[.ca] Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (ISBN 0061252026)

Quite Utterly Brilliant:
1st task : Ignore the Publishers Weekly review above. 2nd task : Buy this book. 3rd task : Read it cover to cover, leaving nothing out. It is an astounding little collection of stories that kept me absolutely riveted from the beginning of "A Study In Emerald" to the end of "Monarch Of The Glen". I could not put it down. I would be at work pining away to read it. Now, I have enjoyed my share of short fiction in my days, but Gaiman just does it SO very right. His poetry is great, and I don't even care much for poetry, but "The Day The Saucers Came" (I recommend listening to him actually recite this, as my brain cannot do it justice), and "Fairy Reel" are just fantastic. One of my favourites of the short stories is actually the lengthy-titled "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of The Night of Dread Desire" which made me smile. I still absolutely LOVE "Goliath" which was his story that takes place in the world of The Matrix, it gets me every time I read it. One of the best little things I liked though was how the nasty Mr. Alice & Smith make an appearance in another of the stories here, and it they couldn't be better placed I think. I was delightfully surprised by their being in that particular story, as I really dislike them, and I think that is the point. "October in the Chair" during which the months of the year sit round a fire and tell each other stories was incredible! "The Problem Of Susan" being his answer to Susan's abrupt departure from Narnia was also above par. I love this book, unabashedly, and I will definitely read it over again. It sits on my shelf next to all my other Gaiman hardcovers that I covet. Oh, and as an aside, the actual book itself with its white-as-driven-snow colour and tissue paper-esque slip cover is just absolutely gorgeous!

Dreams and unusual realities:
Gaiman is a writer of rich and vivid imagination. This collection of short stories, short fiction and poems demonstrate his talent on every page. Hovering between reality and fantasy he has created a distinctive world peopled with ordinary people, young and old, who meet up with ghosts, zombies and other creatures. With great skill and ease Gaiman creates credible characters and compelling scenarios. Some "fragile things" describe dreams, others move effortlessly from actuality to visions of otherworldliness often taking the reader by surprise. Most of the stories in this collection have a serious, some a macabre, side to them. At the same time, humour and irony are natural companions. There is the young boy, ignored by his family and peers, who finally meets a friend and companion as he runs away to start a new life. A Harlequin character reinvents himself with every real life Valentine heart he sends to an object of his desire. Storytelling is a theme for many of the characters in the collection. In "October in the Chair" we listen in as every month competes for the best story that the others haven't heard before. Many of the stories were inspired by other writers and friends and fiction pieces were written for their magazines or anthologies. While each of the stories has been published previously, it is a treat to have them collected in one volume. Every piece stands by itself, yet, when read contiguously each adds elements to a whole creating for the reader a complex tapestry of imaginary lives. Anybody who has read other Gaiman books will welcome his volume. For newcomers, Fragile Things is a great introduction to his work. \oFriederike Knabe\c