"A prodigiously imaginative collection."
--New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice
"Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic."
--Washington Post Book World
Fragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaiman's astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed!
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Opinion
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Quotes
Add a Quote"And if I could," my father wrote to me,
huge as a bear himself, when I was younger,
"I would dower you with experience, without experience."
and I, in my turn, would pass that on to you.
But we make our own mistakes. We sleep unwisely.
- Locks
"Know that diamonds and roses
are as uncomfortable when they tumble from
one's lips as toads and frogs:
colder, too, and sharper, and they cut."
From the poem "Instructions".
Summary
Add a SummaryWe owe it do each other to tell stories, as people simply. This collection of short stories and poems does just that.
For note is "Instructions", a poem of instructions about what to do if you find yourself in a fairy tale.
"Locks" is retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" as Neil Gaiman would recite to his own daughter.
Notices
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mvkramer
Dec 08, 2016
Frightening or Intense Scenes: This being Neil Gaiman, many stories have imagery and scenes that are creepy, violent, or disconcerting.
Comment
Add a CommentWhimsical and horrifying by turns. A great collection of shorts. My favorite is "A Study in Emerald" - Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft with a twist!
Neil Gaiman's work is always a treat. This book is full of short stories (and a few poems) that show the wide range of Gaiman's imagination and skill. There are stories with just a hint of magic, creepy stories with ghosts, stories about the dangers of magic... but they all revolve around a human heart and therefore are the best sort of fantasy.
Because this book showcases so many stories from Gaiman, there is some variation in quality, but it struck me as a great way to get the full scope of this author. Even the stories here that seemed the weakest were still worth the read for the imagination and daring the show in composition and subject.
"There are so many fragile things, after all. People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts.”
If I had to use one word to describe this collection of short stories, it would have to be provocative. I love short stories and these are absolutely wonderful in creating a sinister atmosphere and memorable characters. It evokes stories from Edgar Allen Poe/ Ray Bradbury / The Twilight Zone
A wonderful varied collection. Enjoyed each story and was captivated by his style of writing.
Usually I'm bored by short story books that are all by a single author, and I'm usually annoyed by the extreme character ticks than Neil Gaiman gives the characters in his novels. But this book of short stories by Neil Gaiman works. The styles of the stories vary significantly and characters are never around long enough for their ticks to get annoying. The only problem is that Neil Gaiman comes off as arrogant in the introduction.
"Instructions" is a wonderful poem, being instructions for those who find themselves in a fairytale. Neil Gaiman is one of my all-time favorite authors.
Hands down my favourite story in this collection is October in the Chair.