Customer Reviews

Angels and Visitations: A Miscellany

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some years ago I bought an anthology called Midnight Graffiti, now out of print (deservedly, unlike the book we are discussing). Although the authors were well-known, the general level of the stories was a) just average; b) bad; c) very bad; d) unspeakable, and so forth. The only story that stood out was "Murder Mysteries," by Neil Gaiman. This melancholy and powerful story stuck to my mind, and I could never forget it. So, I bought this book because it had this story in it (and so to get rid of Midnight Graffiti without qualms). This book is a treasure trove. Gaiman is a rarity, as fantasy authors go. He is satisfying in general, but he is simply superb when writing about absolutely ordinary people and their relationship with magic (mostly, their refusal to let magic into their lives), as in Chivalry, Vampire Sestina, Troll Bridge, the abovementioned Murder Mysteries and one about a veneral disease whose title has escaped me. (Just the title, I remember the story perfectly well.)

For those who did not get this great book, you can still enjoy Mr. Gaiman's unique talent in Smoke and Mirrors; it does not have the illustrations and essays, but it brings a lot of new stories. And unlike this one, it is in print.

As the title says, a miscellany. There are many great stories in here: "Chivalry" gives us an imperturbable old woman who buys the Holy Grail at a thrift shop; "Looking For The Girl" explores obsession and the power of photography; "Troll-Bridge" is a sad update of the classic fairy tale; "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale" suggests what it might be like if assassins advertised in the yellow pages. There are even two mysteries, one about a murder in heaven and the other a hard-boiled (pun intended - you'll understand when you read the story) detective story that takes place in Nurseryland.

Then there's poetry. I'm the kind of person for whom poetry doesn't often do a whole lot, with few exceptions. I thought "Cold Colours" was fabulous, though you really should hear Neil read it himself on his CD, "Warning: Contains Language."

The nonfiction and book introductions (the ones he wrote for other people's books, not the ones he wrote for his own work here), however, are strictly for completists. Some of it is mildly entertaining, but what's the point of reading an introduction to Mary Gentle's 'Scholars and Soldiers' when few of us (at least in the U.S., sadly) will ever have a chance to read the actual book?

That said, I'd still recommend the collection overall. My grade of 7 comes from averaging out the good stuff with the filler, so it still comes out on top. Oh, there are some nice pictures, too..

Every word is brilliant, and improved by buying the audio CD, because if you listen to Neil reading it, you'll want to die in his arms. I have sound files of Babycakes and Nicholas Was on my computer just for when I need a Neil fix. It's the greatest in the world.

I have a serious fondness for the written word, and where Neil Gaiman is concerned, it is not a fondness, it is a love. His works from Sandman to Eternals is awesome, but this particular book has held a fascination in it's difficulty to obtain in first print and the stories and poems it contains. Babycakes is one that come to mind as being truly disturbing, but that makes you think. He makes me wonder where we're headed. I would buy this book in any printing you can find, and by all means, if you run across a first print for a fair price, find me, I'm interested. :)

Neil Gaiman is ,simply, one of the best writers in any medium. This far-ranging collection is a great introduction to his work. He is as adept at making us shudder, as he is at making us laugh, cry or dream. Buy this book; you will not regret it!

The only reason why I didn't give this amazing book a 10 was because some of the stories didn't make sense of me. The better stories in the book, though, deserve more then a 10, such as: We Can Get Them For You Wholesale and Babycakes. Gaiman writes with a caliber that I have never found any other author to have. As in Mouse, he can take a simple subject and turn it into a very interesting story. There is a good story for any reading level, from children to English majors. It's the kind of book that you will want to share with all of your family and friends, because you can hit any of their interests. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Absolutely brilliant! This is a book that takes the cake. Any one of these stories is worth the price of the book. And the poems range from cynical boring to disturbed interesting. Roald Dahl and Twilight Zone fans are sure to love all the points-of-view twists in the storylines. Gaiman's genius in interweaving stories within stories makes the reader want to tear the book apart in frustration. I WANT TO KNOW HOW THAT ENDED. The story may be done but there is just enough in the story itself that you will wonder what finally happened to him/her/it. Not a boring piece, well maybe one. Even the one page art pieces are great. Definitely an experience. Must read at least once. Once you do read it, lend it to someone. Even the most stoic individual will appreciate at least one of the stories. Last advice: Read the introduction to the individual pieces before reading the piece itself. After that read each piece at least TWICE more

Judge this book by its cover. The cover art by Dave McKean is both whimsical and mysterious, presaging Neil Gaiman's charming works on the printed pages within. Just in case you don't know anything about Neil, here's a bit of info. Neil is best known for his award-winning comic series Sandman. Yes, he writes comic books, and he is damned good at it.

However, Neil is also damned good at the more traditional types of writing. He co-wrote the amazingly funny Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, and he also wrote the equally funny biography Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy . His writing has appeared in anthologies. "Troll-Bridge" appeared in the adult fairy-tale compilation Snow White, Blood Red. "Murder Mysteries" (set in the Sandman universe, I do believe) was in the magazine and horror compilation Midnight Graffiti.

Angels and Visitations shows what else he can do. A miscellany of fiction, humour, non-fiction, poetry, and artwork, Angels and Visitations journeys from science fiction and fantasy shorts to detective stories and meticulously-researched literary works. There is a story about a worldwide shortage of animals--it reads like a cross between C. S. Lewis's "On Vivisection" and Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." There is a postcard story about the fiendish enforced slavery of a certain well-loved mythical figure. There's a prologue to someone else's book, and an odd and timely story on venereal disease. There's a poem about a computerized hell that reads like a cross between William Gibson's Neuromancer and Kit Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. There's a disquieting allegory called "Mouse." There's a whole lot more, and it's all poignant, bitter-sweet, or rollickingly funny. It's all good. But are you going to get something out of Angels and Visitations? To quote "Prologue," "For that you gotta read the book."

What can i say, this is one of my favorite books. i usually don't like books of short stories and such, but this one is dead on.

Yeah, it's pricey, but if you're a Neil Gaiman fan you'll want this one. Includes the short story "Troll Bridge" (from the anthology "Snow White, Blood Red") as well as some really fascinating short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The short story "Murder Mysteries" is reminiscent in theme to "Sandman: Season of Mists", and there's also an excellent tale about a little old lady who finds the Holy Grail in a junk shop. Gaiman read some excerpts of this book on his Guardian Angel tour, a benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.