Neil Gaiman Archives - Page 2 of 2

The Doll’s House by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

Dream's kingdom is being threatened by a vortex, an entity that can rip apart the Dreaming. He also finds out that a few of his major, and monstrous, subjects, have escaped his kingdom. He must look for them all and save the day before it's too late. This was better than Preludes and Nocturnes, but still not quite a four. The arc of the story flowed much more smoothly. This volume really encompasses one big storyline rather than the three or four rather disjointed ones found in the first volume. This one was definitely creepy--I'm desperately hoping that the Corinthian stays out of my nightmares!--but it wasn't as over-the-top horrifying as Preludes. All pluses in my book. I also liked the way Gaiman took a storyline from the first collection that I had completely forgotten about and expanded it into something unexpected but fitting. I liked that we got to see a little more of the family dynamics among Dream's family, the Endless Ones. They aren't really gods because gods die; these beings don't. They have always been around and they always will be. Some of Dream's past is told, and we're left with the feeling that his younger siblings aren't through messing with him and the other two Eldest. I'm not a big fan of the art of the actual story. The colors are a little too garish. Sandman is still very cool, but the other characters, (well, except for the Corinthian) were just too much. This was written and illustrated in the late '80's, early '90's though, so that probably has something to do with it. I did, again, find myself poring over Dave McKean's gorgeous cover illustrations. I really, really like the mixed-media work he did for these. I'll try one more.

Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

A magus trying to capture Death captures her younger brother, Dream, instead. He's trapped like a goldfish in a bowl for 70 years, a time when the "sleepy sickness" took over the earth. Some people slept through a lifetime. But the Sandman has patience and he has time to plan his revenge. I haven't read that many graphic novels. Really, I've only read graphic novel memoirs and Coraline. So this genre is pretty new to me. I wasn't hugely impressed, but that's just me. Although I have read a lot of reviews that say this first volume is just okay and it gets better from here. I like the basic idea of the story, and I have to say that I am hugely impressed by all the myth and story Gaiman has worked into the storyline. I know I missed some of it, but what I caught was seamlessly integrated and impressive in its scope. By the end, it had gotten way too dark and disturbing for my taste. That's all I'll say. I did like the way that The Sandman is depicted. He looks very badass (and somehow like Gaiman himself, but maybe I'm projecting) and I do like the long, flowing cape. I also love the covers that Dave McKean did. I stopped at every one to inspect it carefully, and I honestly rarely do that with artwork in books. That's really all I have to say. Judging by this one, I probably wouldn't continue with the series. There's just enough potential, and I've heard just enough about the rest of the series for me to give one or two more volumes a try. Those who are well-established fans of graphic novels will probably like it more than I did.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

Synopsis from GoodReads: Stardust is an utterly charming fairy tale in the tradition of The Princess Bride and The Neverending Story. Neil Gaiman, creator of the darkly elegant Sandman comics and author of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love. His adventures in the magical land will keep you turning pages as fast as you can--he and the star escape evil old witches, deadly clutching trees, goblin press-gangs, and the scheming sons of the dead Lord of Stormhold. The story is by turns thrillingly scary and very funny. You'll love goofy, earnest Tristran and the talking animals, gnomes, magic trees, and other irresistible denizens of Faerie that he encounters in his travels. Stardust is a perfect read-aloud book, a brand-new fairy tale you'll want to share with a kid, or maybe hoard for yourself. (If you read it to kids, watch out for a couple of spicy sex bits and one epithet.) --Therese Littleton I'm pretty sure this is the first book of Gaiman's that I read. I read the novel but I need to get the graphic novel sometime. I have Charles Vess's Drawing Down the Moon, which features quite a few panels from the Stardust graphic novel, and it's beautiful.…