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13th out of 1,185 books
—
878 voters
Smoke and Mirrors
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author)
In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion... and anything is possible. In this, Gaiman's first book of short stories, his imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders -- a place where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under...more
Paperback, 365 pages
Published
August 30th 2005
by Avon
(first published 1998)
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'Smoke and Mirrors' is the first of two short story collections written by Neil Gaiman. This title was first published in 1998, while 'Fragile Things' came out in 2006. Having read 'Fragile Things' mere months ago I was doing quite a bit of comparison between the two as I worked my way through 'Smoke and Mirrors'. While there are a lot of similarities between the two, there are also many differences.
Both collections involve Gaiman doing what he does best, that is taking our own myths, fables, an...more
Both collections involve Gaiman doing what he does best, that is taking our own myths, fables, an...more
This collection of short works, some not quite complete, is maybe a must read for real Gaiman fans who read everything he does (4 stars for them), but not really for anyone else (only 1 star for the general audience). And I say that as one of those fans. I really like what Gaiman does, both in traditional and graphic novel form, but Smoke and Mirrors is not representative of his best work. Basically, it is a collection of things he never bothered to give a final polish to. Much of S&M is thi...more
9 likes · like · see review
Bearing in mind I read this on my kindle, so some stories weren't included in the version I read. Also this is hella long.
All ratings (including notes). * indicates favourite
The Wedding Present (Yes, I religiously read introductions):4*
In which a picturesque couple are given a quaint wedding present that seems to be a 'retelling' of their coupling; it spins a story of how their marriage could have went wrong. Though this premise may seem outlandish and bizarre, it's terribly relevant and poses...more
All ratings (including notes). * indicates favourite
The Wedding Present (Yes, I religiously read introductions):4*
In which a picturesque couple are given a quaint wedding present that seems to be a 'retelling' of their coupling; it spins a story of how their marriage could have went wrong. Though this premise may seem outlandish and bizarre, it's terribly relevant and poses...more
6 likes · like · see review
Wow. I have to say that just about every story in this collection was highly engaging, and I had strong emotional reactions to several of them, and many "gotcha" type moments. Gaiman is, indeed, a master storyteller. Some of my favorite bits, without giving too much away for those of you who need to add this to your "to read" stack:
- the sad workings of Peter's mind in "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale"
- the explanation of those who've spurned "The Sweeper of Dreams"
- the evolution of perceive...more
- the sad workings of Peter's mind in "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale"
- the explanation of those who've spurned "The Sweeper of Dreams"
- the evolution of perceive...more
6 likes · like · see review
Having read M is for Magic and Fragile Things I have encountered some of the short stories that Mr. Gaiman has written. I found this collection to be one of the most eclectic. Happy stories, sad stories, chilling stories, and erotic stories, but as he introduces them - all a product of smoke and mirrors. We're not to believe any of this, as it is all just an illusion. So why do I walk away feeling like it was all a bit too real?
I enjoyed the very experimental feel to this book. Some prose, some...more
I enjoyed the very experimental feel to this book. Some prose, some...more
A note: I expect more than I should from this author. I find him to be a brilliant idea man with little substance.
-Suggested Reading Order:
Murder Mystery
Tastings
Snow, Glass, Apples
Only the End of the World Again
Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar
We Can Get Them for You Wholesale
Chivalry
Cold Colors
The Price
Chivalry- an old woman buys the Holy Grail. A full-armored knight comes to seek the Grail. Cute, long-run and dry. The most wonderful thing about this story is that it is quaint and written as gabbish; a...more
-Suggested Reading Order:
Murder Mystery
Tastings
Snow, Glass, Apples
Only the End of the World Again
Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar
We Can Get Them for You Wholesale
Chivalry
Cold Colors
The Price
Chivalry- an old woman buys the Holy Grail. A full-armored knight comes to seek the Grail. Cute, long-run and dry. The most wonderful thing about this story is that it is quaint and written as gabbish; a...more
5 likes · like · see review
Tant d'étagères, pour un recueil de nouvelles absolument splendide, maîtrisé et qui boursouflerait d'envie n'importe quel soufflet au fromage se prenant pour un auteur.
C'est à la fois tout, dans tous les sens et à la fois il en émane une unité, une cohérence, de structure, d'idée, qui vous mène là où vous ne le vouliez pas.
Neil Gaiman quoi.
C'est à la fois tout, dans tous les sens et à la fois il en émane une unité, une cohérence, de structure, d'idée, qui vous mène là où vous ne le vouliez pas.
Neil Gaiman quoi.
3 likes · like · see review
Dec 31, 2008
Mikey
marked it as to-read
Just finished introduction and he blew me away! I didn't realize there is a short story in the introduction! I think I'm going to like him a lot. Will read the first short story tonight called "Chivalry"
2 likes · like · see review
I really liked This eclectic collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. What kept me from giving this 5 stars were several stories written in verse that just didn't grab me.
I am actually not a big short story person, but I love Gaiman's. They're really little treats, some quite amusing, other really rather hair-raising. Much fun.
As with most short story collections, Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors is something of a mixed bag. When he is good he is sublime, and there is plenty in this volume that fits that description, but there are also a few stories that seem little more than jottings of ideas meant to be fleshed out or perhaps left over from longer works. There is also some laudable inventiveness which, for me, doesn't always quite work - for example his triptych of narrative poems - but nonetheless shows the writer's grea...more
2 likes · like · see review
Jul 30, 2008
Alex
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Gaiman fans, people who like dark lit
Shelves:
fantasy
This is a collection of short stories/poems, mostly with a "it's not what it seems" type theme. Because it's a collection, it's always difficult to rate. Most of the stories rate a strong 5 stars, but a few were only so-so, which dropped the rating.
Some of my favorite stories were "Murder Mysteries," "Snow, Glass, Apples," "Changes," "We Can Get Them for You Wholesale," and "The Sweeper of Dreams." Not necessarily in that order.
The strengths tended to be amazing creativity and story telling. The...more
Some of my favorite stories were "Murder Mysteries," "Snow, Glass, Apples," "Changes," "We Can Get Them for You Wholesale," and "The Sweeper of Dreams." Not necessarily in that order.
The strengths tended to be amazing creativity and story telling. The...more
Sep 22, 2008
Nicolas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantastique,
rayon-fantasy-et-sf
Signalons que, outre l’évident intérêt de ces nouvelles, qui s’étalent sur toute la carrière de l’auteur, on a droit pour chacune d’entre elle à une petite introduction (toutes rassemblées en tête du livre) où il explique d’où lui est venue l’idée, comment il l’a écrite, et ainsi de suite, bref, c’est une plongée fascinante dans l’univers de Neil Gaiman, que je ne connais finallement pas si bien que ça. Les nouvelles sont en elles-mêmes assez bien, mariant de nombreux styles et genres littéraire...more
after reading american gods, i wanted to read some more of gaiman's work, so i picked up this book of short stories. i was actually a little underwhelmed. he writes some sci-fi/fantasy poetry stories that really didn't work for me. i still like his style, i just don't think he is as good of a short story writer, as a novel writer.
that said, i loved two of the stories. the final story, called "murder mysteries", about raguel, the angel of vengeance, and the murder of an angel. gaiman handles deit...more
that said, i loved two of the stories. the final story, called "murder mysteries", about raguel, the angel of vengeance, and the murder of an angel. gaiman handles deit...more
Obsession, identity, werewolves, trolls, Hollywood corruption, distorted fairytales, sex, irony, angels, illusions: such is the mix of Neil Gaiman. A master of scenarios, Gaiman is terrifically imaginative and evocative in the stories and poems of Smoke and Mirrors.
Gaiman manages to integrate elements of fantasy into the real-life settings of dirty streets and motel rooms. Ninety-five percent of the time, he does this without being corny. In one story, a woman finds the Holy Grail in a thrift sh...more
Gaiman manages to integrate elements of fantasy into the real-life settings of dirty streets and motel rooms. Ninety-five percent of the time, he does this without being corny. In one story, a woman finds the Holy Grail in a thrift sh...more
I enjoyed this collection very much; no suprise, as I have enjoyed everything I've read by him thus far ("American Gods" is one of my all-time favorites).
It looks as tho SqueakyChu and I share some of the same "favorites" from this compilation;
Chivalry was ironically funny. I luved the final line.
Troll Bridge was a fresh & interesting take on an old well-known tale, as was Snow, Glass, Apples ...I'll never think of those fairy tales the same way again!
I quite liked The White Road; it felt r...more
It looks as tho SqueakyChu and I share some of the same "favorites" from this compilation;
Chivalry was ironically funny. I luved the final line.
Troll Bridge was a fresh & interesting take on an old well-known tale, as was Snow, Glass, Apples ...I'll never think of those fairy tales the same way again!
I quite liked The White Road; it felt r...more
There are some really great stories here. The only reason this didn't get more stars is simply because this is a collected fictions and I didn't love all of them. The ones I did love were too short! Ha.
I always pick this book up and read a story when I feel like I'm going to crumble. Not that it necessarily picks me up or makes me feel much better. But it's as if within 'Smokes and Mirrors' Neil Gaiman has created pockets, sewn in little flaps between the wor(l)ds of these stories. Here one can just curl up and feel something familiar and close. It's very much like that feeling in your childhood when you hear a bedtime story you've heard over and over again and you know it's the one that makes...more
1 like · like · see review
Stories are, in one way or another, mirrors. We use them to explain to ourselves how the world works or how it doesn't work. Like mirrors, stories prepare us for the day to come. They distract us from the things in the darkness.
E' proprio come dice Stephen King: Gaiman è uno scrigno pieno di tesori preziosissimi. Non che avessi dubbi, ma ora ne sono più certo che mai: il racconto è la forma di narrazione ideale per Neil Gaiman. E' nello stretto spazio del racconto che Gaiman riesce ad aprire uno...more
E' proprio come dice Stephen King: Gaiman è uno scrigno pieno di tesori preziosissimi. Non che avessi dubbi, ma ora ne sono più certo che mai: il racconto è la forma di narrazione ideale per Neil Gaiman. E' nello stretto spazio del racconto che Gaiman riesce ad aprire uno...more
http://nhw.livejournal.com/530031.html[return][return]Lots of good stuff here; we start with the Holy Grail turning up in an Oxfam shop, and finish with Snow White, as told from the stepmother's point of view; and the Cthulhu mythos as it might have been interpreted by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in a strange English coastal resort:[return][return] The beer had the kind of flavour which, he suspected, advertisers would describe as full-bodied, although if pressed they would have to admit that th...more
I'm a borderline geek. But i don't usually go for books that a true geek loves. I picked up this book by accident and enjoyed reading it. The writing flows well.
The first half of the book was truly a pleasant surprise. Creative, original, good writing, and interesting stories. The best part was how Gaiman mixed realistic modern life with magic and fantasy. I loved that. His prose had good rhythm, they ran smoothly like a beautiful river.
My favorites are the one about the black cat ("The Price")....more
The first half of the book was truly a pleasant surprise. Creative, original, good writing, and interesting stories. The best part was how Gaiman mixed realistic modern life with magic and fantasy. I loved that. His prose had good rhythm, they ran smoothly like a beautiful river.
My favorites are the one about the black cat ("The Price")....more
I've never been a big Neil Gaiman fan, though I've read his novels since I was a kid. I was looking for books in the public library one day and noticed this short story collection. Having little time to find other books, I picked this up. It helped waste a school day, as short as the book was.
I am a huge fan of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, especially when mixed with contemporary. Gaiman certainly did have times where he shined through this, but it was rare. Overall, I was quite disappointed.
I en...more
I am a huge fan of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, especially when mixed with contemporary. Gaiman certainly did have times where he shined through this, but it was rare. Overall, I was quite disappointed.
I en...more
Originally published on my blog here in March 2001.
In a lengthy, unthemed collection of short stories, it is to be expected that the preoccupations of an author will be more obvious than might be the case in any individual novel. Neil Gaiman's first collection is not an exception, and showcases both his talents and shortcomings as a writer.
The main strengths of Gaiman's writing are unusual imagination and the ability to convey that imagination. This is particularly the case with the stories whic...more
In a lengthy, unthemed collection of short stories, it is to be expected that the preoccupations of an author will be more obvious than might be the case in any individual novel. Neil Gaiman's first collection is not an exception, and showcases both his talents and shortcomings as a writer.
The main strengths of Gaiman's writing are unusual imagination and the ability to convey that imagination. This is particularly the case with the stories whic...more
Smoke and Mirrors , un'antologia di poesie e racconti, pubblicati per diverse case editrici, finalmente raccolti in un unico volume.
Fantasiose reinterpretazioni di miti e favole e spaventose visioni dell'Impossibile, storie oscure, inquietanti, talvolta anche agghiaccianti, ma sempre intelligenti e argute, queste sono le caratteristiche dei 34 racconti, più uno, riuniti in questa straordinaria raccolta.
Con il suo stile semplice, scorrevole è tuttavia potentemente evocativo, Gaiman riesce a rac...more
Fantasiose reinterpretazioni di miti e favole e spaventose visioni dell'Impossibile, storie oscure, inquietanti, talvolta anche agghiaccianti, ma sempre intelligenti e argute, queste sono le caratteristiche dei 34 racconti, più uno, riuniti in questa straordinaria raccolta.
Con il suo stile semplice, scorrevole è tuttavia potentemente evocativo, Gaiman riesce a rac...more
Jun 02, 2012
Rebekka
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Rebekka by:
Larisa
I really wish that 4.5 stars was an option, but alas. For the most part it's an amazing collection of works from one of my favorite authors, but there were a few (as in, 1-2 out of the 20-something) stories that were essentially forgettable except for the odd interesting phrase. Part of why I love Gaiman's work so much is how well it syncs with my own creative path while still pulling in completely unexpected directions - these stories are no different. Each has a familiar flavor, but with twist...more
I have to say, in quite an unconventional manner, that this book is a house. It is a house of dark fantasy every child has ever subconsciously dreamed of while asleep, in one way or another. It could be me, but I think that most readers, had they been given a chance to read any one of the story in this book, would be fascinated and awed as to how Gaiman came up with such a story/stories. Some would think, 'how absurd,' but at the end of the day, at some virtual point, half the consideration it w...more
As others have pointed out, this is an uneven collection. Some of the stories fall flat, often those which were written as "pieces d'occasion" to fulfill the requirements of an anthologist. However, there are also quite a few successes, and the range of Gaiman's imagination is never in doubt. My picks would include "Troll Bridge", "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories", and "The Wedding Present" (hidden in the introduction, oddly enough). "Only the End of the World Again" is a good riff on Lovecr...more
"Дым и зеркала" - это очередной сборник рассказов и стихотворений Нила Геймана, но более ранних, чем собранные в "Хрупких вещах". В целом, этот сборник понравился мне меньше, чем Вещи. Я не поклонник стихотворной формы, а тут ее, на мой взгляд, даже многовато. Да и не все рассказы мне понравились/были понятны. Но есть среди них просто замечательные, ради которых стоило прочитать всю книгу. К примеру:
1. Первый же рассказ - "Рыцарство" - просто прелесть. Начальная фраза - "Миссис Уитекер нашла Свя...more
1. Первый же рассказ - "Рыцарство" - просто прелесть. Начальная фраза - "Миссис Уитекер нашла Свя...more
While few of you may be familiar with English author Neil Gaiman, he is a writer for any of those who enjoy reading horror in the vein of Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. And what better way to experience and enjoy a new author than with a short story collection, giving a broad spectrum of Gaiman’s abilities.
Smoke and Mirrors does not have any running, horrific theme, or any specific aim; it is not horror or fantasy, science fiction or an erotic collection . . . and then again it is all these and...more
Smoke and Mirrors does not have any running, horrific theme, or any specific aim; it is not horror or fantasy, science fiction or an erotic collection . . . and then again it is all these and...more
Neil Gaiman est connu en France principalement pour ses romans (Neverwhere, American Gods…) et dans une moindre mesure pour son comics « Sandman ». Pourtant il a toujours été un novelliste très productif, et le recueil présent en rend compte, permettant au lectorat français de découvrir une facette - non négligeable - de son talent.
On commence par une introduction où N. Gaiman décrit les pour chaque nouvelle les conditions dans lesquelles il l’a écrite. Les textes réunis ici sont tout à fait hét...more
On commence par une introduction où N. Gaiman décrit les pour chaque nouvelle les conditions dans lesquelles il l’a écrite. Les textes réunis ici sont tout à fait hét...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sci-fi and Heroic...: Smoke and Mirrors | 14 | 30 | Nov 20, 2012 07:34am | |
| Good, but he does best with a larger canvas | 6 | 41 | Sep 09, 2012 01:51pm | |
| Goldfish Pool | 5 | 47 | Sep 09, 2012 08:45am |
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“When I was a child, adults would tell me not to make things up, warning me of what would happen if I did. As far as I can tell so far, it seems to involve lots of foreign travel and not having to get up too early in the morning.”
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“Belinda stared into the fire for some time, thinking about what she had in her life, and what she had given up; and whether it would be worse to love someone who was no longer there, or not to love someone who was.”
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