Let's Read: Neil Gaiman - Smoke & Mirrors
I'm not sure what to think of Neil Gaiman's writing. I like most of his stuff, sure, but I feel like the Internet overhyped him in a way. I like his ideas a lot, but sometimes, his style doesn't really click with me, and I don't know why. That said, I just finished reading Smoke & Mirrors, a collection of short stories. Let's check it out! :D
Reading the Entrails: A Rondel: I like this one! A good start to a good collection. :)
The Wedding Present: A short story hidden in the introduction. I think this story is a warning of some sort ("Be grateful for what you have."), 'cause the ending... I've got a lot to say about the ending. The wedding present itself is a chronicle of all the worst things that can happen in Belinda and Gordon's marriage, and supposedly prevents those things from happening with its existence. Gordon dies, unfortunately, but Belinda and the kids are healthy and life is peaceful. Belinda is still grieving over her husband, and wonders whether it's better to live a life without him, or live a life hating him. What does she do? Burn the wedding present and wait for the "scar to blossom on her cheek."
Let's think about this. In the "bad" reality, Belinda is living in a decaying house with a womanizing alcoholic version of her husband, her daughter has become a delinquent, and her son doesn't even exist because he was miscarried. Assume that all the horrible things described in the wedding present become true after it's destroyed... Belinda, in her grief, has deliberately taken her son's life and ruined her daughter's, all for a loveless marriage with someone who wouldn't even be her husband anymore.
I'm sorry, but that is just selfish and horrible. No matter how much you miss your loved ones, keeping their memory alive (rather than what could have been) is better than throwing it away for a worse life just because they happen to live in that reality. I'd rather have the memory of a kind person than have that same person still be alive but abusive. Just... NO. 'Cause while my life isn't nearly as bad as what's described in the wedding present, I know all too well what it's like to endure arguments with people you hate and arguments from others. I'd kill for a cozy life like Belinda's. And what does she do? Throw it away. I can't help but flail at her, "You idiot!"
What do you think?
Chivalry: I think this one's cute. It reminded me of something Miyazaki would be interested in, where a knight would turn up at an old lady's house looking for the Holy Grail and it's treated as an everyday thing in that world. It made me smile. :)
Nicholas Was...: This is what I want my drabbles to be like. Short and simple, but memorable as a punch to the gut. Ho ho ho. :D
The Price: Kitties! Nice to have the Black Cat be the hero for once. :3
Troll Bridge: This is one of the ones I've read before (the other two being "Babycakes" and "Snow, Glass, Apples"), and I think I liked it better the second time I read it. The first time, I felt a little disappointed, since the boy grew up passively and wasted his entire life. When I think about it, I'm more at peace with how the story ended the way it did. The troll and the boy swapped lives and got to live the way they wanted. The troll finally has opportunity, freedom, and a whole life ahead of him while the boy hides away under the bridge with the only things that ever made him happy, which was nature. ...Okay, typing that out, it sounds depressing. I did like the friendship between the boy and the troll though. Their final meeting made me wibble, since the troll thought the boy was never coming back and they were both lonely and... waaah. ;; Probably the closest I got to "the FEEEELZ!" with character relationships in this book when I think about it.
Don't Ask Jack: I like this one. I can't resist a story about an evil (haunted?) jack-in-the-box. :D
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories: This story ran a bit long/slow for my tastes, but I still liked it. Lots of truth about Hollywood in there, and I recognized the things the executives said and wanted to do with the narrator's book/project and it made me cringe, because it's so true. I liked the friendship between the narrator and Pious, and the latter's stories about June Lincoln and Old Hollywood were my favorite parts of the story, along with the dream the narrator had where he met June Lincoln.
The White Road: Neil Gaiman's a Sweeney fan like I am! :D This narrative poem is a take on the Bluebeard tale, and it's awesome. I just love how real the castle and the road and the gory imagery feel. I think this one is one of my favorites out of the whole book. :3
Queen of Knives: This one got to me for some reason, maybe because I'm going with the interpretation that the magician literally did make the grandmother disappear. Then there's the grandfather at the end trying to figure out how the trick worked so he could bring her back, and it's spooky and sad. :(
Changes: This one I find chilling, because it feels like something that would really happen. Someone's finally found the cure for cancer, but at what cost? What if another can of worms has been opened to take its place? What if you're the inventor who gets to spend the rest of your life seeing how you've changed the world forever? Speaking of "change," I like how language is involved, like how the word "change" means something different to the children of that world, like how the word "gay" means something different to us now than it did in the olden days. Gender politics and religious backlash. Also, dat ending. Absolutely glorious.
The Daughter of Owls: Interesting style, I just kind of wish it wasn't so short. Makes me want to look for John Aubrey's stuff. Hm.
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar: I'm a Lovecraft fan, but I didn't think much about this one. It's just okay.
Virus: I often find myself thinking Gaiman's poetry is better than his short stories. This is no exception. :)
Looking for the Girl: Not really big on the subject matter, but the way it was executed was interesting. Basically, a guy gives his entire life to a Penthouse model who never gets any older. :o I liked it much better than Gaiman's other adult/erotica-related stories in this book.
Only the End of the World Again: Again, I like Lovecraft. Again, I didn't feel too much for this one. Maybe Gaiman's dry prose doesn't work too well compared to Lovecraft's Byzantine descriptions. Could be because I don't care about werewolves. :P
Bay Wolf: This, on the other hand, I found fun. Helps that I read Beowulf in high school and got all the references. :D
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale: This is another fun one, and probably another favorite of mine. They'd been ready for a long time, but they had to be asked...
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock: I think anyone who has grown up loving books and literature could relate with Richard. I didn't care for the bits where he was exploring his sexuality, but that's just me.
Cold Colors: I don't understand this one. :(
The Sweeper of Dreams: Gaiman should be inspired by Lisa Snellings sculptures more often, 'cause I like what he writes about them. The last lines in this (describing the people who the Sweeper no longer visits) are especially chilling.
Foreign Parts: Hey kids, venereal disease is fun! :D One of the problems I have with Neil's writing are the gratuitous bits of TMI and sex and nudity that he'd throw in (Ex. "_____ got to the bathroom and went to take a piss.") that'd feel more like he was trying to "shock" or be "edgy" than actually contribute to the story. At least it's excused here, since hey, it's about STDs. It's supposed to make you uncomfortable, like Simon and the people waiting in the doctor's office. I interpret the ending as "strangely happy." Whether something's taken over Simon or not, he's making something out of his life now. :o
Vampire Sestina: Pretty~! :D Too bad I don't really care for vampires, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I would if I did.
Mouse: I feel so sorry for Janice. :( I'd be rambling about America's policies on abortion and its treatment of women on my pro-choice soapbox right now, but yeah, let's move on before things get ugly. :/
The Sea Change: Another lovely poem, which makes me feel like I'm being drowned in the sea itself. :o
When We Went To See The End of The World: by Dawnie Morningside, age 11 1/4: This one makes me feel sad. :( It's the pessimistic, constantly-fighting parents that made me feel uncomfortable and hits a little too close to home for me. Dawnie goes and sees all of those strange and wonderful things, and her parents' selfishness and the way they're caught up in their own drama ruin it all for her. It makes me sick.
Desert Wind: ...Mr. Camel, is that you? *spares everyone the hypno-camel from the Raggedy Ann movie* Another poem I like, it makes a nice counterpart to "The Sea Change."
Tastings: Or as I call it, IKEA: The Short Story. I don't know if this Tab-A-into-Slot-B approach to the sex is intentional or not, since Gaiman said this took him four years to write because he was embarrassed. At least the ending is a little better.
Babycakes: Gaiman said this was the only thing he wrote that disturbed him. He wrote it for PETA. That alone explains everything. If you thought "Babycakes" was creepy before, try reading it out loud. D:
Murder Mysteries: Ugh, I don't give a fuck about the narrator and his thing (and brief blowjob) with Tink. That was so goddamn pointless. :/ Once Raguel got into the picture and started telling the real story, it was... wow. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected I would, and I loved the interpretation of angelic mythology. Seriously, cut off the bits at the beginning and end about the empty protagonist mulling about Los Angeles whining about a lack of relationship and shallow sex with some chick. Start with the narrator meeting Raguel, then end it with Raguel giving the narrator the kiss on the cheek and leaving, and it would've been perfect.
Snow, Glass, Apples: I read this when I was younger and was quite creeped out by it. I liked it though. Nice to know that it still holds up. :D
Favorites Overall: Reading the Entrails: A Rondel, Chivalry, The White Road, Queen of Knives, Changes, Virus, Bay Wolf, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, The Sweeper of Dreams, Babycakes, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass, Apples.
This post has been crossposted with Dreamwidth at http://shamanicshaymin.dreamwidth.org/62996.html. Pick your poison. Mwoiiiiiiiing~!
Reading the Entrails: A Rondel: I like this one! A good start to a good collection. :)
The Wedding Present: A short story hidden in the introduction. I think this story is a warning of some sort ("Be grateful for what you have."), 'cause the ending... I've got a lot to say about the ending. The wedding present itself is a chronicle of all the worst things that can happen in Belinda and Gordon's marriage, and supposedly prevents those things from happening with its existence. Gordon dies, unfortunately, but Belinda and the kids are healthy and life is peaceful. Belinda is still grieving over her husband, and wonders whether it's better to live a life without him, or live a life hating him. What does she do? Burn the wedding present and wait for the "scar to blossom on her cheek."
Let's think about this. In the "bad" reality, Belinda is living in a decaying house with a womanizing alcoholic version of her husband, her daughter has become a delinquent, and her son doesn't even exist because he was miscarried. Assume that all the horrible things described in the wedding present become true after it's destroyed... Belinda, in her grief, has deliberately taken her son's life and ruined her daughter's, all for a loveless marriage with someone who wouldn't even be her husband anymore.
I'm sorry, but that is just selfish and horrible. No matter how much you miss your loved ones, keeping their memory alive (rather than what could have been) is better than throwing it away for a worse life just because they happen to live in that reality. I'd rather have the memory of a kind person than have that same person still be alive but abusive. Just... NO. 'Cause while my life isn't nearly as bad as what's described in the wedding present, I know all too well what it's like to endure arguments with people you hate and arguments from others. I'd kill for a cozy life like Belinda's. And what does she do? Throw it away. I can't help but flail at her, "You idiot!"
What do you think?
Chivalry: I think this one's cute. It reminded me of something Miyazaki would be interested in, where a knight would turn up at an old lady's house looking for the Holy Grail and it's treated as an everyday thing in that world. It made me smile. :)
Nicholas Was...: This is what I want my drabbles to be like. Short and simple, but memorable as a punch to the gut. Ho ho ho. :D
The Price: Kitties! Nice to have the Black Cat be the hero for once. :3
Troll Bridge: This is one of the ones I've read before (the other two being "Babycakes" and "Snow, Glass, Apples"), and I think I liked it better the second time I read it. The first time, I felt a little disappointed, since the boy grew up passively and wasted his entire life. When I think about it, I'm more at peace with how the story ended the way it did. The troll and the boy swapped lives and got to live the way they wanted. The troll finally has opportunity, freedom, and a whole life ahead of him while the boy hides away under the bridge with the only things that ever made him happy, which was nature. ...Okay, typing that out, it sounds depressing. I did like the friendship between the boy and the troll though. Their final meeting made me wibble, since the troll thought the boy was never coming back and they were both lonely and... waaah. ;; Probably the closest I got to "the FEEEELZ!" with character relationships in this book when I think about it.
Don't Ask Jack: I like this one. I can't resist a story about an evil (haunted?) jack-in-the-box. :D
The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories: This story ran a bit long/slow for my tastes, but I still liked it. Lots of truth about Hollywood in there, and I recognized the things the executives said and wanted to do with the narrator's book/project and it made me cringe, because it's so true. I liked the friendship between the narrator and Pious, and the latter's stories about June Lincoln and Old Hollywood were my favorite parts of the story, along with the dream the narrator had where he met June Lincoln.
The White Road: Neil Gaiman's a Sweeney fan like I am! :D This narrative poem is a take on the Bluebeard tale, and it's awesome. I just love how real the castle and the road and the gory imagery feel. I think this one is one of my favorites out of the whole book. :3
Queen of Knives: This one got to me for some reason, maybe because I'm going with the interpretation that the magician literally did make the grandmother disappear. Then there's the grandfather at the end trying to figure out how the trick worked so he could bring her back, and it's spooky and sad. :(
Changes: This one I find chilling, because it feels like something that would really happen. Someone's finally found the cure for cancer, but at what cost? What if another can of worms has been opened to take its place? What if you're the inventor who gets to spend the rest of your life seeing how you've changed the world forever? Speaking of "change," I like how language is involved, like how the word "change" means something different to the children of that world, like how the word "gay" means something different to us now than it did in the olden days. Gender politics and religious backlash. Also, dat ending. Absolutely glorious.
The Daughter of Owls: Interesting style, I just kind of wish it wasn't so short. Makes me want to look for John Aubrey's stuff. Hm.
Shoggoth's Old Peculiar: I'm a Lovecraft fan, but I didn't think much about this one. It's just okay.
Virus: I often find myself thinking Gaiman's poetry is better than his short stories. This is no exception. :)
Looking for the Girl: Not really big on the subject matter, but the way it was executed was interesting. Basically, a guy gives his entire life to a Penthouse model who never gets any older. :o I liked it much better than Gaiman's other adult/erotica-related stories in this book.
Only the End of the World Again: Again, I like Lovecraft. Again, I didn't feel too much for this one. Maybe Gaiman's dry prose doesn't work too well compared to Lovecraft's Byzantine descriptions. Could be because I don't care about werewolves. :P
Bay Wolf: This, on the other hand, I found fun. Helps that I read Beowulf in high school and got all the references. :D
We Can Get Them For You Wholesale: This is another fun one, and probably another favorite of mine. They'd been ready for a long time, but they had to be asked...
One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock: I think anyone who has grown up loving books and literature could relate with Richard. I didn't care for the bits where he was exploring his sexuality, but that's just me.
Cold Colors: I don't understand this one. :(
The Sweeper of Dreams: Gaiman should be inspired by Lisa Snellings sculptures more often, 'cause I like what he writes about them. The last lines in this (describing the people who the Sweeper no longer visits) are especially chilling.
Foreign Parts: Hey kids, venereal disease is fun! :D One of the problems I have with Neil's writing are the gratuitous bits of TMI and sex and nudity that he'd throw in (Ex. "_____ got to the bathroom and went to take a piss.") that'd feel more like he was trying to "shock" or be "edgy" than actually contribute to the story. At least it's excused here, since hey, it's about STDs. It's supposed to make you uncomfortable, like Simon and the people waiting in the doctor's office. I interpret the ending as "strangely happy." Whether something's taken over Simon or not, he's making something out of his life now. :o
Vampire Sestina: Pretty~! :D Too bad I don't really care for vampires, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I would if I did.
Mouse: I feel so sorry for Janice. :( I'd be rambling about America's policies on abortion and its treatment of women on my pro-choice soapbox right now, but yeah, let's move on before things get ugly. :/
The Sea Change: Another lovely poem, which makes me feel like I'm being drowned in the sea itself. :o
When We Went To See The End of The World: by Dawnie Morningside, age 11 1/4: This one makes me feel sad. :( It's the pessimistic, constantly-fighting parents that made me feel uncomfortable and hits a little too close to home for me. Dawnie goes and sees all of those strange and wonderful things, and her parents' selfishness and the way they're caught up in their own drama ruin it all for her. It makes me sick.
Desert Wind: ...Mr. Camel, is that you? *spares everyone the hypno-camel from the Raggedy Ann movie* Another poem I like, it makes a nice counterpart to "The Sea Change."
Tastings: Or as I call it, IKEA: The Short Story. I don't know if this Tab-A-into-Slot-B approach to the sex is intentional or not, since Gaiman said this took him four years to write because he was embarrassed. At least the ending is a little better.
Babycakes: Gaiman said this was the only thing he wrote that disturbed him. He wrote it for PETA. That alone explains everything. If you thought "Babycakes" was creepy before, try reading it out loud. D:
Murder Mysteries: Ugh, I don't give a fuck about the narrator and his thing (and brief blowjob) with Tink. That was so goddamn pointless. :/ Once Raguel got into the picture and started telling the real story, it was... wow. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected I would, and I loved the interpretation of angelic mythology. Seriously, cut off the bits at the beginning and end about the empty protagonist mulling about Los Angeles whining about a lack of relationship and shallow sex with some chick. Start with the narrator meeting Raguel, then end it with Raguel giving the narrator the kiss on the cheek and leaving, and it would've been perfect.
Snow, Glass, Apples: I read this when I was younger and was quite creeped out by it. I liked it though. Nice to know that it still holds up. :D
Favorites Overall: Reading the Entrails: A Rondel, Chivalry, The White Road, Queen of Knives, Changes, Virus, Bay Wolf, We Can Get Them For You Wholesale, The Sweeper of Dreams, Babycakes, Murder Mysteries, and Snow, Glass, Apples.
This post has been crossposted with Dreamwidth at http://shamanicshaymin.dreamwidth.org/62996.html. Pick your poison. Mwoiiiiiiiing~!