I got on the library queue for this book because I knew that it contains “The Monarch of the Glen,” which is the novella follow-up to American Gods. I am committed to my American Gods love, and wanted to complete my library of knowledge of all things Shadow. But this book, oh, this wonderful book. It’s a collection of some of the most beautiful poetry and short stories, in perfect Gaiman-ian language, set in dark landscapes that are undeniably his. I could pick these works […]
Typical Gaiman
On an unrelated note, I’m now passing my goal of 26 books reviewed this year. Go me 🙂 American Gods has been on my list for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Neil Gaiman knows how to write. The basic premise isn’t too complicated: Shadow is released from prison just as his wife dies in a cars crash. He meets the mysterious Wednesday who offers him a job. He finds out his best friend Robbie who was giving him a job also died […]
I always feel like a chump for having zero magical powers when clearly the world is full of magicians and superpowered beings!
The Everything Box is superfun! I added it to my library queue after some happy Cannonball Read reviews, and am so glad I did. I read almost this entire book in one sitting. I would best describe this as Neil Gaiman Lite, which is NOT a criticism. There is a richness missing that would make it a full Gaiman experience, but sometimes you don’t need the bone marrow spread on top of the rib-eye on top of cheesy polenta. Sometimes you just want a salad […]
In which Fat Charlie answers the door and Spider encounters flamingos.
This was a superfun experiment in re-reading a book and its sequel in the correct order for the first time. As I mentioned in my “American Gods” re-read review, the first time around, I read “Anansi Boys” first, and it was nevertheless a totally delicious ride untainted by any sort of tyrannical adherence to an orderly timeline. I think Gaiman would approve. This time around, I read them in order, although I’m keeping with this personal tradition by learning too late that there’s a short […]
That is the tale; the rest is detail.
I’ve been looking forward to re-reading “American Gods” since the moment I finished it the first time around. And this first re-read is definitely not going to be the last. For me, this book is a joy and a delight. It’s imaginative. It’s forward-thinking. It’s honest about how we relate to one another and see-but-can’t-see each other. It works literally as well as as metaphor. It takes itself seriously enough to be perfectly constructed and pure in tone and style, but doesn’t take itself seriously at […]
We’re All A Little Richard Mayhew
This is my third Gaiman book, and I am continually impressed by Gaiman’s ability to break down every trope of the genre and rebuild it in a way that both continues to be fantastical but also makes it accessible. “Neverwhere” is a dark, dangerous, high stakes journey that in the hands of any other fantasy writer would need a main character of power, or at least someone with an attribute that sets them apart. But Gaiman chooses to tell his story through someone so average, […]