|
Loading... Smoke and Mirrorsby Neil Gaiman
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendations
Loading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Haunting and atmospheric as usual; whenever I read any of Gaiman's stories I immediately wish I could visit whatever location he describes. No matter how desolate or bland, he always manages to fill it with a sense of wonder and beauty. I wasn't, however, quite so impressed with the story-poems, which struck me more like prose with awkwardly placed line breaks. I also wish I'd known so many of the stories would be from collections devoted to authors I've never read, such as H.P. Lovecraft. But that's okay. Maybe someday, after I've read some of those stories, I'll come back and reread these. Speaking of rereading, the final two stories, "Murder Mysteries" and "Snow, Glass, Apples", I'd heard before on Two Plays for Voices. They're much easier to follow in prose form. All in all, I think I prefer the other Gaiman I've read. (  ) melydia | Oct 28, 2009 |  D-I like this book very much. I might even love it... Let me think about it some more. (  ) bramon | Oct 12, 2009 | The title is quite apt, short prose and poetry give but a glimpse of something, an illusion of a different world. I've always loved short story anthologies, and it's a great treat when they all come from an author whose stories I always find somewhat refreshing. This collection was everything I wanted and more. Every story was something unique with something to appeal to all sorts of literary types as long as they have a taste for the slightly fantastical. An old woman finding the holy grail, Snow White being not nearly as pure as she seems, a cat who can hold off the devil: all this and more can be found within these pages. Simply an enchanting read. (  ) Alera | Aug 25, 2009 | I have never been a fan of short stories, but there are a few good ones here. My favourite was "Chivalry", with "Murder Mysteries" and "Snow, Glass, Apples" also deserving a mention. ( ) hyper7 | Jul 29, 2009 | These stories are a large part of why I want to be Neil Gaiman when I grow up. His imagination is truly magnificent, and his talent is overwhelming. "Murder Mysteries" is my all-time favourite short story. Gaiman is an absolute literary genius, and that is showcased incredibly well in this collection. (  ) RogueBelle | Jul 10, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0380789027, Mass Market Paperback)This anthology of short stories, and the occasional story poem, is vintage Neil Gaiman: quirky, sometimes very funny, often dark and disturbing. Most have been published before, but are hard to find elsewhere and cover all of Gaiman's writing life. As Gaiman says in his introduction, "most of the stories in this book are about love in some form or another," but not requited love. The stories in Smoke and Mirrors touch on all of Gaiman's themes: sex, death, dreams, and the end of the world. From "Chivalry," about the Holy Grail and where it finally ended up, to "Troll Bridge," a very adult version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"; from "Bay Wolf," a story poem that melds Beowulf and Baywatch, with interesting results, to "Murder Mysteries," which is about a murder, but also about angels, God's will, and Evil, these stories leave lasting impressions. Fans of Ray Bradbury's short stories and of Gaiman's other works will enjoy this collection. --Nona Vero(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:18 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
