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Fragile Things
Fragile Things
Fragile Things
Audiobook10 hours

Fragile Things

Written by Neil Gaiman

Narrated by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

“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
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateNov 7, 2006
ISBN9780061229954
Fragile Things
Author

Neil Gaiman

NEIL GAIMAN was awarded the Newbery and Carnegie Medals for The Graveyard Book. His other books for younger readers include Coraline (which was made into an Academy-Award-nominated film) and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (which wasn’t). Born in England, he has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. You can learn more at www.mousecircus.com.

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Reviews for Fragile Things

Rating: 3.9885080044409813 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love Neil Gaiman's stories but oddly enough, nothing here captivated me as much as even remotely close to what his other works did.
  • 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: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love Neil Gaiman's imagination & always enjoy his short stories.
  • 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: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definite high points and low points, but even the low points were good. Worth re-reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I like how Neil Gaiman narrated the book, he is an attractive voice that pulls you into his story. Though there are a few chapters that are not very interesting to me, but that happens in story collection, don't they? It is really a 'fast read', though last for 10 hours, i break it up and listen it in the bedtime....LOVE It
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I don’t particularly like Gaiman’s style; it’s often a touch lazy and takes too many shortcuts. Nevertheless, there are some enjoyable pieces in here. "Instructions" is my favorite poem of his. The novella about Shadow post-American Gods is better than the book, and besides which is a meaty glimpse at life post-"Beowulf". I don’t remember liking Shadow much, but I warmed up to him in this story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this book. The story just grabs you, holds you and drags you along for the adventure.
  • 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: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    "I like things to be story-shaped."So says the narrator of The Flints of Memory Lane, one of the stories in this collection. I agree wholeheartedly.Which is why I'm only giving this a 3-star rating. Not because the writing is poor, but because so few of these stories are actually, well, story-shaped. Also, it's such a mix of genres, not all of which I enjoy... My favorite parts of this collection are the Introduction (in which Gaiman explains the genesis of each story/poem/whatnot) and the author interview at the end, in which he says: "I've never written a horror novel, and one reason I've never written a horror novel is I don't think I'd want to live in that place for eighteen months or two years. But I'm perfectly happy to visit for a weekend or a couple of weeks and get absolutely creepy and dark and nasty and strange in a way that I wouldn't want to be long-term."I'm not a fan of horror, so maybe I should stick to his novels.
  • 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
    Loved the bit about Shadow & American Gods - so nice to revisit those characters. Also enjoyed "How to Talk to Girls at Parties". Overall it was much more vulgar than previous Gaiman books I've read, but I enjoyed the mixture of short story. Great for Gaiman fans or those dipping their toes in!
  • 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: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dude killed it again. Neil is the shit in my professional opinion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm a slathering Neil Gaiman fangirl, so my opinion on this book is suspect. Nevertheless, this collection finally let me read all the stories Neil has been alluding to on his blog this past year. And I am a very happy fangirl."A Study in Emerald" is by far my favorite from this collection. Neil so perfectly captures how Mr Sherlock Holmes would deal with cyclopian horrors that oozed their way out of a Lovecraft story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having read a bunch of Gaiman's work in the past, and also his previous collection of short stories, I pretty much knew what to expect from this collection, and I largely got it. He's definitely got his own style and tone, and it appears in most of the work, but in a few cases, he departs from his own style and tries to write in the style of someone else, often to quite good effect. I really enjoyed Sunbird, for example, his take on a Lafferty story.Anyway, there are a few misses in the collection, but it's mostly quite strong; I particularly enjoyed Sunbird, A Study in Emerald, The Monarch in the Glen, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Most of the rest was good, but some didn't quite do it for me (probably the worst from my view was Feeders and Eaters). I liked most of the poetry, as well. It's a solid collection, and it's worth going through if you're a fan, but I'd start with the novels if you want to try his work for the first time, personally.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    won't be Re-reading this book. love Neil Gaiman but was not turned on by this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved all of the stories in this collection but the best treat was the Shadow story at the end. Thoroughly captivating.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Neil Gaiman is wonderful at short stories. I do prefer Smoke & Mirrors to this one, though -- these didn't stick in my head like those first ones do.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A book of short stories is difficult to review. Gaiman is such a talented writer, and it shows throughout Fragile Things. His narration for the audio book is spectacular too. There is something extra special about having the author read his own work. Overall I really enjoyed this.

    As far as the stories go, some of them I loved, some left me thoroughly confused, some I found boring, and one left me speechless (in the best way)

    Noteworthy stories include:
    A Study in Emerald
    Forbidden Brides (which may need to be read more than once)
    Other People (this may be the best short story I've ever read)
    Goliath
    Sunbird
    The Monarch of the Glen

  • 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.

    2 people found this helpful

  • 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 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
    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: 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: 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: 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: 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
  • 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: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Some excellent shorts. My favorites was shadows.