A Walking Tour of the Shambles
by Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe
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Gene Wolfe and Neil Gaiman invite you to tour the Shambles, that historic old Chicago neighborhood which miraculously survived the Great Fire of 1871. ('Ya can't burn Hell,' as one local politician laughingly remarked.) Uniquely Chicago, the Shambles offers an array of delights for the intrepid sightseer: Cereal House with its Terribly Strange Bed (be sure to fill out the 'next of kin' form if you stay the night: a quaint touch adding to the fun of an overnight visit); the House of Clocks show more boasts a collection of 20,000 time pieces make sure you arrive on the hour, for an unforgettable moment; the historic H.H. Holmes' House with the bars on his children's windows still intact; Saunders Park, a soothing respite from the city streets (if one is careful), with its gardens, statuary, ornamental lake and the infamous Petting Zoo (a favorite with children, but it's best not to bring your own); plus many more intriguing sights . . . In the finest tradition of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey, our trustworthy guides Gene Wolfe and Neil Gaiman reveal the secrets of the Shambles, finding the best places to eat, (and where not to accept food under any circumstances), where to begin your walking tour, and when to run. The Shambles has been called a place of dark magic and deadly menace. Many will insist there is no such place. Most pray it does not exist. Certainly, a spot not to be missed by any avid sightseer. show lessTags
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Thank god Chicago doesn't actually have a neighbourhood called the Shambles. They would probably end up "losing" too many tourists to the dangers of this off little set of streets. The fictional walkthrough is more than entertaining enough, and it definitely made me never ever want to see a place like this in real life. Legit crocodile in the pond and the strangest restaurant menu ever (boiled/grilled grapefruit, yuck)? No thanks!
This book, (if you can find it, or The Shambles themselves, in fact; good luck to you and try to remember to avoid the crocodile) is absolutely hilarious, creepy, morbid and reminiscent of edward gorey and charles addams. All good characteristics of a fascinating read, and very sound advice. Should you actually attempt to find the Shambles, this guide is highly recommended. I've added some of my favorite quotes below:
"In general, distrust anyone you may meet whose teeth are sharper than your own (10)."
"Pay special attention to the sundials that line the walk as you leave; know that they will be paying special attention to you (24)."
"In general, distrust anyone you may meet whose teeth are sharper than your own (10)."
"Pay special attention to the sundials that line the walk as you leave; know that they will be paying special attention to you (24)."
This is a walking tour of a fictional area in Chicago. Unfortunately, I just found it boring. There were a few nice illustrations. Was it meant to be funny? I’m not sure. I just didn’t find it interesting at all.
A walking tour of a VERY strange, disturbing, and more than slightly dangerous neighborhood near downtown Chicago. Cover by Gahan Wilson of the two authors on tour in the district. Should one be lucky (or unlucky) enough to find The Shambles (not mentioned in any other guidebook or map), this slim volume is an invaluable guide to various shops and sights of special interest, and common (often fatal) errors to avoid on your tour.
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76 works; 3 members
Author Information
842+ Works 449,004 Members
Neil Gaiman was born in Portchester, England on November 10, 1960. He worked as a journalist and freelance writer for a time, before deciding to try his hand at comic books. Some of his work has appeared in publications such as Time Out, The Sunday Times, Punch, and The Observer. His first comic endeavor was the graphic novel series The Sandman. show more The series has won every major industry award including nine Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, three Harvey Awards, and the 1991 World Fantasy Award for best short story, making it the first comic ever to win a literary award. He writes both children and adult books. His adult books include The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which won a British National Book Awards, and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel for 2014; Stardust, which won the Mythopoeic Award as best novel for adults in 1999; American Gods, which won the Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, SFX, and Locus awards; Anansi Boys; Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances; and The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction, which is a New York Times Bestseller. His children's books include The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish; Coraline, which won the Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla, the BSFA, the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Bram Stoker awards; The Wolves in the Walls; Odd and the Frost Giants; The Graveyard Book, which won the Newbery Award in 2009 and The Sandman: Overture which won the 2016 Hugo Awards Best Graphic Story. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
313+ Works 43,475 Members
Gene Wolfe was born in New York City on May 7, 1931. He dropped out of Texas A&M University during his junior year and was drafted into the Army to fight in the Korean War. After the war, he received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston. He worked as an industrial engineer for Procter and Gamble, where he developed the show more machine that cooks the dough used to make Pringles potato chips. He was an editor of the trade journal Plant Engineering from 1972 to 1984 before retiring to become a full-time writer. He wrote more than 30 books during his lifetime including The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Peace, The Book of the New Sun, and The Land Across. He received the Campbell Memorial Award, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award, the Locus Award four times, and the Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award two times each. In 1996, he was given the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2012. He died after a long battle with heart disease on April 14, 2019 at the age of 87. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2002
- Important places
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Dedication
- For R.A. Lafferty, who would have remembered all the tall tales he heard in Gavagan's.
- First words
- Started as a public service in 1983 by a small local publisher loosely associated with the Chicago Tourist Commission, the Greater Chicago Chamber of Commerce and the International Brotherhood of Meatworkers, the Little Walks... (show all) for Sightseers series has largely been credited with the economic and cultural revival of Chicago in the last two decades.
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- Popularity
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- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.51)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 1
