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Neil Gaiman

I'm now about halfway through American Gods. This is my first Gaiman book, and I really don't know what to make of it. Sometimes I like it, and then I don't. It seems random, as if he has no idea where he's going with all of it. I'm wondering how he's going to bring it all together. Are all his books like this? Anyway, I guess time will tell if it works out ok.
 
i read Neverwhere as an extra English bookreport in 9th grade over christmas break. i was surprised to like it alot. i actually want to reread it since i dont remember that much anymore =P
 
I liked American Gods, but it was a little too long and "epic". Stardust, Neverwhere, and Anansi Boys were much better. I liked Anansi Boys because it was a lot like American Gods but on a much smaller, easier to enjoy scale.

I should have the Neverwhere tv series in my mailbox this afternoon to watch.
 
venusunfolding said:
I liked American Gods, but it was a little too long and "epic". .
Click to expand...

I'd say that that was the problem I had with it in the end. It seemed to go on and on, with a fair bit of padding. I think I liked it, though. :)
 
please use spoiler tags

I just finished Anansi Boys last night. I liked it much better than American Gods too.There were less bunny trails, but still plenty of action. I liked
the happy ending too.
 
Have to say I wasn't as impressed with "Anansi Boys" as with "Good Omens" and "American Gods".

I liked the Dirk Gently-meets-Buffy feel of both language and plot, and the whole subtext of humanity vs brutality, thinking vs thumping, singing vs biting was nice. On a whole, though, I thought it was a bit too slow-moving and also much to NICE; you never once get the feel that our heroes are NOT going to come out on top. Could have used some more darkness.
I liked it, but it wasn't quite as good as I'd expected. 3/5.
 
I have only read four books out of the Sandman series so far, but they were completely amazing. I'm planning on reading some of Gaiman's other work once I finish up with Sandman.
 
I began reading Neil Gaiman some years ago when he was first writing the Sandman series. I've read most of those and then more recently picked up his novels - American Gods and Anansi Boys.

Preferred American Gods; it's got humour in it but its a darker humour an had more of an edge whereas Anansi Boys seemed lighter.
 
From The Sandman collection, I've read two volumes. Gaiman does interesting things with words and pictures. I have also enjoyed Black Orchid. It's a pity he's commitment to comics is shaky nowadays; he had a gift for them, which I fear has been lost.

His novels at first glance don't fascinate me; I've only skimread them at bookstores, but I got the impression that his prose is clunky and sounds ugly to the ear. And with my hating stuff about myths and gods (The Sandman notwithstanding) and 'epicness' in novels, I think Gaiman is not a writer for me :)
 
Ok, since we're talking about The Sandman - What was everone's favorite story / collection and favorite character?

Favorite story / collection - The kindly Ones (I loved the doomed inevitability of it all)
Favorite Character - Death (I always had a bit of a crush on her:eek: )
 
Favorite Story--The entire Preludes and Nocturnes. It encaptured me more than any of the others that I've read.
Favorite Character--Death or Delirium. I can't decide. I love them both.
 
I read his children's novel, Coraline, a long long time ago, and I really loved it. He also published it when he was writing Sandman, so that may have helped it along. I thought that the plot, although confusing to most young children, was well thought out and very detailed, for a children's book. I think he may have structured it more towards young adult than childrens, though, because it bounces around so often that many children wouldn't be able to follow. But a great book, altogether.
 
I've read a good bit of Gaiman, and I have to say I really enjoy his work. I did feel his American Gods read like his comics. Not a bad thing exactly, but the setting of his story (gods and myth) are very much like the Sandman... I felt like I already knew Wednesday and Thor and Anubis and Bast.

Favourite Story Arc in Sandman: Brief Lives, and the collection of stories in World's End
Favourite Character: Without a doubt - Destiny. Just kidding. It's Morpheus. I loved watching him change, and struggle against his changing worldview.

ds
 
I'm 'reading' The Anansi Boys on CD, and I'm literally laughing out loud. In my world, Spider looks a lot like Johnny Depp (only darker), which explains a lot. :D

I haven't cast Fat Charlie for the movie yet, but the narrator of the book (Lenny Henry) is pure perfection in all his many roles.

What a wonderful introduction to Neil Gaiman.
 
Ah, an audiobook fan... we are timesavers, you and I.

Did you download it off an online audiobook retailer and burnt it on CD, or did you buy the CDs right off a bookstore?

ds
 
Hmm... people have plenty of reasons to listen to an audiobook. Even Stephen King became a fan when he was recovering from his auto accident and found that audiobooks were a great way to 'read' books when he had limited mobility.

Chances of you appreciating audiobooks increases dramatically if you:
1. perform a lot of an activity (such as driving, or running on a treadmill) that occupies your hands and eyes but leaves your brain with spare processing cycles.
2. you love to read (more) books but find that you lack the time because of a high time-demanding job (parenting a baby, working long hours, long commutes)
3. Enjoy a high quality (audio) artistic performance...
4. You've got a brand new nano (hehehe)...

ds
 
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