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Selections from Fragile Things #4
Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four
“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!
—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!
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2009
7 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 15, 2011
A Harlequin romance "Neil Gaiman" style…Gaiman’s response to C.S. LEWIS on the fate of Susan at the end of the NARNIA Chronicles…. and a GRUESOME, powerful tale of some very unique givers and takers.
Mr. Gaiman is spinning more short story gems!!!
Fragile Things, Comprehensive Review, Part 4: As I mentioned in my reviews of the previous 3 “Selections,” this collection is in my All Time Top 5 for best single author compilation of short fiction ever. Since the stories are now available in ebook format as multiple selections (each containing up to 9 stories depending on the length), I thought it might be helpful to do a more detailed review for each story which this format accommodates nicely. Otherwise, I would have ended up skipping over stories or doing one giant monstrous review that may have just been too much. Anyway, hopefully this is helpful***.
***NOTE: Each of the six different "Fragile Things" selections will have their own review but the opening paragraph above will be substantially similar in each. I wanted to try and have each review stand on its own as well as contribute to the overall whole. Therefore, if you are reading this note for the first time and want to read the other 5 reviews, you can skip down to the BEGIN REVIEW for the other installments.
BEGIN REVIEW:
Part Four contains the following stories:
1. Harlequin Valentine
2. Locks
3. The Problem of Susan
4. Instructions
5. How Do You Think It Feels?
6. My Life
7. Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot
8. Feeders and Eaters, and
9. Diseasemaker's Croup.
Overall, I would rate these next 9 pieces at 4.0 stars because there are a number of “non-story” short pieces in this selection that, while clever and well written, didn’t warm my cockles as much as I would have liked. That said, there are three solid 5.0 or 6.0 STAR STANDOUTS: Harlequin Valentine, The Problem of Susan and Feeders and Eaters .
This group of stories starts off with the first of the standouts, Harlequin Valentine which is simply brilliant. It is a re-imagining of the Harlequinade pantomime that was part of the 16th century Italy puppet plays (known as the Commedia dell’arte). Taking place on Valentine’s Day, this story begins with Harlequin giving his heart to his love (named Missy) by literally nailing it to her front door. The story then follows Missy as she tries to discover who her secret admirer is while Harlequin causing mischief to those she encounters. Smart, funny and with a wonderfully tragic ending, this is a special piece of writing. 5.0 stars.
Next is Locks which is Gaiman retelling the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to his daughter and impressing on the reader the importance that “stories” have in our lives which is the common theme running throughout the book. 4.0 stars.
The Problem of Susan is a highlight of the entire collection. Gaiman explains in the introduction of the book that he was a big fan of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, but hated (like many readers) the way Susan was treated at the end of the series. This story is a reader/fan’s response (and you might say revenge) for the Susan problem. OUTSTANDING!!! 6.0 Stars.
Up next is Instructions which is literally a set of instructions to follow if you ever find yourself stuck in a fairy tell. If you follow them closely you just might make it back home. 4.0 stars.
How Do you Think It Feels? is well-written and evocative but did not resonate with me as much as with others. This is a favorite of many, but for me it was just between okay and good. 2.5 stars.
Continuing on, we have My Life which I understand Gaiman describes as the Weekly World News put to verse was another one that didn’t have me jumping up and down. Good, but not great. 3.0 stars.
Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot is a series of sketches about 15 different kinds of vampire. It is incredibly clever and original, but I think it might have worked better if we had visuals of the pictures he is describing. Maybe someday. 4.0 stars.
Second to last is another one of the real standouts, Feeders and Eaters. Probably the only story in the collection that could be described as gruesome, it is a sad, tragic tale of a good man that ends up stuck in a bad situation as a result of his generosity. A must read. 5.0 stars.
Finally, we have Diseasemaker's Croup which I think is generally considered one of the weakest pieces in the whole collection and I would tend to agree. It is a reading of the symptoms of a made up disease and I just didn’t really care for it. 1.5 to 2.0 stars.
Well, that does it for this selection. Again, as I have done in my previous reviews for Part 1, 2 and 3, I want to point out for those who enjoy audiobooks that all of these stories are available as unabridged readings by Neil Gaiman himself. It is hard to imagine anyone doing a better job reading his stories than he can. He is a tremendous narrator and I would certainly recommend checking it out if you have the chance.
Next up in Volume 5:
In the End,
Goliath,
Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky,
How to Talk to Girls at Parties,
The Day the Saucers Came,
Sunbird, and
Inventing Aladdin.
Link to review for Volume 5: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mr. Gaiman is spinning more short story gems!!!
Fragile Things, Comprehensive Review, Part 4: As I mentioned in my reviews of the previous 3 “Selections,” this collection is in my All Time Top 5 for best single author compilation of short fiction ever. Since the stories are now available in ebook format as multiple selections (each containing up to 9 stories depending on the length), I thought it might be helpful to do a more detailed review for each story which this format accommodates nicely. Otherwise, I would have ended up skipping over stories or doing one giant monstrous review that may have just been too much. Anyway, hopefully this is helpful***.
***NOTE: Each of the six different "Fragile Things" selections will have their own review but the opening paragraph above will be substantially similar in each. I wanted to try and have each review stand on its own as well as contribute to the overall whole. Therefore, if you are reading this note for the first time and want to read the other 5 reviews, you can skip down to the BEGIN REVIEW for the other installments.
BEGIN REVIEW:
Part Four contains the following stories:
1. Harlequin Valentine
2. Locks
3. The Problem of Susan
4. Instructions
5. How Do You Think It Feels?
6. My Life
7. Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot
8. Feeders and Eaters, and
9. Diseasemaker's Croup.
Overall, I would rate these next 9 pieces at 4.0 stars because there are a number of “non-story” short pieces in this selection that, while clever and well written, didn’t warm my cockles as much as I would have liked. That said, there are three solid 5.0 or 6.0 STAR STANDOUTS: Harlequin Valentine, The Problem of Susan and Feeders and Eaters .
This group of stories starts off with the first of the standouts, Harlequin Valentine which is simply brilliant. It is a re-imagining of the Harlequinade pantomime that was part of the 16th century Italy puppet plays (known as the Commedia dell’arte). Taking place on Valentine’s Day, this story begins with Harlequin giving his heart to his love (named Missy) by literally nailing it to her front door. The story then follows Missy as she tries to discover who her secret admirer is while Harlequin causing mischief to those she encounters. Smart, funny and with a wonderfully tragic ending, this is a special piece of writing. 5.0 stars.
Next is Locks which is Gaiman retelling the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to his daughter and impressing on the reader the importance that “stories” have in our lives which is the common theme running throughout the book. 4.0 stars.
The Problem of Susan is a highlight of the entire collection. Gaiman explains in the introduction of the book that he was a big fan of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, but hated (like many readers) the way Susan was treated at the end of the series. This story is a reader/fan’s response (and you might say revenge) for the Susan problem. OUTSTANDING!!! 6.0 Stars.
Up next is Instructions which is literally a set of instructions to follow if you ever find yourself stuck in a fairy tell. If you follow them closely you just might make it back home. 4.0 stars.
How Do you Think It Feels? is well-written and evocative but did not resonate with me as much as with others. This is a favorite of many, but for me it was just between okay and good. 2.5 stars.
Continuing on, we have My Life which I understand Gaiman describes as the Weekly World News put to verse was another one that didn’t have me jumping up and down. Good, but not great. 3.0 stars.
Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot is a series of sketches about 15 different kinds of vampire. It is incredibly clever and original, but I think it might have worked better if we had visuals of the pictures he is describing. Maybe someday. 4.0 stars.
Second to last is another one of the real standouts, Feeders and Eaters. Probably the only story in the collection that could be described as gruesome, it is a sad, tragic tale of a good man that ends up stuck in a bad situation as a result of his generosity. A must read. 5.0 stars.
Finally, we have Diseasemaker's Croup which I think is generally considered one of the weakest pieces in the whole collection and I would tend to agree. It is a reading of the symptoms of a made up disease and I just didn’t really care for it. 1.5 to 2.0 stars.
Well, that does it for this selection. Again, as I have done in my previous reviews for Part 1, 2 and 3, I want to point out for those who enjoy audiobooks that all of these stories are available as unabridged readings by Neil Gaiman himself. It is hard to imagine anyone doing a better job reading his stories than he can. He is a tremendous narrator and I would certainly recommend checking it out if you have the chance.
Next up in Volume 5:
In the End,
Goliath,
Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky,
How to Talk to Girls at Parties,
The Day the Saucers Came,
Sunbird, and
Inventing Aladdin.
Link to review for Volume 5: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
September 30, 2021
This second compilation of Gaiman's short stories from Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders and poems contains some entries that have occurred in other collections, including the following:-
■ Harlequin Valentines - 1⭐ -Stalker tale based on a sculpture.
■ Locks - 4⭐ -Father's point of view of the Goldilocks story in Poem form, as he is reading it to his daughter. I've always thought she was the villain too, but the title carries a deeper, more literal meaning.
■ The Problem of Susan - 3⭐ - Susan's life after the Narnia tales. Explicit, and not for the faint of heart.
■ Instructions - 4⭐ - A dummy's guide to how to survive in fantasy/fairy tale settings.
■ How Do You Think It Feels? - 2⭐ - An adulterer makes a gargoyle to commemorate the end of an affair.
■ My Life - 2⭐ - This ... is strange, puzzling fiction.
■ Fifteen Painted Cards From A Vampire Tarot - 2⭐ - Interestingly there are several version of A Vampire Tarot Card in existence, so Gaiman has provided short, vignette like descriptions for these major arcana cards.
■ Feeders and Eaters - 3⭐ - Trigger warning this has some super disturbing parts in it.
■ Diseasemaker's Croup - 2⭐ - Hilarious description of an imaginary disease, one of many listed in the medical satire book The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases.
■ Harlequin Valentines - 1⭐ -Stalker tale based on a sculpture.
■ Locks - 4⭐ -Father's point of view of the Goldilocks story in Poem form, as he is reading it to his daughter. I've always thought she was the villain too, but the title carries a deeper, more literal meaning.
■ The Problem of Susan - 3⭐ - Susan's life after the Narnia tales. Explicit, and not for the faint of heart.
■ Instructions - 4⭐ - A dummy's guide to how to survive in fantasy/fairy tale settings.
■ How Do You Think It Feels? - 2⭐ - An adulterer makes a gargoyle to commemorate the end of an affair.
■ My Life - 2⭐ - This ... is strange, puzzling fiction.
■ Fifteen Painted Cards From A Vampire Tarot - 2⭐ - Interestingly there are several version of A Vampire Tarot Card in existence, so Gaiman has provided short, vignette like descriptions for these major arcana cards.
■ Feeders and Eaters - 3⭐ - Trigger warning this has some super disturbing parts in it.
■ Diseasemaker's Croup - 2⭐ - Hilarious description of an imaginary disease, one of many listed in the medical satire book The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases.
May 5, 2017
This book is a work of horror. Neil Gaiman twists words to horrify, provoke, disgust, and reveal. The standout pieces in this collection of stories and poems are Feeders and Eaters, and The Problem of Susan. The rest of the pieces land with varying degrees of positive impact, but if these were the only two stories in the book, I would recommend it still.
In Feeders and Eaters, the author grows horror over the reader like a black mold. It reminded this reader of classics like The Yellow Wallpaper and The Bottle Imp. Similar to a vampire novel, we explore themes of hunger, of insatiable lust, of love gone bad that consumes the object of its affection. But the narrative builds slowly, the roots of it burrowing deep into the reader's mind as what one thinks they're reading slowly perverts into something else entirely. The extreme, macabre, surprise ending reminded me also of The Lottery. This short story deserves to be listed among the classics of horror literature.
The Problem of Susan explores the consequences of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia for the forgotten sister, Susan Pevensie. A retired professor and writer remembers the day she lost her entire family in a train crash, leaving her alone to identify the mangled and decapitated remains of those she loved most in the world. She rightly questions the justice of the god that would exclude her from his fantasy paradise for preferring a common young woman's desire for lipstick and nylons, symbols of her budding adulthood.
It was for this Narnia tale that I purchased this book, and I'd do it again for this story alone. It is a necessary and provocative tale that ought not be left unspoken in the stories of Narnia and her children. This reader remembered Aslan's promise that a Queen of Narnia once will remain always a Queen of Narnia. I hope this is true, not only for Susan, but for me, as I consider my own loss of Narnia's friendship. Lewis suggested that Susan may find her way to Aslan's country still. Perhaps I will as well.
In Feeders and Eaters, the author grows horror over the reader like a black mold. It reminded this reader of classics like The Yellow Wallpaper and The Bottle Imp. Similar to a vampire novel, we explore themes of hunger, of insatiable lust, of love gone bad that consumes the object of its affection. But the narrative builds slowly, the roots of it burrowing deep into the reader's mind as what one thinks they're reading slowly perverts into something else entirely. The extreme, macabre, surprise ending reminded me also of The Lottery. This short story deserves to be listed among the classics of horror literature.
The Problem of Susan explores the consequences of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia for the forgotten sister, Susan Pevensie. A retired professor and writer remembers the day she lost her entire family in a train crash, leaving her alone to identify the mangled and decapitated remains of those she loved most in the world. She rightly questions the justice of the god that would exclude her from his fantasy paradise for preferring a common young woman's desire for lipstick and nylons, symbols of her budding adulthood.
It was for this Narnia tale that I purchased this book, and I'd do it again for this story alone. It is a necessary and provocative tale that ought not be left unspoken in the stories of Narnia and her children. This reader remembered Aslan's promise that a Queen of Narnia once will remain always a Queen of Narnia. I hope this is true, not only for Susan, but for me, as I consider my own loss of Narnia's friendship. Lewis suggested that Susan may find her way to Aslan's country still. Perhaps I will as well.
April 5, 2009
What an amazing short story collection from the Masterful Neil Gaiman
November 21, 2013
I really enjoyed this one as well. so clever and entertaining. again I say read the book and listen to neil foing the audio book. . makes it even better
December 26, 2013
A series of creepy short stories. Weird words entwined with otherworldly visions. Best read one at a time. You don't want to OD.
January 5, 2013
Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews