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Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
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Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
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Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
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Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

“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!

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateOct 13, 2009
ISBN9780061804168
Unavailable
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
Author

Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling and multi-award winning author and creator of many beloved books, graphic novels, short stories, film, television and theatre for all ages. He is the recipient of the Newbery and Carnegie Medals, and many Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner Awards. Neil has adapted many of his works to television series, including Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett) and The Sandman. He is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College. For a lot more about his work, please visit: https://www.neilgaiman.com/

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Rating: 4.254545454545455 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another pick-up-put-down-pick-up-again collection of short stories.....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Love it, love it, love it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A bunch of short stories and poems which concludes with a novella. I don't tend to read a lot of short fiction but have been picking at this one for quite a while. For me it was quite a mixed bag so far as quality goes but you can't argue with the quantity as there are nearly 30 entries included in this collection.. There are also introductions to each piece located in a separate section at the beginning of the book. My favourites were Monarch of the Glen (the novella which features Shadow from American Gods), Sunbird (a club set on sampling all the world's gastronomic delights), Bitter Grounds (Ghost story with voodoo element), Keepsakes and Treasures (Introduces a couple of villains who also appear in the novella) and The Hidden Chamber (possibly the creepiest poem I've ever read). Most of the rest were at least enjoyable to a certain extent even if some were instantly forgettable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really just love listening to Neil Gaiman read, whether I'm actually paying attention to the story or not. Short stories have never been my favorite medium, but there were several interesting ones in here, and combined with Neil's performance, I enjoyed this. My biggest problem in looking back at the list of stories is not really being able to say which ones were my favorites, because I'm not entirely sure which ones they were! lol! I'm pretty sure that Bitter Grounds was one with an Anthropology/Voodoo/Missing Person spin. Also there was another that had a Matrix-esque premise of the world you feel is real actually being a simulation that I liked quite a bit.

    I think at some point I would like to read this physically, since I retain them better when I'm reading visually than when I'm listening, but I will always listen to Neil reading, always. :)

    I'm counting this in for Award Winning Challenge as a couple of the stories in this collection are award winners or mentions.

    Study in Emerald
    short story : 2004 Hugo W
    novelette : 2004 Locus W

    The Monarch of the Glen
    novelette : 2004 Locus/2

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it!Proper review to follow.Why did I read it? Well, I had listened to two other books by Neil Gaiman: one being a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, "Good Omens"; and the other being the 10th anniversary edition of "American Gods", which I truly enjoyed. Given this was a selection of short stories, and prose, I thought it would be entertaining for my commute. And, so it was!What's it about? Bizarre tales, short stories, the odd poem, and, finally, a little epilogue to "American Gods". A rather odd collection, though nicely set out, which I imagine can be dipped in an out of at random (if you have the hard copy, and aren't listening to Neil Gaiman narrate them himself). Tales of mythical creatures, legends, and some snatched from fragments of folklore. Included are stories from Neil Gaiman's early writings revised, edited and included here; one is a birthday gift to his daughter; and each is a wonder tale.What did I like? Every, single story, and poem. Really, I did! This collection kept me engaged, wanting to listen to every word, and not miss a moment. Neil Gaiman is a writer of the odd, the unusual, the supernatural, the otherworlds and so his tales have twists not found in other stories, but once found in the myths of old.There is a sense of humour to be found in the works, as well. Sometimes authors forget to include this in darker tales, but life, or indeed fantasy, is not just one dimensional - or shouldn't be. Neil Gaiman incorporates the whole of life, death, and everything in between in these tales.Neil Gaiman is also rather good at narrating his own work. This author knows how to bring a story to life, and doesn't seem to falter in his delivery. It's kind of refreshing to hear an author read his own words, even if you will never hear him do so live.The audio version, provided by Audible, was clear, and without fault.What didn't I like? Nope. Can't think of anything.Would I recommend it? Oh yes! To anyone who has read Neil Gaiman's other works, or even those of Terry Pratchett. If you want to read something a little different, this is it. I'll definitely be listening again.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Didn't like too many of these short stories or poems which surprised me since I do enjoy Neil Gaimen's books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A splendid collection from one of my authors. Will give mini-synopses/reviews of the stories.

    A Study in Emerald - Wow! I don't know if I've ever read a better short story in my life. Written for an anthology of stories where the world of Sherlock Holmes meets the world of H.P. Lovecraft, Gaiman's take gives The Ancient Ones the sanity-crumbling horror I'm used to and gives Holmes the brilliant see-everything-at-once deductive skills that we expect. A best-of-both-worlds story that's scary, thrilling, and surprising.

    The Fairy Reel -

    October in the Chair

    The Hidden Chamber

    Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire

    The Flints of Memory Lane

    Closing Time

    Going Wodwo

    Bitter Grounds

    Other People

    Keepsakes and Treasures

    Good Boys Deserve Favors

    The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

    Strange Little Girls

    Harlequin Valentine

    Locks

    The Problem of Susan

    Instructions

    How Do You Think It Feels?

    My Life

    Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

    Feeders and Eaters

    Diseasemaker's Croup

    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

    Inventing Aladdin

    The Monarch of the Glen
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I tend to prefer my supernatural fiction "vintage", by which I understand that it should be written before 1950 and/or in the style of the classic ghost, gothic or horror story. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the occasional foray into the "New Weird". In December 2014 I had read with pleasure China Mieville's "Looking for Jake and Other Stories". Over Christmas this year I opted for another anthology of short fiction: Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. I can't say I know these two authors well enough to compare them but, if forced to do so, I'd say Mieville strikes me as grittier and more politically committed, his style owing as much to noir and thriller genres as to the tradition of supernatural fiction. On the other hand, Gaiman seems more fascinated by the world of faerie, folk tale and myth; by the sometimes subtle, sometimes shocking intrusion of the weird into everyday life. Another recurrent inspiration in this collection appears to be the act of "writing" and "creating" itself. Not only is the anthology preceded by an introduction in which Gaiman explains the genesis of each of the pieces, but some of the stories themselves are either *about* writing, writers and storytellers, or else reinterpret known literary works. For instance, in the opening story - "A Study in Emerald" - the worlds of Conan Doyle and Lovecraft combine as Sherlock Holmes is placed in an alternative 19th Century ruled by "Old One" Queen Victoria. It's the sort of divertissement which shouldn't work but ultimately does. "The Problem of Susan" presents a more disturbing and abstruse reinterpretation of characters from the Chronicles of Narnia. "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" veers between parody and pastiche and features an author living in a typical candle-lit Gothic world of crumbling castles and stormy nights who is suffering from a particularly acute case of writer's block. A critic described this tale as "facetious nonsense" (which it probably is), but it is hilarious - after all, parody has always been an element of the Gothic tradition. A highlight of the collection is "October in the Chair", in which, at a story-telling reunion between the months of the year, October relates the tale of a bullied boy who befriends a ghost. A prototype for The Graveyard Book , it is touching and unsettling at the same time.In other tales we meet child zombies, haunted playrooms, beautiful aliens and magical instruments. There is a return of "Shadow" from "American Gods" in the novella "Monarch of the Glen", where the protagonist finds himself pitted against a Grendel-like monster of old. In this story there is also a cameo appearance by the repulsive "Mr Smith and Mr Alice", who also get their own story - "Keepsakes and Treasures" is violent, quite revolting but strangely fascinating.With such a varied anthology there will be entries which do not work for you. In my case, I didn't particularly like the poetry and there were stories which lost me because they seemed to lack an internal logic. Gaiman points out that supernatural tales are rarely "story-shaped", so others may actually relish the feeling of being "bewildered" by a seemingly illogical tale. I don't.I must make a mental note to venture into "New Weird" more often - possibly starting with some of Gaiman's and Mieville's full-length novels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    fantasy fiction horror anthology favorites
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fragile Things is a diverse collection of stories and poems by Neil Gaiman. Showcasing his ability to write in a wide variety of voices, genres and styles, one doesn't get bored with this collection. There were several stories and poems here that made an impression on me:A Study in Emerald is a mash-up of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. In Gaiman's hands it works extraordinarily well - he even throws in some great twists. This is a very strong story, one of my favourites.October in the Chair features the months of the year telling stories. October's story is about a little boy who is picked on by his older brothers and runs away from home, only to befriend a ghost. This is a theme that has appeared in Gaiman's other work - The Graveyard Book, and one of the Sandman stories. This is a great tale, though sad.The Hidden Chamber is a poem about a modern Bluebeard who's empty house still holds dark secrets.Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire is a very funny story about a frustrated writer. He is determined to write great, literary fiction that reflects life, but the world he lives in seems to be straight out of a supernatural Gothic horror story. His secret passion is for fantasy fiction - stories that tell of such escapist fantasies as stockbrokers, taxis and soap commercials. Closing Time is a story that gives me the chills every time I read it. I first read it several years ago and it has stuck stubbornly in my head ever since. Four little boys find an abandoned playhouse with a demonic imp knocker . . . Bitter Grounds starts off as the story of a man trying to escape his life. He assumes the life of an anthropology professor on his way to a convention in New Orleans, to present his paper on the Haitian coffee girls - who may have been Voodoo zombies. Keepsakes and Treasures is a disturbing story, to say the least, but it certainly leaves an impression. Here, Gaiman writes in the voice of a thoroughly unlikeable character - a mobster and pedophile who works for a very, very rich man known as "Mr. Alice." Mr. Alice wants the most beautiful man in the world for his lover - a mythical being called the "Treasure of the Shahinai." The Shahinai themselves are a legendary race who's only evidence for existence is a few lines in ancient writings, but what Mr. Alice wants, he gets. I wouldn't say this is one of my favourite stories, but the imagery and the mythology in it stuck in my head.The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch features a mysterious and occult circus. A group of friends go there, trying to entertain a stern and unfriendly guest, but the show becomes steadily more fantastic and bizarre. Not everyone in their group goes home after the show is done.In Harlequin's Valentine the Harlequin pines for his Columbine and nails his bleeding heart to Missy's door, but she turns the tables on him in a surprising and satisfying way.The Problem of Susan - another of Gaiman's short stories that stuck in my head very strongly for years after the first time I read it - The Problem of Susan revisits C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia from an adult perspective. For those who don't know/remember, in the final Narnia book, The Last Battle, the character Susan is excluded from the 'happily-ever-after' in Narnia that all the other young heroes get to enjoy. Gaiman has the guts to write a dark!Aslan - an amazing and powerful story. Goliath was originally written as a companion for the first Matrix movie, but regardless of whether you have seen the movie or not, this is a very good science fiction story. I thought Gaiman did an amazing job weaving in the world of the Matrix films and bringing them to life. The collection closes with a novella-length sequel to American Gods, titled The Monarch of the Glen which features Shadow traveling in Scotland where he is hired by a mysterious little man to act as a bouncer for a strange private party.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great collection of short stories from Neil Gaiman. I was a bit underwhelmed by "The Problem with Susan," possibly just because I've heard it praised so highly, but even average Gaiman is beautifully crafted.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book, though not as much as Smoke & Mirrors. It was interesting to read the history of how each story had been conceived (or at least, for what purpose it was written).The stories were all of good quality, but none really stood out.Recommended for fans of Neil Gaiman.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fantastic set of short stories by Neil Gaiman. Many of the stories have been published in the past, but there are some that were written long ago but never published. Majority of them have a horror or spooky theme. Many of them I loved and would want to read more, some are satisfying, and some are mostly enjoyable. I don't think any of the stories are bad. If you are fan of Neil Gaiman, then this is definitely a collection to check out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not my kind of stuff, but he does it really well,with a fine sense of humor. Listened to the audiobook and Gaiman’s voice is wonderful.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't think I have read anything by this author that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. If you've never read Neil Gaiman and you want to meet this talented story teller...then these short stories are a perfect way to go. You'll find these little jewels dark and magnificently creepy...but easy and quick reads. There are a few pieces that are on the weak side...but that's okay, as there is plenty to pick and choose from here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Overall I enjoyed it, but some stories were too short and others were really creepy. The story of Shadow at the end was really good.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Shadow story was my favorite part of this collection.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't normally like short stories, but this is the exception. Each is exquisitely crafted and most are disquieting. He is a master of his craft.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In short, this is another great installment from Neil Gaiman. Some of the stories blew me over (A Study In Emerald) and others were forgettable. But the entire time, I was lost in the world of Neil Gaiman's imagination (which has no competition). This story collection is worth picking up just for the American Gods story featuring Shadow.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    These stories are wonderful flights of fancy but what gets me is how very 'complete' they are. There is a meat, a complexity, that usually only comes from a skillful telling of a true story. There's no excess backstory but the structure of the telling shows so much more than the words themselves express. Wonderful.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A bit of a mixed bag; some of the stories didn’t really do it for me - mostly these are because this isn’t my usual genre and I therefore didn’t get some of the references; the stories linked to Tori Amos’ albums or tours missed the mark for me too, because hers isn’t my kind of music. But on balance, the good stories are superb. I loved The Monarch of The Glen, the American Gods novella that rounds off this collections, and while I’m not in general a huge fan of poetry, the poems in this collection are delightful.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A thematic set of short stories that focuses on intimate and revealing moments. The collection is full of so many conflicting feelings, expectations, results, disturbing details, and effluence. It's Gaiman attempting to reach for something literary-- and that is always to be commended.

    3.5

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definite high points and low points, but even the low points were good. Worth re-reading.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A collection of short stories and poetry featuring Gaiman’s unique mixture of spooky, creepy, morbid, snarky, dark humor. Also includes lots a little tidbits of poetry interspersed between the chapters, and introductions/context in the foreword. The audiobook is read by Gaiman as well -- he’s brilliant. Some of my favorites:A Study in Emerald This is a retelling of the Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet within the Cthulhu universe, where the ruling class consists of Lovecraftian monsters. That’s right: Gaiman wrote crossover fanfiction, and it is fantastic. Sent me into mental cascade failure by the end. Love it.Harlequin ValentineI like Harlequin type characters so I enjoyed this quasi-mythical take on the character/archetype of Italian theater. The story is sad if you empathize with the male main character, but delightful and fun if you consider Harlequin the main character -- exactly the kind of dark humor you want from a Harlequin. And his seamless transition into real life was so cool.Sunbird The gastronomical adventures of the Epicurean Society, an ages-long society dedicated to eating everything you could possibly eat. They’ve run out of new things to try, when one of the older members suggests the mysterious sunbird in Egypt. As fanciful as it was, this one felt weirdly reassuring.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ahhh, Gaiman... you just can't go wrong there!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another Gaiman. I am slowly working my way through them all. I was over halfway through this book of short stories when I got the audio book and started over. There's something about the author reading his own words that makes them more meaningful. Plus, I'm a sucker for British male narrators.

    Anyways, this collection is very diverse, with poems and funny ones and mystery ones and ones I'd never read before, and everything with that little (or huge) twist I've come to expect. There are some, like "The Problem of Susan" that I'm not very happy about, but I know they will stick with me as only the best sci-fi short stories can. You know that creepy way Bradbury or Twilight Zone stories come back to haunt you every time you hear about virtual reality or fly on an airplane? Only this one is about children's books. There are some, like the novella featuring Shadow, the main character from American Gods, that are just plain good stories. They hit all the right buttons and leave you with a feeling that something amazing just happened but you missed how the magic trick happened. If I ever have a long road trip, I'm putting this back in the queue for sure.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm a little up in the air on this collection of short stories. Some I really enjoyed; some were just odd; some I did not even understand. Maybe the last was because I was listening to it on audio and not always completely focused on it. It left me wondering if I would want to read more Gaiman.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I feel like Neil Gaiman is one of those authors where most people either love him or hate him... but I only like him very, very much.
    Does that make any sense? Probably not.

    Anyway, there are some amazing stories here. There are also some that I could do without, like the short bits written for a Tori Amos album's liner notes. I could do without Tori Amos, too, but that's just me. I just don't agree with Neil on everything. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who do, though.

    I have to say, though, I got the warmest, fuzziest feeling when I read his introduction to "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" and he mentioned how much he enjoyed reading it for the first time at CBGB. I was like, "Oh, how nice! He appreciated my club, and I was there!" (He really is an excellent reader, and very personable.)

    I'd already read a few of these in other collections, but they were good enough that I didn't mind re-reading them at all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (short stories) - some better than others from good to very good

    Ah, it seemed such a good idea when I was wandering round Penicuik Library: two books by two of my favourite authors. Only when I got home did I realise that both were Short Stories. Now I like short stories, but you can't sit and read them continuously, you need to read a novel for that. So, this took me some time to finish.

    As you would expect with Neil Gaiman, each of the stories was quirky and interesting, some appealed more than others, all were worth reading. Of course, all lacked depth/substance because some of them were only a few pages long. I particularly enjoyed the return of Shadow from American Gods: it was nice to see how he progressed post novel! It was also one of the longer stories and therefore had time to develop. In fact I think the ones I enjoyed the most were the longer stories for that very reason. Having said that, I did enjoy the poems.

    In general, this is one of the collections that proves Pauline's dislike of the genre. some interesting ideas, but not enough development to really capture the imagination.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very enjoyable read, except for two of the stories which I found rather distasteful. An Audible book which was read very capably by the author.