman retained the Japanese folk-tale feeling while still working it into the Sandman universe - particularly when Cain and Abel showed up. The artwork similarly treads the border between the two worlds, giving us a vision of the Dream King who is simultaneously recognizable yet new, and who acts a reminder of the universality of the emotions if not the experiences of the tale. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Recommendation: An excellent introduction to Japanese folklore, the Sandman universe, or Gaiman's storytelling in general. It's a fast read, and so lovely that it shouldn't be missed. ( )2 fyrefly98 | Mar 23, 2009 | This was a wonderful retelling of an old Japanese fairy tale of love and vengeance. The retelling is by Neil Gaiman, famous for his Sandman comics, and though this story has very little to do with his Sandman series, it does delve into the world of Dreams and we do come across the King of Dreams a couple times. The story is about a monk, a lone caretaker of a distant temple on the side of a mountain, and a neighboring fox. The fox ends up in love with the monk through his kindness. Being a Japanese fairy tale, the fox has wonderful spiritual magic and can come in the form of a beautiful young woman when she desires. The fox learns of a plot to kill the monk by another very powerful magician and she does everything she can to thwart him. The story is simple in its prose, but deep in its meaning. It is all at once a fairy tale and a classical opera in its story. The illustrations, much of which is a combination of traditional Japanese watercolor and a more modern illustrative style, along with a handful of great charcoal drawings, are a wonderful accompaniment. They certainly add great enjoyment to an already delightful story. It is all the better as the reader can work his way through it in a fairly short time, but could easily find new enjoyment in another reading. This book gets high ranks from me, 4.5/5. ( ) kainlane | Feb 14, 2009 | Highly Highly recommended to all readers whether aquainted with the Sandman series or not. This stand-alone is a retelling of an asian (japanese?) tale. Dream does of course lend a hand and it's nice to see him again! The art in this book is incredibly beautiful- worth owning for the art alone but the story as well is a wonderful, sweet magical parable of a fox who falls in love with a monk and tries to save his life. Magical for all ages. ( )1 Jacey25 | Nov 7, 2008 | 1 |  CollegeReading | Sep 12, 2008 | One of the most incredibly gorgeous books and stories I had ever encountered. ( )1 mousecatfish | Aug 18, 2008 | the only comic I think Yoshitako Amano has ever illustrated. Anacita | Aug 9, 2008 | This was actually my very first encounter with Neil Gaiman's Sandman universe (and with his work in general, I think). It's a retelling of a Japanese fairy tale. The first thing that strikes you about this book is the gorgeous artwork. Yoshitaka Amano is a genius. And then you read the story, and... you cry. I certainly couldn't stop crying for about half an hour. It's beautiful and sad, and if you're not sure about this whole graphic novel thing, a great half-way house/entry point into the medium. --- 02/03/09: I have just re-read Dream Hunters. It didn't make me cry quite so much on second reading, partly because I was prepared for it, but it's still an amazing story, and beautifully told. This is the first time I've read it with full knowledge of the Sandman universe, and it makes for quite different reading - but ultimately, it's still the tragic, beautiful love story of a monk and a fox, and I love it to bits. Have I mentioned that the artwork is gorgeous? ( ) elmyra | Mar 20, 2008 | Gorgeous! Gaiman retells an old Japanese fairy tale in precise and haunting prose. Amano's watercolor illustrations are ethereal. I felt like a kid with a bedtime story--this is a rare treat that I will definitely reread. ( ) anru | Jan 11, 2008 | An adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about the love of a fox for a monk, and she attempts to save him from evil magic in his dreams. The change in this story is to incorporate Morpheus as the dream lord. The is actually an illustrated novella instead of a graphic novel. The illustrations are done in Japanese style and work very well with the story. An entertaining short work. ( ) sdobie | Sep 24, 2007 | This is a beautifully told, self-contained tale in the Sandman series. The artwork is stunning and the writing is incredible. Neil Gaiman writes characters that are beautiful, subtle and intelligent. Really, just an all-around beautiful piece of art. ( ) PDExperiment626 | Sep 13, 2007 | Another graphic novel in the Sandman series. It's off the story arcs, but should be in any fan's collection, also works as a good intro to Sandman. Beautiful, beautiful artwork. ( ) EmmMIB | Mar 7, 2007 | even though there are words, the pictures tell the story. Abolutely gorgeous drawings, water-color, huge, epic. A lot of them are just charcoal or pencil sketches, they look so majestic still. Of course, written by neil gaiman, so you know it'll be good. ( ) stipe168 | Feb 5, 2007 | sfreader.com | Jan 24, 2007 | knepveu | Dec 29, 2006 | Beautiful story with amazing illustrations. Apart from the regular Sandman series this has to be one of my favorite books that came after the series. ( ) Thalia | Jun 2, 2006 | Classic Gaiman hiding in a book that reads like a classic Chinese folktale. ( ) ladymink | Apr 30, 2006 | |
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Review: A beautiful little book that should be enjoyed by Sandman fans and non-Sandman fans alike. While a fair bit of this does take place in the Dreaming, and several familiar faces other than Morpheus make an appearance, it would certainly be understandable and enjoyable without having read the ten volumes that make up the "main" Sandman canon. It's a lovely tale, and I loved how Gaiman retained the Japanese folk-tale feeling while still working it into the Sandman universe - particularly when Cain and Abel showed up. The artwork similarly treads the border between the two worlds, giving us a vision of the Dream King who is simultaneously recognizable yet new, and who acts a reminder of the universality of the emotions if not the experiences of the tale. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: An excellent introduction to Japanese folklore, the Sandman universe, or Gaiman's storytelling in general. It's a fast read, and so lovely that it shouldn't be missed. (