Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (P.S.) | Neil Gaiman

Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (P.S.) | Neil Gaiman | Book Review: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

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Fragile Things: Sh...

	Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (P.S.) Neil Gaiman Harper Perennial, 2007 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 46 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night. . . .

In a Hugo Award–winning story, a great detective must solve a most unsettling royal murder in a strangely altered Victorian England. . . .

Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams?and nightmares. . . .

These marvelous creations and more showcase the unparalleled invention and storytelling brilliance?as well as the terrifyingly dark and entertaining sense of humor?of the incomparable Neil Gaiman. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most original writers of our time.

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neil gaiman--great as always

Whether you've read Neil Gaiman before or not, I recommend reading this collection of short stories. They are cleverly written dark fantasy stories that really appeal to one's imagination.

Not only are the stories all great, but the book also contains an Introduction where Neil gives brief insight into the stories themselves (when he first started them... whether or not he liked them... what sparked the idea, etc).

I really recommend this book!

Book Review: Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Fragile Things is a collection of Neil Gaimen's short stories, and some poetry also, along with a section of his own commentary regarding each of the stories within. The entire volume is interesting in that there are many different examples of his style of writing. Short stories that I myself would never have thought ready to publish tend to hold up a mirror to my own creative bias. I learned a lot about the crafting of each story and now marvel at the variety of approaches he takes. Each story is very good, but of course, when dealing with various forms of style some stories will strike a stronger note with each reader.

In Fragile Things, my favorite part about the whole anthology is Gaimen's commentary. I find this as the most entertaining piece because it is his voice providing a little insight to the how's and why's of each story. Talking about how he lost this story in an attic somewhere or the background of how a particular piece was commissioned. These comments provide just some of the most inspiring little tidbits of knowledge and really allow one to just see why Gaimen is so prolific.

Without reviewing each story, as that would be a huge undertaking beyond the scope of this review, I will highlight a few stories I found particularly relevant to me. So, to begin:

A Study in Emerald: I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes and this crossover to Lovecraftian mythos was just amazing. It is no wonder why Gaimen was "mysteriously inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars" after publishing this adventure. It captures the Victorian feel of a Holmes story and adds that bit of Lovecraft just enough to make it otherworldly. I was not disappointed.

October in the Chair: This was an intriguing story in which all the months of the year gather around a fire and tell stories. The scene is reminiscent of a couple of older men bickering in their little way, nitpicking from each of their set-in-stone personality. The story October tells is a nice little ghost story about a little boy who is out of place in his family, his school, his town and decides to run away. Though the story ends a little undone it is completed in a way that justifies the sudden ending.

Other People: A beautiful take on Hell. This story just captures the imagination and it being only three pages long really makes its impact. A man finds himself in Hell and is submitted to what seems to be an eternal torture, until he discovers its purpose. Great, great story!

Good Boys Deserve Favors: A young boy is forced in school to pick a musical instrument and due to his small size decides to make a joke of picking the double bass. The ending just takes my breath away. I love the power that music seems to create when one's heart and soul magically summons the most enchanting song. This story doesn't disappoint. Reminds me of a scene or two from Patrick Rothfuss' `The Name of the Wind', astounding!

Harlequin Valentine: I never get enough of good jester stories and this one helps feed that need. Harlequin, from the classic opera, is seeking his Columbine in the modern world. When he finds her the situation turns around on him. Lovely!

The Problem with Susan: This is the Gaimen ending to the Chronicles of Narnia, telling the story of Susan, the somewhat left behind girl from the Narnia stories. It turns out she faded into the modern world, until a reporter strives to uncover her story.

Feeders and Eaters: Gaimen's rendition of a vampire tale, down to earth and a little haunting. Takes a different route on telling the story, and very good at that.

Goliath: a bit of fan fiction, sort of, from the movie The Matrix. It was originally hosted on the movie's website, and I remember reading it back then, and has been added to this compendium. A story of a very large man who ends up accidently perceiving the illusion of the Matrix. Things change during his life and he recalls the inconsistencies, ultimately having his life relived, becoming a British special projects experimental pilot. He finds out that he is chosen as the last ditch effort to save the real earth. A haunting story in which he lives out the remaining moments of his life back in the Matrix.

A lot of stories, and out of thirty short stories and poems these made the most impact. Others also would have made the cut, including Closing Time, Keepsakes and Treasures, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties, but I didn't want to get too out of hand on this review. The poetry is good also but I've never been good at reading and understanding poetry so I will avoid making asinine comments I have no business making.

This is a very good collection of fantasy, horror, and mystery, and allows one to get a grand introduction to the styles and creations of Neil Gaimen. Definitely a book worth picking up.

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Fragile and Upsettling things

I don't usually buy short story collections. I prefer stories that are novel-length and captivate my attention for long periods of time, so I was surprised when I couldn't put this book down. Each of the stories in this collection reminded me that sometimes it doesn't take 500 pages to tell a good yarn. While some are better than others, they were all brilliant in a way only Neil can create.

I did expect it to be more on the fantasy side, and was surprised to find that a lot of these stories border on the edge of horror. There were times when I felt vaguely "upsettled."

There are parts of this book that are graphic, and there are parts that are downright disturbing. While I wouldn't want to classify it as pure horror, people who are a little squeamish might not enjoy it as much as I personally did.

It is a collection of previously printed stories, so some of them may be familiar, especially for other fans of Neil. But I recommend this for anyone, whether they're long time fans or newcomers.

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Neil's Odds n' Sods

Did you ever pick up one of those compilation albums by one of your favorite musicians, only to find it to be full of undeveloped ideas and vanity pieces that were rightfully withheld from the proper albums in the first place? This anthology from the usually awesome Neil Gaiman is the literary equivalent of a collection of B-sides and outtakes, and there's a reason many of these ideas are not in his much more developed novels. Like any odds n' sods collection, there are a few flashes of brilliance here, like the modern Sherlock Holmes tale "A Study in Emerald" and the gruesomely whimsical "Sunbird." There are also a few enjoyable entries that highlight Gaiman's well-known interest in fairy tales, like "Harlequin Valentine." But most of the short stories here are toss-offs to themed anthologies or tribute editions; and regardless of the fact that several of these tales were award winners in the realms where they originally appeared, many seem undeveloped and arbitrary.

Gaiman is correct in stating that his tribute to Ray Bradbury, "October in the Chair," would have been better written by Bradbury himself, and tributes to other works like "Goliath" (The Matrix) and "The Problem of Susan" (Narnia) are vanity pieces at best. Some stories such as "Diseasemaker's Croup" are disappointinggly anemic snippets of thin and fanciful ideas, with probably more reward for the writer than the reader. This book's examples of Gaiman's poetry and targeted prose (such as the snippets written for the Strange Little Girls album by Tori Amos) are intriguing but directionless, and the majority of short stories are just plain unmemorable. Gaiman is one of my favorite writers and I recommend his novels whole-heartedly. But this collection is surely not appropriate for the casual fan, and even serious fans will probably find it disappointing and a bit self-indulgent. [~doomsdayer520~]

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Average, disgusting.

Neil Gaiman is R.L. Stein with sex thrown in. A cat's head gets stomped on in one of the stories. I can't recommend this because of that. He is a sick freak, not in a fun way, and I feel bad I supported him by buying this book. The stories start out great (A study in emerald, October in the Chair, Fairy Reel) then get progressively worse, relying on cheap tricks, gore, and sex. I got to page 272, and then I just had enough of the crap, and copied stories. If you want to read about stomping on a cat's head then neil gaiman is for you. If you like that kind of thing I would hope you both die as soon as possible. Unfortunately Neil Gaiman has kids and his books are popular enough that I fear its already too late. Don't buy.

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