Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink
1 April 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Neil Gaiman, The Friday Face Off, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
‘Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme being hosted by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite books covers. The rules are fairly simple and can be found here. Each week, following a predetermined theme choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Simples. This week the theme is:
‘Water, Water Everywhere’
This week I’ve gone for three covers: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, firstly, I love Neil Gaiman’s books, his imagination and ability to just completely pull me into whatever world he has created and, secondly, these covers are all excellent:
So, we have the first cover with the young girl, the second cover with the young boy and the third cover with the boy and the girl in the background. I like all of these covers for different reasons but without doubt my favourite is the third. I like the fairytale feel, the style of the font and the title framed by the trees and then in the very back the two figures like two shining lights emerging from the dark.
Next week’s theme:
01st April 2016 | Peace is Poor Reading
A cover which features war
Come join in the fun!
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
Just finished reading The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman which is a beautifully illustrated story.
This really is a gorgeous little book, a reimagined mishmash of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty with a bit of dark and creepy thrown in for good measure.
Now, whilst I do love a good fairytale retold, particularly when they come in such lovely packages, I wasn’t totally bowled over with this one. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a bad book, just not as good as I expected and I think I’ve genuinely surprised myself to be honest because I quite literally usually adore everything that Neil Gaiman does and I practically love him (not in a stalker-lets-boil-the-pets sort of way!)
It is a good story with an interesting twist in the tale and modernised in terms of a Queen coming to the rescue as opposed to a dashing knight in shining armour and I certainly wouldn’t discourage anybody from reading as, like I said, it is good. It just didn’t have that certain something that I can’t usually put my finger on but I always find in a Gaiman book that makes me want to run out and gush like a maniac.
It is a lovely book though and I have already ordered Hansel and Gretel as well – I just need to be more measured with my ridiculously high expectations I suppose – at the end of the day you can over hype something all by yourself. And, just feast your eyes on that cover!
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Eddie Campbell
30 June 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Neil Gaiman, The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains
A novelette featuring two characters travelling across Scotland in search of the Misty Isles, gold, truth and maybe something more. One character is the guide, the other a half man who is not all he seems.
This is a dark and rather haunting story, illustrated in a stark and dramatic fashion. It’s a quick read that starts with the half man searching out Callum McInnes as a guide to to the Misty Isles. The Misty Isles are strange and mysterious, some say not always to be found in the same place! Upon this island sits a mountain on the side of which is the opening to a cave in which gold can be found. You might be forgiven for wondering why all the gold hasn’t long since been taken and the answer lies in the payment that must be paid for taking the gold. It’s a price that not everyone is prepared to pay.
I understand that this story was read aloud by Neil Gaiman to an audience at the Sydney Opera House, accompanied by the Four Play String Quartet. I can only imagine how spectacular that must have been. Gaiman is an amazing narrator and has the ability to hold an audience spellbound.
Now, obviously, I couldn’t drum up the same setting however I made the best of it, reading this by myself late of an evening with just a table lamp and my dog for company. I thought it had a certain ambience, a certain lonely spookiness if you will!
Anyway, I have no intention of giving away the plot of the story. This is a short read intended for one sitting. It is brutal in parts and is definitely not to be confused for a children’s story! Think more of the Sandman or Smoke and Mirrors and you’re a bit nearer the mark than Stardust and The Graveyard Book. It is a difficult book to review because it’s only short and yet manages to carry a fairly strong story that will make you think for quite a while after you’ve finished reading – in fact I admit I went back to the beginning and read certain chapters again. Even now I’m thinking about the ramifications of what actually took place. It certainly wasn’t what I expected and it’s not the sort of book that you can finish and use words such as ‘enjoy’. I think more that it’s a reading experience, with the magical words of Gaiman spinning a tale of folklore and superstition, family and revenge. I confess that I wasn’t entirely a fan of the artwork – but that’s just down to personal taste and whilst I might not love it I admit that strangely enough it does fit the story with it’s strong dark lines.
My thanks to the publisher and bookbridgr for a copy of this book for review. The above is my own opinion.
The Sandman Vol 4 by Neil Gaiman, Season of Mists
4 December 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Neil Gaiman, Season of Mists, The Sandman Vol 4
I’m gradually working my way through The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman and have just finished Vol 4, Season of Mists which is simply a brilliant collection of stories that really starts to bring together the previous stories into a really related theme.
We start off with a family meeting of The Endless called by Destiny. This meeting sets into motion events for the rest of the book. Morpheus is made to realise, finally (it’s only been 10,000 years after all) that he may have been a little hasty, maybe a tad harsh, banishing to hell his mortal lover after she refused to rule with him. Talk about your women scorned! Anyway, long story short he’s going to have to return to hell in order to perform this rescue and given that he’s on not too friendly terms with Himself (the fallen angel) since his last foray into hell to retrieve his helmet from one of hell’s minions, the welcome mat may not be out!
Of course Lucifer, in a total moment of genius, decides to rid Hell of all it’s inhabitants and pass the key to his domain to Morpheus! Didn’t see that one coming at all. Now, it turns out that the key to Hell is sought after by more than one ambassador. The Fey, Chaos and Order, Egyptian deities plus demons to name but a few and the whole lot being watched over by a couple of angels, it seems that other Gods are interested in the outcome. They’re going to try sweet talking, threats, bribery and corruption, anything to get their hands on that domain. It’s going to be interesting not to mention a very difficult decision to have to make. Let the banquet begin.
I thought this edition was excellent. The resolution of the problem concerning Morpheus and Nada, the outcome of who will rule Hell, the combination of myth, folklore, religion and other intriguing tidbits of history plus a darkly humorous side – particularly in this instalment the portrayal of the Devil and his world weariness!
I loved it! Plus the accompanying graphics are amazing.
If you’re a bit like me and are new to graphic novels – The Sandman series could be the one for you. I can really see why people would become so enamoured with it and I’m not yet half way through!
Dolls House by Neil Gaiman, Sandman Vol II
26 October 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Neil Gaiman, Stainless Steel Droppings R.I.P., The Doll's House, The Sandman Vol 2
Just finished reading the Doll’s House by Gaiman which is Vol 2 and covers issues No.9-16. I thought this was brilliant. Dark, yes. Disturbing, in parts yes. Gripping, yes. The Sandman series is my first foray into graphic novels and I’m taking my time working through the series.
I thought this was a really good instalment. The first story is a tale of a young tribesman being taken through a rites of passage into adulthood. The elder tribesman relates to him a story of Nada, once queen of a mighty empire and much beloved who tragically falls in love with Morpheus. I enjoyed this story very much – if you want it’s a bit of a Romeo and Juliet. Nada and Morpheus cannot be together. Their love is doomed from the outset. She follows him into his world and he in turn becomes enamoured with her, the first mortal to have ever sought him out in this way. It really is rather tragic and a bit sad I thought – it showed a different side to Dream which is something that became a recurring theme through the other stories within the volume.
The rest of the stories relate how Morpheus is still putting back to rights his realm following his escape from captivity. A number of Morpheus’s creations have escaped and on top of that he’s discovered a vortex – which could potentially have a disastrous effect or completely destroy the realm. I loved the way that we look back at a character from a previous story whose granddaughter is having a major impact on the stories within this edition. Rose is the main focus. She’s been reunited with her grandmother and now searches for her younger brother. This search sees her become an inhabitant of a house with a number of odd characters, it takes us on a journey into a strange dreamscape created by a couple of Dream’s escapees and also sees us at a Con with a difference.
Of the escaped dream characters Corinthian is undoubtedly the creepiest and his story arc with the whole serial con (a convention for serial killers!) is amusing and twisted in equal measure.
What I really enjoy about these is the way that Gaiman takes something that we think we know about and incorporates it into his story in such a way as to make it something new. I loved that the Endless – are not Gods. Unlike Gods they can’t die – dream, death and in this edition desire (causing trouble for Morpheus) – there are of course another four (not sure of all of them – destiny, despair and delirium, not sure about the other one – maybe destruction?)
Ultimately this series shows us a different side to Dream, almost making him appear more vulnerable – for example the story about the man who can’t die. Does Morpheus really want friendship? I’ve actually already read Vol 3 Dream Country (review here) which was a series of stories unrelated to the thread of the first two (although not sure whether they will have any future bearing yet) so now really looking forward to Vol 4 to see how the story of Dream continues.
I’m submitting this as part of my Stainless Steel Droppings RIP event.
Books and travelling with Lynn 