P. Coots 2008-10-23

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I heard the audio version first, and sometimes that affects the way I feel about a book. More often than not, for the worst. But Neil reads his own work better than anyone else I've heard. I loved everything about it, a rare happening for me. Standouts were Harlequin Heart (Titles? I only have the audio but I'm about to buy the kindle version) and the story that seems to be the groundwork for The Graveyard Book, which he mentions. Near perfection. When a story can make me cry, take me to strange, new places and touch the essence of what it means to be a human being with all its joys and sorrows, I know I am in the presence of a master.

Gillian Daniels 2008-10-13

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This book collects some of my favorite stories. I'm only sorry I didn't buy it sooner. It's not my favorite anthology by Neil Gaiman, however. Gaiman's other anthology, Smoke and Mirrors, runs together smoothly and can be finished in an afternoon. With Fragile Things, readers should pace themselves.

The stories represent a huge range of genre and crossover fiction over the course of Neil's career. That's a good thing. I like to see that when I read a book. The stories vary so much, however, that they often feel jarring when seen side by side. I love "Strange Little Girls," done for a cover album by Tori Amos, and I greatly enjoy the other Tori-centric "Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox..." but it feels funny to see them together.

The varied nature of the stories comes from the fact that they represent too many years in Neil Gaiman's successful career. Watching Neil's experience grow and wane between each piece creates an uneven feeling.

Saying that, however, almost every story on its own is splendid. The parody in "Forbidden Brides" is hilarious and "Feeders and Eaters" is mysterious but strangely gentle. "Bitter Grounds" is the sort of thing I wouldn't mind reading more often. "The Problem of Susan" is outright disturbing but a very important read for those interested in literary theory.

There are weak pieces, but readers will have a different opinion of which ones those are due to personal tastes. That's fine. There's plenty to pick and choose from.

mrliteral 2008-10-05

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Who is the best author actively writing adult fantasy nowadays? For my money, it's Neil Gaiman. Not only does he produce fantasy that's a clear change of pace from the standards elves, wizards and dragons, but he also is one of the only successful fantasy writers capable of telling a story in a single volume. But more than that, Gaiman is just a great writer.

Fragile Things is a collection of his short stories (with an occasional poem thrown in the mix). Right off the bat, we get a wonderful tale, "A Study in Emerald", a Sherlock Holmes set in an alternate England in which Lovecraft's Elder Gods are not a fiction. Gaiman's stories don't always rely on a twist, but "Study" does offer a good one.

Prior to reading this collection, I'd previously read two of the stories, both in a Year's Best Horror anthology. They were among the best in that anthology, and they're even good on re-reading. "Forbidden Brides" (I'm abridging the lengthy title) is a nice parody of Gothic horror and "The Problem of Susan" offers a different take on the conclusion of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Fragile Things also includes "The Monarch of the Glen", a sequel of sorts to the novel American Gods (though it stands on its own); this story offers a take on the Beowulf story that is different from Gaiman's screenplay for the recent Beowulf movie.

I won't say every story is perfect, and I've personally never been much for poems, but overall, this is a fun read. My one gripe is with the introduction, in which Gaiman gives comments on each story; I think the comments would go better before or after the story, not at the beginning of the book. And while I like Gaiman's novels more, Fragile Things is a great book that showcases exactly how good he is.

Scott William Foley 2008-10-02

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In this short story collection, Neil Gaiman compiles various fast-paced stories (and a few poems) from over the decades. Some of them are very good; others didn't really work. But that's the beauty of a short story collection--if you don't like one story, there's a new one just a few pages ahead. By and large, however, Gaiman's stories were darkly imaginative, quirky, and--most importantly--fun. Some weren't up to his usual high standards, and he's the first to admit as much in his "notes" section where he offers some insight into each tale.

If you're a fan of Gaiman and/or short fantasy, horror, and sci-fi, I think this collection will please.

~Scott William Foley, author of The Imagination's Provocation: Volume I: A Collection of Short Stories

Chuck Cain 2008-09-22

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

I keep a shelf of what I call "October Books". Meant to give me some Late-autumn, leaves-are-rustling, curl-up-and-listen-to-the-cold-wind-howl kind of entertainment, it's populated mostly by Bradbury, Gorey, and King. But lately Gaiman has been making his presence felt there. This book will be a great addition to the collection.