2007 Reading List - Fragile Things
Book Two
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
After a heavy dose of thinking about real fear, and since I was feeling fragile, I figured this would be a perfect time to read this book. Reality is unpleasant and stark, and often senseless. Fiction, especially Gaiman's unique brand of it, is rich and meaningful and full of purpose.
Doctors and psychologists search for the reasons why some people go schizophrenic and live entirely in their own fantasy worlds, but I know why. Fantasy makes so much more sense than reality. It's so much better to believe that some people got rich or famous because of a centuries-old pact with Forces of Darkness than it is to believe that they are more talented, more beautiful, better connected or just luckier than you are.
There are, as one would expect, a lot of really good stories in here. And there are some poems, which I kind of skimmed because I'm not really a poetry fan. All that poetry in Lord of the Rings? Skipped it. But the stories are knockouts.
A centuries-old gourmet club hunts the rarest bird of all.
The twelve months meet to tell stories, and this time it's October's turn.
A rich and powerful lord of England's hidden upper class buys the most beautiful boy in the world.
A master detective investigates the murder of a monster.
And what ever did happen to Susan after The Chronicles of Narnia?
It's excellent reading, as one would expect. Go get it.
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
After a heavy dose of thinking about real fear, and since I was feeling fragile, I figured this would be a perfect time to read this book. Reality is unpleasant and stark, and often senseless. Fiction, especially Gaiman's unique brand of it, is rich and meaningful and full of purpose.
Doctors and psychologists search for the reasons why some people go schizophrenic and live entirely in their own fantasy worlds, but I know why. Fantasy makes so much more sense than reality. It's so much better to believe that some people got rich or famous because of a centuries-old pact with Forces of Darkness than it is to believe that they are more talented, more beautiful, better connected or just luckier than you are.
There are, as one would expect, a lot of really good stories in here. And there are some poems, which I kind of skimmed because I'm not really a poetry fan. All that poetry in Lord of the Rings? Skipped it. But the stories are knockouts.
A centuries-old gourmet club hunts the rarest bird of all.
The twelve months meet to tell stories, and this time it's October's turn.
A rich and powerful lord of England's hidden upper class buys the most beautiful boy in the world.
A master detective investigates the murder of a monster.
And what ever did happen to Susan after The Chronicles of Narnia?
It's excellent reading, as one would expect. Go get it.