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M Is for Magic
Stories to delight, enchant, and surprise you.
Bestselling author and master storyteller Neil Gaiman here presents a breathtaking collection of tales that may chill or amuse readers - but always embrace the unexpected. Collection includes:
"The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds,"
"Troll Bridge,"
"Don't Ask Jack,"
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge,"
"October in the Chair,"
"Chivalry,"
"The Price,"
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties,"
"Sunbird,"
"The Witch's Headstone,"
"Instructions"
Bestselling author and master storyteller Neil Gaiman here presents a breathtaking collection of tales that may chill or amuse readers - but always embrace the unexpected. Collection includes:
"The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds,"
"Troll Bridge,"
"Don't Ask Jack,"
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge,"
"October in the Chair,"
"Chivalry,"
"The Price,"
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties,"
"Sunbird,"
"The Witch's Headstone,"
"Instructions"
260 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2007
687 people are currently reading
13882 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,076 reviews
December 10, 2020
Oh Good Lord, do not buy this one for your kids
Despite the cutesy title, this is soooooo not appropriate for anyone under preteens. There are no rainbows and there are no unicorns...and because it's Gaiman, it's weirdly sexual (though, not hardcore, at least). YOU have been warned
**Additional warning** Several of these stories appear elsewhere. I get that short stories are often published on their own before becoming part of anthology, but what I'm referring to is that the short stories are already in a short-story book OR they are fully published as their own book by Gaiman. A smidge frustrating.
Introduction: Extremely long. Please skip.
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds: Detective story set in a storybook land. Starring all sorts of classic fairy-tale characters as they try to figure out what happened to Humpty Dumpty. A bit of a gritty-seedy remake. Interesting, but not captivating.
Troll Bridge: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: this is republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Undue time is used to describe the troll's flaccid genitalia. Un-ironically, the troll acts like a dick.
Don't Ask Jack: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: this is republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Includes a menacing Jack-in-the-Box passed down through the generations. (As if I needed another reason to never buy one)
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge: Extremely long-winded con - the Ponti Bridge is "sold" and the main characters make off like bandits. Started to lose interest halfway through.
October in the Chair: Highly fanciful meeting of the twelve months. Started off interesting but soon faded. This either should've been a novel or cut.
Chivalry: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Despite that, this was fun! An old lady buys the Holy Grail at a resale shop. A knight comes looking for it and finds more than he bargained for...
The Price: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Still enjoyed the story - one brave cat defends his family from the Devil himself. This one was good, but not fleshed out. Should have been a full story.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties: Unexpectedly sexual - the dirty thoughts of a pubescent boy...but other than that it was a little fun to see what was happening to the oblivious narrator. In his efforts to chat up girls, he mistakenly wanders into an alien party and has no idea that she plans to do dirty things to him.
Sunbird: What should you eat if you already ate everything? At first I felt sympathy for the main characters but quickly I realized that they were all terrible people to begin with...
The Witch's Headstone: THIS DOES NOT COUNT. This is a chapter from The Graveyard Book... this feels weird to read a section from another book. Yes, the book was published after the short story collection was out...but it's only a year difference so I'm working on the assumption that Gaiman knew he was going to publish a whole other book and still put a chapter of it in this one.
Instructions: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: This is previously published kids book, Instructions.
Despite the cutesy title, this is soooooo not appropriate for anyone under preteens. There are no rainbows and there are no unicorns...and because it's Gaiman, it's weirdly sexual (though, not hardcore, at least). YOU have been warned
**Additional warning** Several of these stories appear elsewhere. I get that short stories are often published on their own before becoming part of anthology, but what I'm referring to is that the short stories are already in a short-story book OR they are fully published as their own book by Gaiman. A smidge frustrating.
Introduction: Extremely long. Please skip.
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds: Detective story set in a storybook land. Starring all sorts of classic fairy-tale characters as they try to figure out what happened to Humpty Dumpty. A bit of a gritty-seedy remake. Interesting, but not captivating.
Troll Bridge: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: this is republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Undue time is used to describe the troll's flaccid genitalia. Un-ironically, the troll acts like a dick.
Don't Ask Jack: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: this is republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Includes a menacing Jack-in-the-Box passed down through the generations. (As if I needed another reason to never buy one)
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge: Extremely long-winded con - the Ponti Bridge is "sold" and the main characters make off like bandits. Started to lose interest halfway through.
October in the Chair: Highly fanciful meeting of the twelve months. Started off interesting but soon faded. This either should've been a novel or cut.
Chivalry: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Despite that, this was fun! An old lady buys the Holy Grail at a resale shop. A knight comes looking for it and finds more than he bargained for...
The Price: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: republished from Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. Still enjoyed the story - one brave cat defends his family from the Devil himself. This one was good, but not fleshed out. Should have been a full story.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties: Unexpectedly sexual - the dirty thoughts of a pubescent boy...but other than that it was a little fun to see what was happening to the oblivious narrator. In his efforts to chat up girls, he mistakenly wanders into an alien party and has no idea that she plans to do dirty things to him.
Sunbird: What should you eat if you already ate everything? At first I felt sympathy for the main characters but quickly I realized that they were all terrible people to begin with...
The Witch's Headstone: THIS DOES NOT COUNT. This is a chapter from The Graveyard Book... this feels weird to read a section from another book. Yes, the book was published after the short story collection was out...but it's only a year difference so I'm working on the assumption that Gaiman knew he was going to publish a whole other book and still put a chapter of it in this one.
Instructions: THIS DOES NOT COUNT: This is previously published kids book, Instructions.
Sigh. Maybe I'll enjoy another set of short stories by him someday...
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March 5, 2019
This book is in peril of falling into a forgotten realm, a status that stems from misguided marketing. The title, M is for Magic, suggests a collection of stories for children, yet the book is categorized for young adults, and the content - from the crotch-sniffing troll whose "penis hung from the bush of gonk hair between his legs" to the months of the year sitting fireside to enjoy "a bottle of 1902 Château Lafitte" - caters to adults.
M is for Magic includes ten short stories and one poem. It offers pizazz, in the story of Humpty Dumpty's sister hiring a private detective to investigate her brother's untimely death; humor, in the sci-fi telling of an awkward youth attempting to talk to alien girls at a party; and imaginative fantasy entertainment in one of its more enjoyable stories, "Sunbird," which follows five voracious eaters on their quest to consume the rare Suntown Sunbird.
A really uneven collection of stories but, as Neil Gaimen says in his eloquent introduction, "There's another good thing about a book of short stories: you don't have to like them all. If there's one you don't enjoy, well, there will be another one along soon."
M is for Magic includes ten short stories and one poem. It offers pizazz, in the story of Humpty Dumpty's sister hiring a private detective to investigate her brother's untimely death; humor, in the sci-fi telling of an awkward youth attempting to talk to alien girls at a party; and imaginative fantasy entertainment in one of its more enjoyable stories, "Sunbird," which follows five voracious eaters on their quest to consume the rare Suntown Sunbird.
A really uneven collection of stories but, as Neil Gaimen says in his eloquent introduction, "There's another good thing about a book of short stories: you don't have to like them all. If there's one you don't enjoy, well, there will be another one along soon."
"Well, there's the Suntown Sunbird," said Zebediah T. Crawcrustle. And he grinned his crookedy grin at them, with his teeth ragged but sharp.
"I've never heard of it," said Jackie Newhouse. "You're making it up."
"Unicorns are imaginary," said Virginia Boote, "but, gosh, that unicorn flank tartare was tasty. A little bit horsey, a little bit goatish, and all the better for the capers and raw quail eggs."
July 22, 2014
M is for the many things I always hope to get out of reading a Neil Gaiman book. Then the usual happens...
Some of these stories - "Sunbird", "October in the Chair", and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" - appear in his excellent short story collection Fragile Things, and apparently others also appear elsewhere, mostly Smoke and Mirrors. Add to that, "The Witch's Headstone" is the precursor to The Graveyard Book. So, M is for Magic is really just a repackaging of old material.
That's been a running theme in my Gaiman reading experience. He relies on source material too much. His stories are magical, even fantastical, but his ideas are old and used. Fairytales and mythology make up the subject matter of a good deal of the Gaiman canon. Much of it is straight up taken from preexisting sources with a modern day sensibility and scant, if any, new invention slapped on it in order to call it his own. It's genius! Fantasy is the IT genre these days and the people like their entertainment to come with some familiarity, thus the man has hit upon a winning formula. Few writers can claim the kind of unbridled popular success Neil Gaiman has achieved, so it could be argued that few if any could do better work within the realms of writing he inhabits.
But I digress. Back to M is for Magic!
Whereas Fragile Things had decidedly adult content, this one gets no more racy than the suggestion of teens having "a time good" at a house party in "How to Talk to Girls at Parties". The rest is mostly stuff such as a crime noir version of nursery rhymes, a troll-under-the-bridge story, foodies in search of the ultimate meal, and a take on the quest for the Holy Grail in which an ordinary housewife finds the Grail at a thrift store and won't give it up to Sir Galahad because it looks nice on her mantel. (I could totally see one of the Pythons in drag playing the woman.)
I'm not sure exactly what the appropriate reading age would be for these stories - I'm a childless middle-aged man, what the hell do I know? - they're not for tiny tots, but they could probably be read by nearly all other age levels, even old farts, and enjoyed in some way, shape or form.
Some of these stories - "Sunbird", "October in the Chair", and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" - appear in his excellent short story collection Fragile Things, and apparently others also appear elsewhere, mostly Smoke and Mirrors. Add to that, "The Witch's Headstone" is the precursor to The Graveyard Book. So, M is for Magic is really just a repackaging of old material.
That's been a running theme in my Gaiman reading experience. He relies on source material too much. His stories are magical, even fantastical, but his ideas are old and used. Fairytales and mythology make up the subject matter of a good deal of the Gaiman canon. Much of it is straight up taken from preexisting sources with a modern day sensibility and scant, if any, new invention slapped on it in order to call it his own. It's genius! Fantasy is the IT genre these days and the people like their entertainment to come with some familiarity, thus the man has hit upon a winning formula. Few writers can claim the kind of unbridled popular success Neil Gaiman has achieved, so it could be argued that few if any could do better work within the realms of writing he inhabits.
But I digress. Back to M is for Magic!
Whereas Fragile Things had decidedly adult content, this one gets no more racy than the suggestion of teens having "a time good" at a house party in "How to Talk to Girls at Parties". The rest is mostly stuff such as a crime noir version of nursery rhymes, a troll-under-the-bridge story, foodies in search of the ultimate meal, and a take on the quest for the Holy Grail in which an ordinary housewife finds the Grail at a thrift store and won't give it up to Sir Galahad because it looks nice on her mantel. (I could totally see one of the Pythons in drag playing the woman.)
I'm not sure exactly what the appropriate reading age would be for these stories - I'm a childless middle-aged man, what the hell do I know? - they're not for tiny tots, but they could probably be read by nearly all other age levels, even old farts, and enjoyed in some way, shape or form.
December 28, 2024
"Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams..
... you don't have to like them all. If there's one you don't enjoy, well, there will be another along soon."
- Neil Gaiman
I love the way that Neil Gaiman seems to view the world from a very different perspective. He has an eye for making the unusual interesting.
This is a quirky, eclectic mix of wonder, fear, beauty. The believable and unreal. Put together with fab illustrations by Teddy Kristiansen, this is a most enjoyable read.
There's a mish-mash of ideas and styles contained here, which showcase Neil Gaiman's talent as a wordsmith. We find the Holy Grail for sale in a charity shop. A troll that could make you question your life and its meaning. A noir take on a favourite nursery rhyme, complete with a curvy dame and hard nosed private eye.
Yes I have read several of these stories in previous anthologies. But that's ok. Like a favourite movie that I'm happy to watch all over again, I'm more than happy to re-visit books & stories that I love too.
I've said in other reviews that short stories are my favourite genre, and Neil Gaiman certainly has the panache to make them capture your imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story about a group of gourmands, part of a generational Epicurean Club, whose mission it is to eat the mythical "Sunbird". You see, they've eaten every single thing, and I mean everything, known to exist on the planet. Having such jaded palates to cater to, it's not an easy thing to get that buzz... Luckily the phoenix always rises from the ashes. Such a clever, amusing piece.
Of all the stories, "The Price" - of course - is extra special. I first read this story many moons ago via Mr Gaiman's "Smoke & Mirrors" anthology. I loved it then and love it just as much now. I remember Mum & I talking about it for ages after a cuppa. We're both cat lovers and agreed this story could possibly explain the mysterious scratches and hurts that seem to have appeared on family cats over the years. Defending their home & hearth. Scary thought & utterly plausible (yes, I have a very vivid imagination).
Don't for a moment assume from the cute cover that this is a children's book. Possibly it may be marketed as YA, but I'd suggest this is more suited for slightly older reader.
Y is for yes...3.5★s for me.
WORDS: Neil Gaiman
ILLUSTRATIONS: Teddy Kristiansen
*** Buddy read with the wonderful, talented Mr.Neale-ski. This is his first taste of Neil Gaiman's writing. Hopefully this has whet his appetite to read more. Fingers crossed! Make sure you check out his review - if he ever posts it...***
... you don't have to like them all. If there's one you don't enjoy, well, there will be another along soon."
- Neil Gaiman
I love the way that Neil Gaiman seems to view the world from a very different perspective. He has an eye for making the unusual interesting.
This is a quirky, eclectic mix of wonder, fear, beauty. The believable and unreal. Put together with fab illustrations by Teddy Kristiansen, this is a most enjoyable read.
There's a mish-mash of ideas and styles contained here, which showcase Neil Gaiman's talent as a wordsmith. We find the Holy Grail for sale in a charity shop. A troll that could make you question your life and its meaning. A noir take on a favourite nursery rhyme, complete with a curvy dame and hard nosed private eye.
Yes I have read several of these stories in previous anthologies. But that's ok. Like a favourite movie that I'm happy to watch all over again, I'm more than happy to re-visit books & stories that I love too.
I've said in other reviews that short stories are my favourite genre, and Neil Gaiman certainly has the panache to make them capture your imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story about a group of gourmands, part of a generational Epicurean Club, whose mission it is to eat the mythical "Sunbird". You see, they've eaten every single thing, and I mean everything, known to exist on the planet. Having such jaded palates to cater to, it's not an easy thing to get that buzz... Luckily the phoenix always rises from the ashes. Such a clever, amusing piece.
Of all the stories, "The Price" - of course - is extra special. I first read this story many moons ago via Mr Gaiman's "Smoke & Mirrors" anthology. I loved it then and love it just as much now. I remember Mum & I talking about it for ages after a cuppa. We're both cat lovers and agreed this story could possibly explain the mysterious scratches and hurts that seem to have appeared on family cats over the years. Defending their home & hearth. Scary thought & utterly plausible (yes, I have a very vivid imagination).
Don't for a moment assume from the cute cover that this is a children's book. Possibly it may be marketed as YA, but I'd suggest this is more suited for slightly older reader.
Y is for yes...3.5★s for me.
WORDS: Neil Gaiman
ILLUSTRATIONS: Teddy Kristiansen
*** Buddy read with the wonderful, talented Mr.Neale-ski. This is his first taste of Neil Gaiman's writing. Hopefully this has whet his appetite to read more. Fingers crossed! Make sure you check out his review - if he ever posts it...***
June 5, 2019
I love this book it was so cute . I love the short stories and especially the graveyard book themed story. Neil Gaiman is probably my favorite author . I try to read as much from him as possible. Neverwhere was my first of his books I ever read and still my favorite followed by Coraline , but I do love books of short stories and this book was whimsical and fanciful. It was great 👍🏻👍🏻&⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
October 31, 2020
I don't know if anyone else does this, but every time I have an appointment that is expected to take up most of the day (once travel is included), I tend to dutifully take along whatever novel I am reading but then only manage a few pages. I don't know why, but I can never concentrate on a long story, no matter how invested I might be. Short story collections seem to be a better fit, and short stories by Neil Gaiman are perhaps the perfect one! I don't know why it makes a difference, but I read most of this book with no trouble at all -- in waiting rooms and during the 2 hour drive back home. It was nice to return home with a book that only had two unread stories left!
I loved the introduction to this book. From what I have read so far of his work, Neil Gaiman writes excellent introductions that I tend to read at least three or four times. I think I just like the way he seems to look at the world, and the way he expresses that so brilliantly.
The stories were slightly more mature than I had been expecting, but I personally did consider them appropriate for younger readers. I think I would have liked them a lot in primary scho0l, even if I didn't understand them. While this varies according to the individual of course, I think we sometimes underestimate what a child might enjoy. I'm not saying all children would enjoy this book, but I think many would.
I enjoyed all of the stories, though I think Chivalry was my favourite. And Don't Ask Jack was very creepy and my mind keeps drifting back to it when I'm not paying attention. Sunbird was bizarre and unexpectedly funny. The Witch's Headstone has me keen to reread The Graveyard Book, something I was planning to do anyway. October in the Chair felt funny and comfortable in the best way before veering off in a brilliantly dark direction.
This was yet another book written by Neil Gaiman that I have loved unreservedly.
I loved the introduction to this book. From what I have read so far of his work, Neil Gaiman writes excellent introductions that I tend to read at least three or four times. I think I just like the way he seems to look at the world, and the way he expresses that so brilliantly.
The stories were slightly more mature than I had been expecting, but I personally did consider them appropriate for younger readers. I think I would have liked them a lot in primary scho0l, even if I didn't understand them. While this varies according to the individual of course, I think we sometimes underestimate what a child might enjoy. I'm not saying all children would enjoy this book, but I think many would.
I enjoyed all of the stories, though I think Chivalry was my favourite. And Don't Ask Jack was very creepy and my mind keeps drifting back to it when I'm not paying attention. Sunbird was bizarre and unexpectedly funny. The Witch's Headstone has me keen to reread The Graveyard Book, something I was planning to do anyway. October in the Chair felt funny and comfortable in the best way before veering off in a brilliantly dark direction.
This was yet another book written by Neil Gaiman that I have loved unreservedly.
October 17, 2015
I am not a fan of short stories. Once I get my teeth into a good book I want it to go on and on which is why I read a lot of series. However if I am going to read short stories then ones written by one of my favourite authors is the only way to go. This book contains some absolute treasures. A few of the stories use nursery rhymes as their source, a couple are almost science fiction and of course there is a lot of Gaiman's trade mark fantasy. Pure entertainment:)
January 27, 2023
Un piccolo viaggio fino all'estremo opposto dell'universo con la certezza di rientrare per l'ora di cena.
Ho iniziato da qui a conoscere Gaiman, anche se in realtà avevo altri suoi libri nella wl.
Atmosfere cupe e tinte gotiche ed anche molta ironia in questi racconti.
Una piacevole lettura
Ho iniziato da qui a conoscere Gaiman, anche se in realtà avevo altri suoi libri nella wl.
Atmosfere cupe e tinte gotiche ed anche molta ironia in questi racconti.
Una piacevole lettura
January 29, 2013
R is for Recycled.
Seriously, I thought these stories were good enough, many of them, the first THREE times they were published. Five times, in at least one case, and possibly two. But there is not a single new story in this collection, folks. I almost titled this review "R is for Ripoff."
So, no original work. Maybe that would be okay if there were a good theme tying these together.
The problem is the anthology's premise: somebody got to Neil Gaiman and said "hey, you should publish an anthology of your short stories for children." The problem: Gaiman has *never written a single short story for kids.* Not one of the stories in here is appropriate for any child under the age of 14, and I'd hesitate to offer most of them to anyone under the age of 17. That there isn't explicit sex in the story doesn't make it thematically or structurally appropriate for children, Publishing People. Not that this fact would have influenced you since fully half of the stories in this collection *DO* contain explicit references to sex.
Gaiman has written some material arguably child appropriate ('The Graveyard Book' is on the edge, but 'Coraline' is quite good). Too often though, even when he tries, he can't help diving into themes entirely too dark (Stardust) or surreal (Wolves in the Walls) for actual kids. Kid-lit-friendly adults are his real target audience, and there's nothing wrong with that, if only he - and his publishers, would acknowledge it.
H is for Honesty.
Seriously, I thought these stories were good enough, many of them, the first THREE times they were published. Five times, in at least one case, and possibly two. But there is not a single new story in this collection, folks. I almost titled this review "R is for Ripoff."
So, no original work. Maybe that would be okay if there were a good theme tying these together.
The problem is the anthology's premise: somebody got to Neil Gaiman and said "hey, you should publish an anthology of your short stories for children." The problem: Gaiman has *never written a single short story for kids.* Not one of the stories in here is appropriate for any child under the age of 14, and I'd hesitate to offer most of them to anyone under the age of 17. That there isn't explicit sex in the story doesn't make it thematically or structurally appropriate for children, Publishing People. Not that this fact would have influenced you since fully half of the stories in this collection *DO* contain explicit references to sex.
Gaiman has written some material arguably child appropriate ('The Graveyard Book' is on the edge, but 'Coraline' is quite good). Too often though, even when he tries, he can't help diving into themes entirely too dark (Stardust) or surreal (Wolves in the Walls) for actual kids. Kid-lit-friendly adults are his real target audience, and there's nothing wrong with that, if only he - and his publishers, would acknowledge it.
H is for Honesty.
April 6, 2009
The problem with assigning a star rating to this book is that, like any book of short stories, it is a mixed bag. Especially considering that this particular book of stories is by Neil Gaiman who can pen novles that are original enough that the only resemblance they bear to one another is the name on the front cover.
What I gather from this book (intended for a YA audience) is that Gaiman allows himself to get more experimental with stories than perhaps with his novel. As always, the writing is superb. Sometimes, the stories edge on the likably bizarre.
The only fair and scientific way to assignm this book a rating is to assign each story a seperate review and then average the outcome.
1) "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds"- This is the stupidest piece of Gaiman writing I have read yet. It is clever, but didn't grab me. The whole film noir meets nursery rhymes bit seemed rather silly. Don't let this story stop you from continuing to read. Thank heavens, it does get better. * *
2) "Troll Bridge"- This is a good adolescent short in that the symbolism is well done, but overt enough to be on the right level. It is not such a good adolescent story in it's discussion of sexuality and specific references to genitals. As an adult, I can appreciate this story; as a teen, I would have been distured by it. (I am a goodie two-shoes.) * * *
3) "Don't Ask Jack"- This is a great short short read. I would have loved and tried to emulate this short story a hundred times over in my own writing as an adolescent. As an adult, I know this isn't as transcendently amazing as Gaiman at his best. * * *
4) "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge"- The sci-fi setting is what makes this story borderline bizarre. There are some interesting details, still not my favorite. * * *
5) "October in the Chair"- This is Gaiman's tribute to Bradbury. (I would love to see Bradbury's response.) This is an interesting, thought provoking read. It seems like a warm-up exercise for The Graveyard Book. * * * *
6) "Chivalry"- Gaiman at his best. The strength of this story lies in both plot and characterization. I am completely enamored of it in every way and even more so because I listened to Gaiman's reading of it (available for free on-line- google it!) If you read only one story from this book, choose this one. It makes me wish I were teaching HS English all over again, because this story is worth sharing. * * * * *
7)"The Price"- I am, likewise, very fond of this story. I like the "in medias res" type ending. It reminds me a bit of Poe's "The Black Cat."
* * * * *
8)"How to Talk to Girls at Parties"- Once again, Neiman goes a bit sci-fi with this one. For anyone who has ever known or has ever been an awkward adolescent male, this story is a hilarious read. * * * * *
9) "Sunbird"- This story is very unusual and unpredictable. I seriously had no idea where it was headed until it had arrived.
* * * * * for ingenuity.
10)"The Witch's Headstone"- This is actually one of the vignettes included in The Graveyard Book. As such, * * * * *
11) "Instructions"- This is not a short story, but a poem. Poetry is not exactly Gaiman's strong suite. This is a good piece or writing, but not amazing as poetry. * * * * (It is available as a youtube clip of Gaiman reading it. It is always well worth it to hear Gaiman read his own work.)
What I gather from this book (intended for a YA audience) is that Gaiman allows himself to get more experimental with stories than perhaps with his novel. As always, the writing is superb. Sometimes, the stories edge on the likably bizarre.
The only fair and scientific way to assignm this book a rating is to assign each story a seperate review and then average the outcome.
1) "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds"- This is the stupidest piece of Gaiman writing I have read yet. It is clever, but didn't grab me. The whole film noir meets nursery rhymes bit seemed rather silly. Don't let this story stop you from continuing to read. Thank heavens, it does get better. * *
2) "Troll Bridge"- This is a good adolescent short in that the symbolism is well done, but overt enough to be on the right level. It is not such a good adolescent story in it's discussion of sexuality and specific references to genitals. As an adult, I can appreciate this story; as a teen, I would have been distured by it. (I am a goodie two-shoes.) * * *
3) "Don't Ask Jack"- This is a great short short read. I would have loved and tried to emulate this short story a hundred times over in my own writing as an adolescent. As an adult, I know this isn't as transcendently amazing as Gaiman at his best. * * *
4) "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge"- The sci-fi setting is what makes this story borderline bizarre. There are some interesting details, still not my favorite. * * *
5) "October in the Chair"- This is Gaiman's tribute to Bradbury. (I would love to see Bradbury's response.) This is an interesting, thought provoking read. It seems like a warm-up exercise for The Graveyard Book. * * * *
6) "Chivalry"- Gaiman at his best. The strength of this story lies in both plot and characterization. I am completely enamored of it in every way and even more so because I listened to Gaiman's reading of it (available for free on-line- google it!) If you read only one story from this book, choose this one. It makes me wish I were teaching HS English all over again, because this story is worth sharing. * * * * *
7)"The Price"- I am, likewise, very fond of this story. I like the "in medias res" type ending. It reminds me a bit of Poe's "The Black Cat."
* * * * *
8)"How to Talk to Girls at Parties"- Once again, Neiman goes a bit sci-fi with this one. For anyone who has ever known or has ever been an awkward adolescent male, this story is a hilarious read. * * * * *
9) "Sunbird"- This story is very unusual and unpredictable. I seriously had no idea where it was headed until it had arrived.
* * * * * for ingenuity.
10)"The Witch's Headstone"- This is actually one of the vignettes included in The Graveyard Book. As such, * * * * *
11) "Instructions"- This is not a short story, but a poem. Poetry is not exactly Gaiman's strong suite. This is a good piece or writing, but not amazing as poetry. * * * * (It is available as a youtube clip of Gaiman reading it. It is always well worth it to hear Gaiman read his own work.)
February 22, 2016
„К като Котка“ любовно, макар и не особено кратко, си я наричах аз заради любопитно душещата въздуха черна котчица на корицата. В този бутиков сборник с разкази Нийл Геймън отваря обковани с желязо и потайно скърцащи врати и оставя на ваша отговорност да прекрачите прага им, защото никога, съвсем никога, не се знае къде точно ще се озовете.
Тези разкази категорично не са (само) за деца. В някои от тях имаше неща, които според мен деца не биха разбрали напълно, а на едно-две места дори аз се посмутих от езика, пък вече от близо десетилетие не влизам в категорията „дете“. Като отхвърля това тривиално уточнение, всичко в тази книга е… ами напълно магично. Не бих стигнала до там да нарека стила на писане на Геймън „неподражаем“, защото не бих го разпознала измежду други (не така, както този на Тери Пратчет например), но две неща ми направиха поразяващо впечатление: а) вихреното въображение, на моменти граничещо дори с абсурда, заради което обикнах и „Коралайн“, и „Книга за гробището“; б) пленителният начин, по който този човек описва профанни делнични неща, сякаш прави вълшебство и не можеш да откъснеш очи от него. А най-хубавото е, че ненадейно сред тези най-простички неща се пропуква черупката на нещо необикновено и те оставя съвсем зяпнал да се чудиш как, по дяволите, си е намерило място то точно там.
M is for Magic, както е оригиналното заглавие на сборника, ме подсеща за стихчето M is for mirrors you’ll stare in forever от друга Геймънова гениалност – The Dangerous Alphabet – само че без мрачния привкус. Въпреки приказното си заглавие обаче „М като Магия“ крие няколко сюжета, изпълнени с изящно зловещ стил, които карат косъмчетата по ръцете да настръхват. „Най-същественото е невидимо за очите“, би казал малкият принц и Нийл Геймън определено го потвърждава. Доверете се на невидимия етикет „Прочети ме“, който върви с тази книга, и се потопете по-надълбоко от думите. Там някъде със сигурност ще откриете нещичко, което ще подръпне една или друга душевна струна.
„А дълбоко в кутията, която лежи в сандъка, Шутът чака и се усмихва, пази своите тайни. Чака децата. Може да чака вечно.“
Тези разкази категорично не са (само) за деца. В някои от тях имаше неща, които според мен деца не биха разбрали напълно, а на едно-две места дори аз се посмутих от езика, пък вече от близо десетилетие не влизам в категорията „дете“. Като отхвърля това тривиално уточнение, всичко в тази книга е… ами напълно магично. Не бих стигнала до там да нарека стила на писане на Геймън „неподражаем“, защото не бих го разпознала измежду други (не така, както този на Тери Пратчет например), но две неща ми направиха поразяващо впечатление: а) вихреното въображение, на моменти граничещо дори с абсурда, заради което обикнах и „Коралайн“, и „Книга за гробището“; б) пленителният начин, по който този човек описва профанни делнични неща, сякаш прави вълшебство и не можеш да откъснеш очи от него. А най-хубавото е, че ненадейно сред тези най-простички неща се пропуква черупката на нещо необикновено и те оставя съвсем зяпнал да се чудиш как, по дяволите, си е намерило място то точно там.
M is for Magic, както е оригиналното заглавие на сборника, ме подсеща за стихчето M is for mirrors you’ll stare in forever от друга Геймънова гениалност – The Dangerous Alphabet – само че без мрачния привкус. Въпреки приказното си заглавие обаче „М като Магия“ крие няколко сюжета, изпълнени с изящно зловещ стил, които карат косъмчетата по ръцете да настръхват. „Най-същественото е невидимо за очите“, би казал малкият принц и Нийл Геймън определено го потвърждава. Доверете се на невидимия етикет „Прочети ме“, който върви с тази книга, и се потопете по-надълбоко от думите. Там някъде със сигурност ще откриете нещичко, което ще подръпне една или друга душевна струна.
„А дълбоко в кутията, която лежи в сандъка, Шутът чака и се усмихва, пази своите тайни. Чака децата. Може да чака вечно.“
October 28, 2020
I have a sort of love-hate thing with Neil's short stories. Some of them are the best stories I've ever read, and some have been far too grotesque for my liking, to be honest. So I had much better luck with this collection, which contains his stories suitable for children. (So there was a noticeable lack of graphic sex, cannibalism, and etc.) These were, hands down, his best short stories. I'd read a few before, since most of these have appeared in his other collections, but a few were new (at least to me). It included two of my personal favorites: The Sunbird and The Price. But some of the new ones have now become faves, like Chivalry, and Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds. Chivalry was my favorite of the collection, and I just can't stop giggling over it.
Reread 2020: Decided to read a few of these to my kids. (Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds, Chivalry, The Sunbird) Some of the stories really aren't that suitable for children, to be honest. Okay for teen readers, though. Chivalry has become one of my favorite short stories of all time.
Reread 2020: Decided to read a few of these to my kids. (Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds, Chivalry, The Sunbird) Some of the stories really aren't that suitable for children, to be honest. Okay for teen readers, though. Chivalry has become one of my favorite short stories of all time.
September 16, 2018
یه خصوصیت جالبی که کارهای "گیمن" داره اینه که سبک خاص و منحصر به فرد خودش رو داره. یعنی فانتزی هاش شبیه هیچکس دیگه نیست، یه چیز بکر و دست نخورده ست که تا وقتی خودت رو درگیرش نکنی شاید درست درکش نکنی
اینکه اغلب، آخر داستان هاش رو باز می زاره و به پایان بندی خاصی نمی رسه رو من دوست دارم، می دونم که خیلی ها دوست ندارن اما من ترجیح میدم اون لحظه ذهنم رو رها بزرام تا هر جور دوست داره داستان رو به اتمام برسونه. به نظرم خوبه که گاهی اوقات خواننده ها هم یه نقش کوچیکی تو داستان داشته باشن دیگه !؟ نمیشه که همش دست به دامن نویسنده باشیم
:))
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این کتاب شامل ده داستان کوتاه بود. "پل ترول" رو بیشتر از بقیه دوست داشتم
اینکه اغلب، آخر داستان هاش رو باز می زاره و به پایان بندی خاصی نمی رسه رو من دوست دارم، می دونم که خیلی ها دوست ندارن اما من ترجیح میدم اون لحظه ذهنم رو رها بزرام تا هر جور دوست داره داستان رو به اتمام برسونه. به نظرم خوبه که گاهی اوقات خواننده ها هم یه نقش کوچیکی تو داستان داشته باشن دیگه !؟ نمیشه که همش دست به دامن نویسنده باشیم
:))
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این کتاب شامل ده داستان کوتاه بود. "پل ترول" رو بیشتر از بقیه دوست داشتم
June 22, 2024
یه زمانی بود که خیلی جدی میگفتم نیل گیمن کار بد نداره. چند سال بعد با یکم شک اینو میگفتم و الان، حدود سیزده سال بعد از اولین باری که گیمن خوندم، میگم تعداد داستانهای بد گیمن از خوبهاش بیشتره. فقط کافیه وقت بذارین و تمام کمیکها، رمانها و داستان کوتاههاش رو بخونین تا متوجه بشین چهقدر همه چیز شبیه همه و بیشتر وقتها داستان حتی یک ذره هم در نیومده.
مثلا نصف داستانهای این کتاب اصلا خوب نیستن، ولی اون نصف دیگه شاهکارن. گیمن وقتی که بد مینویسه بدترینه و وقتی خوب بنویسه بهترین.
در مورد نسخهی فارسی (چون برای اولین بار توی فکر کنم ده سال اخیر تجدید چ��پ شده) باید بگم افتضاحه. من دوتا داستان اول رو اونجا خوندم و جز اینکه ترجمه پر از اشتباهه، خیلی از جاها جملات حتی معنی نمیدن. از بار آخری که این کتاب چاپ شده، خیلی از سختگیریهای سانسور کتاب از بین رفته، ولی اینقدری به خودشون زحمت ندادن که اون بخشها رو اصلاح کنن. سالها از آخرین باری که "آب سیب" رو جای "شراب" مینوشتن گذشته. ایکاش با این قیمتها یک ذره به شعور مخاطب احترام میذاشتن.
مثلا نصف داستانهای این کتاب اصلا خوب نیستن، ولی اون نصف دیگه شاهکارن. گیمن وقتی که بد مینویسه بدترینه و وقتی خوب بنویسه بهترین.
در مورد نسخهی فارسی (چون برای اولین بار توی فکر کنم ده سال اخیر تجدید چ��پ شده) باید بگم افتضاحه. من دوتا داستان اول رو اونجا خوندم و جز اینکه ترجمه پر از اشتباهه، خیلی از جاها جملات حتی معنی نمیدن. از بار آخری که این کتاب چاپ شده، خیلی از سختگیریهای سانسور کتاب از بین رفته، ولی اینقدری به خودشون زحمت ندادن که اون بخشها رو اصلاح کنن. سالها از آخرین باری که "آب سیب" رو جای "شراب" مینوشتن گذشته. ایکاش با این قیمتها یک ذره به شعور مخاطب احترام میذاشتن.
January 1, 2024
This was a very fun read containing all the charm Neil Gaiman is so good at.
While I did not love every story included in this collection, the ones I did enjoy were spectacular.
To me, Neil Gaiman is meant to write novels because that is something he is beyond talented at, but reading his short stories just proves he can do anything.
My two favorite stories from this collection were "October in the Chair" and "The Price", both brilliant pieces. October in the Chair had a perfectly eerie atmosphere about it and was sad, beautiful, and unique. The Price was a dark story that reminded me of The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, which might have been why I liked it stuck to me the way it did, but it was by no means the same story.
Overall the collection was enjoyable and full of different fun stories.
While I did not love every story included in this collection, the ones I did enjoy were spectacular.
To me, Neil Gaiman is meant to write novels because that is something he is beyond talented at, but reading his short stories just proves he can do anything.
My two favorite stories from this collection were "October in the Chair" and "The Price", both brilliant pieces. October in the Chair had a perfectly eerie atmosphere about it and was sad, beautiful, and unique. The Price was a dark story that reminded me of The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, which might have been why I liked it stuck to me the way it did, but it was by no means the same story.
Overall the collection was enjoyable and full of different fun stories.
November 16, 2016
I am kind of annoyed. I had hoped for a nice collection of short stories to sink my teeth into. But instead I ended up skipping over a lot of stories I had previously read in this one. So I ended up only taking a few short hours on this one (I think it took me around 2) to finish up. For the really new to me stories I thought some were just okay, and others didn't make a lick of sense and did not appeal to me. The only really one I enjoyed was "The Price" and that featured a black cat.
For those who are still looking to complete your Halloween book bingo, there are some stories in here for you that you may want to take a look at.
"The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds" (1 star). This was painful to read. I was tempted to have this story count towards the "It was a dark and stormy night" but decided to let that go. Told like a pulp detective novel featuring characters from children's nursery rhymes. Reading the word "dame" from Jack Horner (now a detective) made me roll my eyes. A lot.
"Troll Bridge" (3.5 stars). I thought this one counted towards disturbing and sad in the end. A young boy comes across a troll that wants to eat his life. He manages to get away with a promise to come back. And he does come back. I thought one of his trips ended up sealing his fate so to speak (the young boy) because something that was innocent definitely curdled.
"Don't Ask Jack" (3.5 stars). I thought this was a bittersweet story involving a jack in the box. The whole story made me feel lonely and sad. There is a reference to a moonlit night.
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge" (2 stars). Sorry. Could not get into this one at all. Reading about a special club of men I guess who end up being taken in by someone. I liked the illustration that came with this one. That's all I got.
"October in the Chair" (skipped over, read previously).
"Chivalry" (3 stars). A woman finds the Holy Grail and is visited by Sir Galahad. I think that there is a hint that the woman wants Galahad and that he kind of sucks for running off with someone else, but after reading about Merlin the other week, this book was a downer for me.
"The Price" (5 stars). Featuring a black cat. I loved this one about the owner who starts to realize that a black cat that is now staying with him and his family may be more than what it appears to be. I have to say though I think I read this entire premise about a black cat in a Stephen King collection. Or from someone else. It has bugged me for a day now and maybe I will recall it down the road.
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties" (skipped over, read previously).
"Sunbird" (skipped over, read previously).
"The Witch's Headstone" (skipped over, read this in The Graveyard Book).
"Instructions" (4 stars). I liked this one a lot even though I haven't cared for Gaiman's poems in the past.
The stories ultimately don't seem to have much of a connection between them. I do love the illustrations that came with this book though.
For those who are still looking to complete your Halloween book bingo, there are some stories in here for you that you may want to take a look at.
"The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds" (1 star). This was painful to read. I was tempted to have this story count towards the "It was a dark and stormy night" but decided to let that go. Told like a pulp detective novel featuring characters from children's nursery rhymes. Reading the word "dame" from Jack Horner (now a detective) made me roll my eyes. A lot.
"Troll Bridge" (3.5 stars). I thought this one counted towards disturbing and sad in the end. A young boy comes across a troll that wants to eat his life. He manages to get away with a promise to come back. And he does come back. I thought one of his trips ended up sealing his fate so to speak (the young boy) because something that was innocent definitely curdled.
"Don't Ask Jack" (3.5 stars). I thought this was a bittersweet story involving a jack in the box. The whole story made me feel lonely and sad. There is a reference to a moonlit night.
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge" (2 stars). Sorry. Could not get into this one at all. Reading about a special club of men I guess who end up being taken in by someone. I liked the illustration that came with this one. That's all I got.
"October in the Chair" (skipped over, read previously).
"Chivalry" (3 stars). A woman finds the Holy Grail and is visited by Sir Galahad. I think that there is a hint that the woman wants Galahad and that he kind of sucks for running off with someone else, but after reading about Merlin the other week, this book was a downer for me.
"The Price" (5 stars). Featuring a black cat. I loved this one about the owner who starts to realize that a black cat that is now staying with him and his family may be more than what it appears to be. I have to say though I think I read this entire premise about a black cat in a Stephen King collection. Or from someone else. It has bugged me for a day now and maybe I will recall it down the road.
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties" (skipped over, read previously).
"Sunbird" (skipped over, read previously).
"The Witch's Headstone" (skipped over, read this in The Graveyard Book).
"Instructions" (4 stars). I liked this one a lot even though I haven't cared for Gaiman's poems in the past.
The stories ultimately don't seem to have much of a connection between them. I do love the illustrations that came with this book though.
January 28, 2022
Strong 6 out of 10
M is for Magic is a weird and wacky collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. All of these stories vary greatly in subject matter, but they usually include a magical setting or item/s. There is also a chapter from The Graveyard Book included within this book. These stories were usually hit or miss, but I ended up enjoying most of them.
The story, How to Sell the Ponti Bridge was definitely my favorite story. "Chivalry" and "Sunbird" were good in their own ways. The Witch's Headstone was a great chapter from the Graveyard Book. The first story in this book was about a detective in the Nursery Rhyme world. I'm somewhat knowledgeable in nursery rhymes because my little sister plays them out loud all the time, so this story was very humorous and enjoyable for me. Troll Bridge was strange and disgusting, and Don't Ask Jack wasn't that interesting, but overall, I thought this was a decent short story collection. Definitely not for younger children, though.
Overall, it was a decent short story collection. There isn't a lot of rhyme and reason between all of these stories. There is some good material in here, but there is also some less-than-stellar stuff in my opinion. Also, despite this book looking like a children's/middle-grade book, it is definitely not one, which is a little misleading. Decent book. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I did have some problems with it.
M is for Magic is a weird and wacky collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. All of these stories vary greatly in subject matter, but they usually include a magical setting or item/s. There is also a chapter from The Graveyard Book included within this book. These stories were usually hit or miss, but I ended up enjoying most of them.
The story, How to Sell the Ponti Bridge was definitely my favorite story. "Chivalry" and "Sunbird" were good in their own ways. The Witch's Headstone was a great chapter from the Graveyard Book. The first story in this book was about a detective in the Nursery Rhyme world. I'm somewhat knowledgeable in nursery rhymes because my little sister plays them out loud all the time, so this story was very humorous and enjoyable for me. Troll Bridge was strange and disgusting, and Don't Ask Jack wasn't that interesting, but overall, I thought this was a decent short story collection. Definitely not for younger children, though.
Overall, it was a decent short story collection. There isn't a lot of rhyme and reason between all of these stories. There is some good material in here, but there is also some less-than-stellar stuff in my opinion. Also, despite this book looking like a children's/middle-grade book, it is definitely not one, which is a little misleading. Decent book. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I did have some problems with it.
February 25, 2020
1 star.
Nope. Just nope. I wasn't interested. There were maybe two stories that were just Ok. But the rest were so super boring and I couldn't see a point to them.
Nope. Just nope. I wasn't interested. There were maybe two stories that were just Ok. But the rest were so super boring and I couldn't see a point to them.
November 12, 2020
The first short story in the collection has a private investigator trying to find out who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall. Apparently, it wasn’t an accident, it was murder. The cliches and one-liners fly like bullets in this opener. This story has a strong “Jasper Fforde” feel to it and is a comical start to the collection.
The second story reads like a fairy tale. A young boy is accosted by a Troll under a bridge. A troll who is going to “eat his life”. He keeps escaping the troll by promising him he will return later in his life, where he will have acquired more “life” for the troll to eat.
The collection takes a dark turn with the third story. A story about an evil Jack in the Box. It is only four pages long, but a killer ending will send chills down your spine.
Next up is a story about an inter-galactic club of con artists. This story is one of the longest and pays homage to the old stories of con artists selling tourists the London Bridge and other similar cons.
Another longer story follows. All the months of the year are seated around a table and it seems that each must tell a tale to the other months. A tale, that has not been told before, and one that must be entertaining. The current month of the year has the chair and the story to tell. A wonderful idea conjured from Gaiman’s imagination.
The remaining stories are bound in magical realism. From a group of gourmands who fear they have eaten everything there is to be eaten on the planet, that is until they find out about the mystical Sunbird. To a story about a child who can talk to ghosts, and simply wants to provide the ghost of a woman who was drowned and burned as a witch, a headstone to mark where she is buried. This one just happens to be my favourite.
Sorry for the short descriptions but these are short stories and to give too much about them away can ruin them instantly.
Some of the stories are a little mediocre, but Gaiman’s wonderful writing style lifts them above the line, turning them into most enjoyable reads. I feel an inferior author would not have been able to accomplish this, and I find Gaiman to be, along with authors such as Stephen King, a natural teller of stories. For me he could almost write about anything and it would be enjoyable.
So, if you are looking for a quick read from a diverse range of short stories, brilliantly written and most enjoyable to read, then this may be the collection for you. 3.5 Stars.
This was supposed to be a buddy read with the wonderful Nat K, but somewhere along the line I got sidetracked and never finished it. Please check out her review if you are thinking of reading this collection.
The second story reads like a fairy tale. A young boy is accosted by a Troll under a bridge. A troll who is going to “eat his life”. He keeps escaping the troll by promising him he will return later in his life, where he will have acquired more “life” for the troll to eat.
The collection takes a dark turn with the third story. A story about an evil Jack in the Box. It is only four pages long, but a killer ending will send chills down your spine.
Next up is a story about an inter-galactic club of con artists. This story is one of the longest and pays homage to the old stories of con artists selling tourists the London Bridge and other similar cons.
Another longer story follows. All the months of the year are seated around a table and it seems that each must tell a tale to the other months. A tale, that has not been told before, and one that must be entertaining. The current month of the year has the chair and the story to tell. A wonderful idea conjured from Gaiman’s imagination.
The remaining stories are bound in magical realism. From a group of gourmands who fear they have eaten everything there is to be eaten on the planet, that is until they find out about the mystical Sunbird. To a story about a child who can talk to ghosts, and simply wants to provide the ghost of a woman who was drowned and burned as a witch, a headstone to mark where she is buried. This one just happens to be my favourite.
Sorry for the short descriptions but these are short stories and to give too much about them away can ruin them instantly.
Some of the stories are a little mediocre, but Gaiman’s wonderful writing style lifts them above the line, turning them into most enjoyable reads. I feel an inferior author would not have been able to accomplish this, and I find Gaiman to be, along with authors such as Stephen King, a natural teller of stories. For me he could almost write about anything and it would be enjoyable.
So, if you are looking for a quick read from a diverse range of short stories, brilliantly written and most enjoyable to read, then this may be the collection for you. 3.5 Stars.
This was supposed to be a buddy read with the wonderful Nat K, but somewhere along the line I got sidetracked and never finished it. Please check out her review if you are thinking of reading this collection.
October 3, 2018
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds: ★★/5
Troll Bridge: ★/5
Don't Ask Jack: ★/5
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge: ★/5
October in the Chair: ★★/5 (the story have been told in the story was rubbish, the idea of the premise of the story was good somehow.)
Chivalry: ★★/5 (maybe the best one?)
The Price: ★★/5
How to Talk to Girls at Parties: ★/5
Sunbird: ★/5
The Witch's Headstone: ★★/5
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I don't see the point of any of these stories. Hell, I couldn't see why the story ended!
sadly this was my first story from Neil Gaiman :(
Troll Bridge: ★/5
Don't Ask Jack: ★/5
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge: ★/5
October in the Chair: ★★/5 (the story have been told in the story was rubbish, the idea of the premise of the story was good somehow.)
Chivalry: ★★/5 (maybe the best one?)
The Price: ★★/5
How to Talk to Girls at Parties: ★/5
Sunbird: ★/5
The Witch's Headstone: ★★/5
-
I don't see the point of any of these stories. Hell, I couldn't see why the story ended!
sadly this was my first story from Neil Gaiman :(
November 23, 2018
Such a great and fun read, captivating, innovative...great style and imagination.
July 10, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book of short stories by Neil Gaiman. A couple I had read before - Sunbird & Witch's Gravestone - and they are very good. Otherwise Troll Bridge and Chivalry appealed a lot. Anyone who reads The Price and doesn't have a shiver down their spine maybe doesn't get this kind of tale!! :) Excellent batch of stories from a favourite author of mine.
August 15, 2022
This was alright, a solid variety of stories. But the most promising, the witch's headstone, turned out to be from the graveyard book that i had already read lol!
December 30, 2019
Çoxdandır bu qədər ürəyimə yatan hekayələr oxumamışdım. Bir az qorxulu, ürpərdən, bir o qədər əlçəkilməz hekayələrdən ibarətdi - ruhlardan cadugərlərə, trollardan yadplanetlilərə kimi. İmkanınız varsa, audio kitab kimi elə Neilin öz səsləndirməsində dinləyib zövq alın. 2019-cu ili belə başa vururam, qorxaraq, amma ümid dolu...
November 1, 2014
Four stars to this book, which would have been five with a touch of "black" more pronounced.
Eleven stories, to be exact, in between the fantastic and visionary, bizarre and fascinating.
"The Witch's Headstone": it is a story that also appears in the book "The Graveyard Book". A young man, raised in a graveyard by ghosts, struggling with an adventure that will bring him in contact with the outside world. Enjoyable and exciting.
"Troll Bridge": it is not a story for children and leaves the reader with a sense of melancholy and desolation.
"Don't Ask Jack": a mini story about a mysterious spirit locked in a box, which I haven’t found so disturbing. Maybe I should read it as a boy.
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge": It's perhaps the most difficult to appreciate, because detaches itself from the gothic and sometimes melancholy atmospheres in which are immersed the other stories. However, it still bright and extravagant.
"October in the Chair": the twelve months of the year periodically gather in a circle to tell stories and each time one of them becomes the 'president' of the evening, which is responsible for making decisions and tell the final story. It’s the time of October that tells a disturbing whose protagonist is a child and leave us a thousand questions about his fate.
"Chivalry": this is a story that makes you smile and where attention to detail reaches a high level, turning a lopsided smile to humans, with their quirks and weaknesses.
"The Price": it is perhaps the most obscure of all, and takes the concept of the clash between good and evil.
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties": Two boys invited to a party, but you can tell from the beginning that there is something deeply wrong with the characters.
"Sunbird": it uses an original idea, but if in your reading you stop and think for a minute, the end is predictable.
"The Case of the four and Twenty Blackbirds": in this novel Gaiman transforms the famous nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty in a mistery with hues noir. I liked the idea and the story is well developed.
"Instructions": an imaginative guide to enter the world of the fantastic.
Not all stories will be appreciated, but with so many different genres I think we can meet most of the fans of Neil Gaiman.
Eleven stories, to be exact, in between the fantastic and visionary, bizarre and fascinating.
"The Witch's Headstone": it is a story that also appears in the book "The Graveyard Book". A young man, raised in a graveyard by ghosts, struggling with an adventure that will bring him in contact with the outside world. Enjoyable and exciting.
"Troll Bridge": it is not a story for children and leaves the reader with a sense of melancholy and desolation.
"Don't Ask Jack": a mini story about a mysterious spirit locked in a box, which I haven’t found so disturbing. Maybe I should read it as a boy.
"How to Sell the Ponti Bridge": It's perhaps the most difficult to appreciate, because detaches itself from the gothic and sometimes melancholy atmospheres in which are immersed the other stories. However, it still bright and extravagant.
"October in the Chair": the twelve months of the year periodically gather in a circle to tell stories and each time one of them becomes the 'president' of the evening, which is responsible for making decisions and tell the final story. It’s the time of October that tells a disturbing whose protagonist is a child and leave us a thousand questions about his fate.
"Chivalry": this is a story that makes you smile and where attention to detail reaches a high level, turning a lopsided smile to humans, with their quirks and weaknesses.
"The Price": it is perhaps the most obscure of all, and takes the concept of the clash between good and evil.
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties": Two boys invited to a party, but you can tell from the beginning that there is something deeply wrong with the characters.
"Sunbird": it uses an original idea, but if in your reading you stop and think for a minute, the end is predictable.
"The Case of the four and Twenty Blackbirds": in this novel Gaiman transforms the famous nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty in a mistery with hues noir. I liked the idea and the story is well developed.
"Instructions": an imaginative guide to enter the world of the fantastic.
Not all stories will be appreciated, but with so many different genres I think we can meet most of the fans of Neil Gaiman.
November 6, 2011
I was impressed with Neil Gaiman for doing a great job narrating his own stories. He's one of the few authors that can get away with it. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the material quite as much. While I've never been a fan of twisted nursery rhymes (translation: I hate them; if you can't come up with original material you shouldn't be writing) Gaiman did a reasonably good job of making the Humpty Dumpty parody palatable (but just). When I got to the completely pointless second story about a troll, I was more than a little disturbed that an author (any author) would feel the need to describe a magical creature's penis. I overlooked it, willing to give Neil the benefit of the doubt. Maybe all his great stories are at the end, I kept telling myself. Unfortunately the very next "young adult" story was about a thirteen year old boy that wanted to touch his best friend's breasts and "maybe even put [his] hand between her legs."
Am I the only one that thinks this is unnecessary? If you want to write dirty stories for adults, fine. But don't market your book to kids. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Or maybe Neil is just a perv.
Am I the only one that thinks this is unnecessary? If you want to write dirty stories for adults, fine. But don't market your book to kids. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Or maybe Neil is just a perv.
January 3, 2016
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds- a detective investigates Humpty Dumpty's death (3 stars)
Troll Bridge- a boy makes a deal with a troll (3 stars)
Don't Ask Jack-a never used, always waiting Jack-in-the-box (2 stars)
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge- a master con (3 stars)
Chivalry- an elderly English lady finds the Holy Grail and gets an unexpected guest (4 stars)
The Price- a lovely homage to black cats everywhere (3 stars)
The Witch's Headstone- a vignette about Bod from The Graveyard Book (3 stars)
"Instructions", "How to Talk to Girls at Parties", "October in the Chair", "Sunbird" - goodreads.com/review/show/1317373371?... (3 stars)
Troll Bridge- a boy makes a deal with a troll (3 stars)
Don't Ask Jack-a never used, always waiting Jack-in-the-box (2 stars)
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge- a master con (3 stars)
Chivalry- an elderly English lady finds the Holy Grail and gets an unexpected guest (4 stars)
The Price- a lovely homage to black cats everywhere (3 stars)
The Witch's Headstone- a vignette about Bod from The Graveyard Book (3 stars)
"Instructions", "How to Talk to Girls at Parties", "October in the Chair", "Sunbird" - goodreads.com/review/show/1317373371?... (3 stars)
February 6, 2018
A disappointing collection of stories, most of which I've read before. I did enjoy Chivalry in which a sweet old lady finds some interesting objects at her local charity shop, and The Price which is about a cat who keeps a family safe from harm.
I'll donate it to the library to see if younger readers are more enamored.
I'll donate it to the library to see if younger readers are more enamored.
February 16, 2017
I have no words to describe how masterfully these stories were put together. Gaiman never lets me down...can't believe I only read this now!
November 28, 2020
حقیقتا فکر میکنم زبان نیل گیمن یکم برام سخته اما داستانهای کوتاه این کتاب برام از کتاب قبلیای که تزش خوندم خیلی ملموستر بودن.
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