Fragile Things

I keep coming back and rereading the stories in this book - they've grown onto me very very much

It's always hard for me to rate short story collections any higher than 4 stars, because by it's very nature, there are some stories I love and some I am indifferent to, and some that I just don't like.

I am one of those people who rarely gets poetry, so I tend to not enjoy those parts of the books.

I think Gaiman excels at the art of the short story though, and with the occasional odd weird ones, I really love getting to see snippets of his mind at work. Having read most of Neil Gaiman's books, it is especially fun getting glimpses of elements for his books sprinkled throughout the short stories. It gives a tiny bit of insight into what went into making his novels work.

I read this in little snippets. I love how Neil Gaiman will get a weird idea and just run with it. As with much of his work, there's a strong thread of myth and mythology that runs through these stories and poems. Nothing really stands out to me, although I did enjoy reading this overall. My favorite story is the last one, in which we get to hear another tale of Shadow's wanderings, this time in Scotland. If you're into Neil Gaiman, it's worth a read.

I've never read through a collection of short stories and poems before. This was a delightful introduction, however. These stories are 100% Gaiman - complete with all the complexities, nuances and mannerisms you'd expect from him. I especially enjoyed journeying through Goliath, Closing Time, and The Monarch of the Glen (which is a novella squeal to American Gods). If you haven't read Gaiman before and you're after a nice intro that showcases all facets of his writing style, pick this collection up and be entertained every step of the way.

- The Mapmaker 3/5 - A Study in Emerald - 5/5 - The Fairy Reel - 4/5 - October in the Chair - 5/5 - The Hidden Chamber - 4/5 - Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire - 3/5 - The Flints of Memory Lane - 4/5 - Closing Time - 5/5 - Going Wodwo - 3/5 - Bitter Grounds - 3.5/5 - Other People - 3.5/5 - Keepsakes and Treasures - 2/5 - Good Boys Deserve Favors - 2/5 - The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch - 2/5 - Strange Little Girls - 3/5 - Harlequin Valentine - 3/5 - Locks - 3/5 - The Problem of Susan - 3/5 - Instructions - 4/5 - How Do You Think It Feels? - 2/5 - My Life - 2/5 - Fifteen Painted Cards From A Vampire Tarot - 5/5 - Feeders and Eaters - 2/5 - Diseasemaker's Croup - 2/5 - In The End - 3/5 - Goliath - 4/5 - Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky - 3/5 - How to Talk to Girls at Parties - 3/5 - The Day The Saucers Came - 5/5 - Sunbird - 3/5 - Inventing Aladdin - 5/5 - The Monarch of the Glen - 3/5

I think that's what a short story compilation should be. I don't normally like reading a book of short stories because then I feel guilt about not getting attached to any of the characters and I have trouble getting into the individual stories. I liked the Introduction at the beginning, it made me feel slightly detached from the get go, and I just read the stories as stories, not trying to identify with a character, or become psychologically wrapped up, I just escaped into each story and that was enough. I think Gaiman's writing style also lends itself well to short stories. I read some reviews about how people thought he could be trite and smug at times, but I didn't see it. It seemed to me as though he was transcribing a story that someone was telling. Sometimes you read prose in your head and it sounds cool, but you read it out loud and it changes somehow. But with Fragile Things I felt like you could read the story in your head, but you wouldn't lose anything if you used your mouth. The book was like short story story-telling.

A Study in Emerald is like a tough act to follow and I do believe that affected my rating.

As much as I love Gaiman, I can’t say I particularly enjoyed Fragile Things. I’m not a horror fan so I guess it doesn’t help as most of the stories here are more horror than fantasy. Still, I felt Gaiman’s writing didn’t flow here as it usually does and I was left really disappointed by this collection. Most of the stories were just too weird for me, didn’t make any sense (or little sense anyway) and ended suddenly, which bothered me to no end. I think the story I enjoyed most was Monarch of the Glen. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that it involves Shadow, a character from American Gods, which I quite enjoyed. To me it is also the best story in the collection in terms of writing. It wasn’t as tedious to read as the rest of the stories and didn’t feel forced. I am not a huge poetry fan (although I do enjoy some poetry, mostly by classical authors) so the poems didn’t do anything for me. I can’t say they added much to the collection either. At some point I thought of giving up the book altogether but kept reading in the hope I would finally come to enjoy it. I didn’t. I struggled until the end and was left with a bitter aftertaste. I’ve read quite a few books by Gaiman and have enjoyed them all so far which makes Fragile Things an even bigger disappointment.

A Study in Emerald is like a tough act to follow and I do believe that affected my rating.

Some excellent stories in this one. My favorite: http://bjhess.com/blog/neil_gaimans_l....

I...think I must have already read this and then wiped it from my memory? OR DID NEIL WIPE IT FROM MY MEMORY, WHAT A TWIST Anyway, on (apparently) rereading this my verdict is that this is (i) a mixed bag and (ii) not as good as Smoke and Mirrors (worth buying for Snow, Glass, Apples alone TBH). I agree with a lot of the reviewers here that Gaiman's poetry is not as good as his prose. What can't be denied is he's a hell of a storyteller, and each and every one of these has the feel of the man himself sitting you down to regale you with some new wonderfully inventive but also slightly nightmarish tale. Highlights for me were: A Study in Emerald (which I feel I will appreciate even more once I've read some Lovecraft); October in the Chair; Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire; Other People; Sunbird. Things I could have gone my whole life without reading TBH: the ending of The Problem of Susan (yikesyikes), which is a shame as I really liked the concept of retelling the Narnia stories from Susan's perspective.

This is a collection of short stories, with a few poems and a novella thrown in, written by Neil Gaiman in recent years. I think the style is a bit different from his previous collection, Smoke and Mirrors, because there is more humour. Still, it's the usual Gaiman style: old myths and classic terror through a very modern filter. The only thing that I don't like is that the novella takes place after the events in the novel "American Gods", spoiling it if you read it before.

DNF at 69% Even though I enjoyed an other work of Neil Gaiman, this just wasn't for me. Maybe short stories aren't my thing.

2.5

Some truly great stories in this collection combined with some deeply disturbing ones. Gaiman does not fail to get your attention!