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17th out of 452 books
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660 voters
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The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country (The Sandman #3; issues 17-20)
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author),
Charles Vess , Colleen Doran , Malcolm Jones III , Todd Klein , Steve Erickson , Kelly Jones
The third volume of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. In each of these otherwise unrelated stories, Morpheus serves only as a minor character. Here we meet the mother of Morpheus's son, find out what cats dream about, and discover the true origin behind Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. The latter won a World Fantasy Award for best...more
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
February 5th 1999
by Vertigo
(first published 1991)
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Earlier, when I reviewed The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch, I said that I wished more of Gaiman's short stories could be adapted in graphic novel form. Dream Country fills that wish a bit; rather than being part of the storyline started in the first two Sandman volumes, this compilation contains four single-issue stories. All four stories demonstrated once again that Gaiman is a master of the short story, and even though I'm not a cat person, I was very fond of the dreaming ki...more
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Airiz C
rated it
The Sandman graphic novels are a myriad of styles in themselves: Preludes and Nocturnes cemented the foundation of the whole series, introducing us to Morpheus, the axis where this fictional universe rotates; The Dolls House proved how Gaiman can masterfully weave a story of mortals thrown in a mythology. In Dream Country, Gaiman gives us a quartet of stand-alone short stories—Calliope, A Dream of a Thousand Cats, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Façade. While Sandman takes a backseat again in this...more
I'm not at all a fan of graphic novels/stories, and will probably never read one again. But. One of my creative writing students loves sci fi and is super smart and really wanted me to read this book so I could get a sense of the writing she admires. So I did. (Also, Tori Amos mentions Gainman in a song on one of her early albums, one of the two that came out when I was in high school and still worshiped her.) Dream Country is smart, creepy, complex, moving, and well-imagined. I enjoyed th...more
so, this, of course, is the third in the Sandman series. this had a different flow and feel to it. i think it was because this graphic novel doesnt really follow the main character of the series. this is almost a book of side stories. it didnt have the brutally honest candor and dark undertones that the first two had. in that respect, i liked it better, since i could read it and not worry about debating within my own mind whether or not to continue on, reading such a dark novel. but the fact tha...more
This is a volume with three brilliant stories and one mediocre one. So I give it a 4.5. The last story keeps me from giving it a 5. I know there is still plenty more Sandman to go, but this will continue to rank as one of my favorites whatever comes in the future volumes.
I don't like to do spoilery reviews, but I don't see how I could review this one without them. So I guess I'll be vague instead.
"Calliope" - The creepiest and most disturbing story I've seen Gai...more
I don't like to do spoilery reviews, but I don't see how I could review this one without them. So I guess I'll be vague instead.
"Calliope" - The creepiest and most disturbing story I've seen Gai...more
Oh dear.
In a couple of days, I'm going to be going across the pond for some whacky hijinks scattered across the course of about 10 days. Since my journey will be filled with long airplane rides and train trips, I thought this would be a good opportunity to read those books better described as tomes that mock me with their tome-ness. Bad idea. I got to the library and realized that my excursion to the library coincided with the point in my Sandman-reading where I no longer have to place...more
In a couple of days, I'm going to be going across the pond for some whacky hijinks scattered across the course of about 10 days. Since my journey will be filled with long airplane rides and train trips, I thought this would be a good opportunity to read those books better described as tomes that mock me with their tome-ness. Bad idea. I got to the library and realized that my excursion to the library coincided with the point in my Sandman-reading where I no longer have to place...more
Feeling lazy, I will let this review serve as my review of the entire series.
If you are at ALL interested in mythology, art, literature, dreams, how literature has changed in recent years, or just generally, big ideas, this series is for you! Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, loved by millions, and this is the series that helped him hone his writing chops.
If you're unfamiliar with the conceit of this series, allow me to fill you in. Dream, Morpheus, the Sandman (he's got sever...more
If you are at ALL interested in mythology, art, literature, dreams, how literature has changed in recent years, or just generally, big ideas, this series is for you! Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, loved by millions, and this is the series that helped him hone his writing chops.
If you're unfamiliar with the conceit of this series, allow me to fill you in. Dream, Morpheus, the Sandman (he's got sever...more
Every time I read a volume of Sandman, I desperately hope I'll love it. Then I get a sinking feeling as I read and find myself bored and unimpressed, and I start to fear that someone is going to show up at my door and revoke my nerd card. Because everyone loves Sandman. You can't be a nerd without adoring this series, whether or not you like any other graphic novel series. I...do not adore this series.
It seemed like it took me ages to get through the Midsummer Night's Dream section o...more
It seemed like it took me ages to get through the Midsummer Night's Dream section o...more
Sandman je prostě úkaz sám o sobě a je mi skoro blbé ho nějak hodnotit.. :D Nevím, jestli je to tím, že už jsem se v tom "smočila", nebo jednoduše mi zrovna tato kniha nesedla, ale dávám jen tři hvězdičky. Důvod je jednoduchý: Jedna povídka se mi líbila "úplně šíleně dokonale famózně hodně", další se mi líbila "dost hodně" a dvě se mi líbily "moc". Vám to možná nic neřekne, ale mně z toho vyplyne něco mezi čtyřkou a trojkou. A jelikož nechci být nudná, dám...more
Gaiman's The Sandman Vol. 3 "Dream Country" is more or less a collection of short stories that are related to the the series, but unrelated in terms of the main storyline that's been going on in the first two volumes. I hate when good storylines like that in "The Doll's House (Vol. 2)" get cut off with something unrelated like this book, but this tangent was good. I have heard Gaiman's short stories are amazing and the volumes in Dream Country are all unrelated short stories ...more
It was very hard to get through Dream Country.
I am not a fan of the drawings style employed in the Sandman series, and have had to rely on an affinity for Gaiman's writing to get through the previous two volumes. However, I did not realize starting out that Dream Country is an anthology of unrelated stories, and was exasperated with the chapters that came after the first - a creepy, but brilliant tale of a man keeping his muse captive - expecting the lackluster plots to eventually r...more
I am not a fan of the drawings style employed in the Sandman series, and have had to rely on an affinity for Gaiman's writing to get through the previous two volumes. However, I did not realize starting out that Dream Country is an anthology of unrelated stories, and was exasperated with the chapters that came after the first - a creepy, but brilliant tale of a man keeping his muse captive - expecting the lackluster plots to eventually r...more
I know I said I was done with The Sandman, but I was stuck (happily so) in the library for several hours this afternoon, and was in the graphic novel section looking for Charles Vess's Ballads collection when this caught my eye. Since I had plenty of time to spend, I decided to give it a try.
Instead of being one long story like the first two Sandman collections are, this is a set of 4 short stories that don't seem to be connected to the story arcs of the previous collections.
...more
Instead of being one long story like the first two Sandman collections are, this is a set of 4 short stories that don't seem to be connected to the story arcs of the previous collections.
...more
One of the best things about the Sandman series is that it isn't actually necessary to have Dream -- or any of the other Endless -- in much of the story. Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country" demonstrates that beautifully, with four lusciously haunting, sometimes horrifying tales of magic, muses, cats and faerie royals.
In "Calliope," a struggling writer is willing to do anything if he can write his second novel, but he's got a wicked case of writer's ...more
In "Calliope," a struggling writer is willing to do anything if he can write his second novel, but he's got a wicked case of writer's ...more
This (very) short collection reprints issues 17-20 of the series, with Neil Gaiman's script for issue 18 as bonus material. The script makes for interesting reading, particularly for those curious to know more of how a comic is put together. Morpheus plays a minor role in the stories, and unlike the previous two collections, there is no broad story arc. Each issue is self-contained. Gaiman has an impressive imagination, but the stories themselves, with one notable exception, are disappointing. T...more
This book is probably the weakest of the series due to being an 'anthology', and not one whole story arc. In this volume, you get four different issues:
1. Calliope: The story begins with a writer who took a muse from an author friend. The muse is called Calliope, who helps him to write. But the muse wants to be free, and so tells the Dream Lord to free her. What you get is a frightening work of art. 4/5
2. A Dream of a Thousand Cats: This is one of my favorite of all Sandman i...more
1. Calliope: The story begins with a writer who took a muse from an author friend. The muse is called Calliope, who helps him to write. But the muse wants to be free, and so tells the Dream Lord to free her. What you get is a frightening work of art. 4/5
2. A Dream of a Thousand Cats: This is one of my favorite of all Sandman i...more
Having fallen in love with The Sandman by reading its second book, The Doll's House, I had really high hopes upon picking up this book, the third in the series. I found the book enjoyable but lacking the magic of its predecessor.
Dream Country is a series of four tales. In one story, a Muse is enslaved by a writer whose need for ideas trumps his ability to feel compassion for the plight of his captive. In another, we are shown the world as viewed by cats. In the most-acclaimed tale, we...more
Dream Country is a series of four tales. In one story, a Muse is enslaved by a writer whose need for ideas trumps his ability to feel compassion for the plight of his captive. In another, we are shown the world as viewed by cats. In the most-acclaimed tale, we...more
Il terzo volume della serie contiene quattro storie indipendenti dalla trama principale.
Le terre del sogno
Incontriamo Calliope, la musa della poesia epica, secondo la tradizione mitologica. Calliope viene rapita da uno scrittore divenendone a tutti gli effetti la Musa ispiratrice e rendendolo quindi prolifico e famoso. Ma Calliope è stata è anche la madre di Orfeo, nato da una relazione con Morfeo, e sarà proprio lui a diventare il centro del destino del Signore dei Sogni.
Il Sogn...more
Le terre del sogno
Incontriamo Calliope, la musa della poesia epica, secondo la tradizione mitologica. Calliope viene rapita da uno scrittore divenendone a tutti gli effetti la Musa ispiratrice e rendendolo quindi prolifico e famoso. Ma Calliope è stata è anche la madre di Orfeo, nato da una relazione con Morfeo, e sarà proprio lui a diventare il centro del destino del Signore dei Sogni.
Il Sogn...more
"This is magnificent, and it is true! it never happened, yet it is still true. What magic art is this?"
Sul volume in particolare:
Un altro dei miei preferiti della serie. Non a caso, è il volume che contiene l'episodio "Sogno di una notte di mezza estate". Esattamente: Shakespeare è uno dei personaggi ricorrenti in questa serie! E la magistrale trattazione ha fruttato a Gaiman un premio riservato alle opere letterarie: la prima (ed unica) volta che a vincerlo...more
Sul volume in particolare:
Un altro dei miei preferiti della serie. Non a caso, è il volume che contiene l'episodio "Sogno di una notte di mezza estate". Esattamente: Shakespeare è uno dei personaggi ricorrenti in questa serie! E la magistrale trattazione ha fruttato a Gaiman un premio riservato alle opere letterarie: la prima (ed unica) volta che a vincerlo...more
The first story was ok and I liked the last one but the middle two were too shamelessly indulgent nerdscapes of fantasy for me. I have a phobia against serious talking animal stories, especially ones in which humans are characterized as ignorant/evil, and I also dislike stories where historical figures are used as cypher-pawns to spruce up a story. These two stories stink of too much pixie dust and fey faeries and rainbows and unicorns for my temperament this evening (I like them even less now a...more
Dream Country contains 4 disturbing stories: Calliope, A Dream of a Thousand Cats, A Midsummer-Night's Dream, and Facade. Plus, Gaiman has included his script for Calliope which gives us insight into Gaiman's writing process on this particular story.
Calliope was difficult for me to read. Artfully done and intriguing, the story features a young author who comes into possession of a muse (who used to date...is that the right word?...Dream) and uses her to become rich and famous. That i...more
Calliope was difficult for me to read. Artfully done and intriguing, the story features a young author who comes into possession of a muse (who used to date...is that the right word?...Dream) and uses her to become rich and famous. That i...more
Volume 3 of the acclaimed 'Sandman' series but stand-alone. This edition also contains the original script for the first of its four stories, 'Calliope', which might be of interest to students of illustration.
If we are to be honest, Neil Gaiman is engaged in a project to bring 'Tales from the Crypt' up the literary and artistic food chain. There is no doubt that he succeeds admirably in his task, aided by a series of excellent illustrators, but the stories, with the exception of his ...more
If we are to be honest, Neil Gaiman is engaged in a project to bring 'Tales from the Crypt' up the literary and artistic food chain. There is no doubt that he succeeds admirably in his task, aided by a series of excellent illustrators, but the stories, with the exception of his ...more
This time I really wish there was a picture of the original hardcover for this book, because that combined with the quality of the contents makes this the first perfect Sandman volume, for my money.
The book design is a sublime work, with glimmering greens and bronzes working in a subtle union on the dustjacket, then a pure white cover underneath emblazoned with a faintly-visible white image makes it feel like some sort of spectral holy book. Inside are the usual wonders at play courtesy of ...more
The book design is a sublime work, with glimmering greens and bronzes working in a subtle union on the dustjacket, then a pure white cover underneath emblazoned with a faintly-visible white image makes it feel like some sort of spectral holy book. Inside are the usual wonders at play courtesy of ...more
LOVED the Midsummer's Night Dream story; it's quite clever, and I love Morpheus's line about truth and fact: "Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot." That sentiment is exactly why I love reading fiction (and actually really ties in with what Tim O'Brien says about story truths in The Things They Carried). The story was a beautiful merging of fantasy with a play about fantastical thin...more
This volume of Sandman stories seemed to be more of an in-between explanation than an actual continuation of the Sandman series. The introduction by Steve Erickson, which I read after reading the stories, explained this, so I was glad that I wasn't lost.
Once again, we are glided through the reality and unreality that dreams take us to. The four stories that are told involve the confusion of dreams with reality - did we dream that happened or did it really happen?
The Sandman's role in ...more
Once again, we are glided through the reality and unreality that dreams take us to. The four stories that are told involve the confusion of dreams with reality - did we dream that happened or did it really happen?
The Sandman's role in ...more
3.5 stars for this, what is essentially a short story collection. Extra half star for the general darkitude, which mostly worked well, and general solidness. The "Midsummer Night's Dream" story is apparently one of the famous well-regarded Sandman stories, but it actually was my least favorite. First prize goes to the kitty cats. Maybe that's lame, but they were beautiful, and, KITTY CATS.
This edition includes a script, for "Calliope," so I read the script too...more
This edition includes a script, for "Calliope," so I read the script too...more
Dream Country is a collection of four standalone stories featuring Dream and Death, two of my favourite Endless characters. I particularly enjoyed "Calliope" - a creepy and slightly disturbing story that provided a glimpse into Dream's past - and "Facade" - a wickedly dark superhero tale about Element Girl. I thought "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" was quite original and rather amusing - although I wouldn't be looking at cats and think that they're trying to take over ...more
This collection of four standalone stories and a sample comic-book script challenges the reader to in a different way. In "Calliope," a bestselling writer keeps Homer's muse as a sex slave. The story is more distressing before one reads the script, in which Gaiman makes it clear that his intent was tragedy not eroticism (and hints at a bit of editorial conflict). "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," explores the mythology and psychopathology of cats but is probably better if one can...more
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One of my reading goals for 2012 is to try to read a big variety of mediums and the graphic novel format is one which I've always admired, yet I haven't read many of them so here's an early start. I have been recommended Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series so many times that I've lost count. At random, I picked Dream Country off a friend's shelf. It's split into four stories; "Calliope" - a disturbing tale of a writer who takes a muse, abuses her and pays the price for doing so; "...more
I got the first three Sandman graphic novels out of the library, so I read them all -- otherwise I probably would've stopped after one. I don't know, I had heard really good things, so I expected them to be amazing, but I am just blah on them. They're... fine, I guess. I was not crazy about the rape in this one -- and now that I think about it, there were actually rape/rape threats in all of them! Hey! Comics! Not cool! And I felt overall that they were kind of smug? Though maybe that was just t...more
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“Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.”
—
1,582 people liked it
“But he did not understand the price. Mortals never do. They only see the prize, their heart's desire, their dream... But the price of getting what you want, is getting what you what you once wanted.”
—
124 people liked it
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