Gaiman, Neil - Smoke and Mirrors - "Informal Buddy Read" - Start date June 12, 2014

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

This topic is open for discussion of Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

BE PREPARED FOR SPOILERS

What is a buddy read?

About this Buddy Read
An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book

Synopsis
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 "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality -- obscured by smoke and darkness, yet brilliantly tangible -- in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams.

Neil Gaiman Seasonal Challenge
This is our June 2014 choice. If you want to join us for a Neil Gaiman BR a month, you can sign up here

You do not need to be part of the challenge to join this buddy read. Everyone is welcome!

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

reserved

[Christine]

I will only get my hands on a copy by the end of June, so I will read it in the last June week.

[Beth]

I like this about as much as the stories in Fragile Things. Highlights:

The Wedding Present - I think this is one of the saddest stories in the collection.

The White Road - This fairytale retelling is probably my favorite of Neil Gaiman's poems. It's very elegant and creepy.

Murder Mysteries - This one is also very disturbing. This is my first time reading all of Smoke and Mirrors, but I've read this before. If I understood correctly,(view spoiler)[the main character killed Tink & her daughter; Raguel erased the memory, or parts of it at least (though he does dream about Tink's dead body).

I really like the story-within-a-story here. I love the ideas about the angels' work in preparation for the Creation, and it's a fascinating spin on what led to Lucifer's fall.

The angel who says "I don't care how aesthetically pleasing it would be, we simply cannot put it in the center" - is he talking about not putting the earth at the center of the universe? That's what it sounds like. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I have this on my kindle, but I am trying to finish Papillon which will probably take another week

[Andrew✌️]

I'm reading this book and some stories remember me the series "The Twilight Zone". I like it very much, but I'm late.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I'm still getting through Papillon. It is taking me forever!