Customer Reviews

The Sandman: Book of Dreams

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sandman, Neil Gaiman's wonderful creation, is the concept that this group of stories is based on. Like any story collection, this one has its hits and misses.
Hits:
"Chain Home, Low" What happened to those affected by Dream's disappearance?
"Each Damp Thing" Barbara Hambly has a good grasp of Gaiman's cast of characters. Set in The Dreaming this one would have made a good comic.
"Seven Nights in Slumberland" Little Nemo? Now Windsor McCay's work makes more sense. I think.
Both Wanda stories. A character that certainly warranted more examination than the comic allowed.
"Endless Sestina" For the sheer nerve of it.
"The Gate of Gold" The flip side of "The Writer's Child," but much more fulfilling. There really are "good" dreams.
"A Bone Dry Place" Dream and Delirium together again.
"The Mender of Broken Dreams" The concept is not new, but it is so well written you won't care.
"Valosag and Elet" There are so few folktales being written anymore. At least good ones.

"Stopp't-Clock Yard" Captures the true essence of Gaiman's creation. This is another one that Gaiman could have written.

Misses:
Desire stories. This character is tedious as all stories end up being variations on the same theme. Especially "The Witch's Heart" it goes on and on....
"The Birth Day" A clever idea but not fully developed.
"Splatter" A little obvious.
"The Writer's Child" Ditto.
"Ain't You `Most Done?" 32 pages long and I couldn't remember what it was about by the time I finished the book. And it's one of the last stories.
Advertising Clive Barker's participation. It's a frontispiece and it's Death not Dream.
Taking an existing character, whose popularity lies in a graphic medium and using him and his supporting cast as the basis of an anthology is a risky proposition. While this book is not entirely successful, it's definitely worth a read for the Sandman fan.

This is a really very cool book, although you need a fair bit of the Sandman background for it all to make sense - I first read it when I'd only read the 'The Kindly Ones' sequence and some of it went over my head. Then I got the rest and suddenly quite a lot of things became clear...
It loses a star cause there's no actual Gaiman stories (although his comments at the start of each book are nearly as interesting as the stories - 'what Gandalf's rock'n rolling younger brother would look like if he were secretly a pirate' is a truly funky description for anyone).
For me the best are the Barbara Hambly, 'Stopp'd Clock Yard' and the 'Ain't you the most done' stories - the collection does veer pretty wildly between cool, cute 'n funky and seriously weird / sick.... Depends what you like. Like the comics, don't let children read it.

It is funny how one can initially misjudge a book. When I first picked this volume up it was because I saw Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker's names on the cover. Then, on first perusal, I saw that Gaiman had not even written the introduction. Moreover, Barker's only contribution was the frontispiece- a drawing of Death. Nor did I immediately recognize the names of any of the contributors to the collection. I felt cheated. I jumped to the conclusion that this was a hack written collection of short stories intended to exploit the popularity of the Sandman series. I threw the book down in disgust.

Then, a little over a year later, I came back to it. Upon actually reading it, I discovered that Gaiman handpicked these stories. Indeed, he actually wrote the brief introductions for each writer and story. As for the stories themselves, there are some hauntingly, lovingly, skillfully, written tales here. What is more important, most of them genuinely capture the atmosphere of the Dreaming from the graphic novels. I could not have been more wrong about this fine collection- it was exactly what I was looking for.

These stories are so faithful to the original that the reader might want to read the entire 10 volume Sandman Library before attempting it. There is much here that assumes a familiarity with the entire series.

An average-to-good collection of short Sandman stories. My two favorites: "Escape Artist" by Caitlin Kiernan, while not technically perfect, is touching and memorable; "Ain't You 'Most Done" by Gene Wolfe represents the Dreaming as it's really like -- no German Expressionist tilting dark walls and Hollywood special effects, but real life gone just a little bit... different. Very well done.

Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" has established itself as a classic of modern literature. But how do Morpheus, the Endless, and the various supporting characters fare when written by others? The answer, unsurprisingly, appears to depend upon which author is doing the writing. It would be tedious for me to try to do the proper thing and review each story individually, so I will dwell only upon a few which stand out particularly strongly in my mind.

First of all, I would say without reservation that the best story in the book is "Stopp't-Clock Yard" by the magnificent Susanna Clarke, who shows all of the whit and brilliance which she would later pour into her novel "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell." She once again manages to cement her place as one of my favourite living authors.

Other strong entries include the at times tragic and beautiful "Chain Home, Low," by John M. Ford, the disturbing "Splatter," by Will Shetterly, the grotesque "Each Damp Thing" (by Barbara Hambly) and "Ain't You Most Done" by Gene Wolf. George Allec Effinger's, "Seven Nights in Slumberland," presents the irresistable idea of a crossover between "The Sandman" and "Little Nemo in Slumberland," but the characterization of the Endless seemed a bit "off" to me somehow, so I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I might have done. "An Extra Smidgeon of Eternity," by Robert Rodi, accomplished its aim nicely, in that I too was annoyed (in a good way) by the main character's abrupt death during a crucial part of Wanda's story. "The Mender of Broken Dreams," by nancy A. Collins, was also quite good, although Morpheus seemed a touch out of character (and though I don't want to let my own biases interfere with my review, I must say that, as an autistic person myself, I found the resolution to be extremely condescending).

There were also a number of stories with interesting concepts, but imperfect executions. I found Caitlin R. Kiernan's "Escape Artist" to be interesting, although I could probably stand to read it again, as its disjointed nature confused me. That said, Wanda was one of my favourite characters, and any further development is more than welcome. "A Bone Dry Place," by Karen Haber, was also intriguing but muddled. Of the "twin" stories "The Writer's Child," by Tad Williams, and "The Gate of Gold" by Mark Kreigbaum, the former had by far the better execution, though it needed to be fleshed-out more. I am responsive to the idea of "The Birthday," but I don't feel that the story was all that it should have been, though I cannot quite lay my finger as to why.

Of the other stories, I found most to be immemorable; the only one I truly disliked was "The Witch's Heart," by Delia Sherman, as it seemed a dry, plodding narrative populated by unsympathetic or underdeveloped characters.

All told, a fine book, although it can't really compare to The Sandman written by Neil Gaiman himself.

Between 1988 and 1996, over the course of seventy-five Sandman comic books (plus various specials and mini series), Neil Gaiman told the complex, moving story of Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming, and his family, the Endless. Taken as a whole, the series constitutes a tale about a single character (Dream, a.k.a. Morpheus) and, as Frank McConnell points out in his excellent introduction, "an intricate, funny and profound tale about tales, a story about why there are stories."

Dream is the central figure of the story. Tall, thin, pale, always dressed in black (the image of his creator?), he is truly a flawed hero, a godlike figure subject to the emotions and weaknesses of mankind. Able to create and destroy worlds on a whim, he fails as father and husband. Seemingly invincible, he can be brought down by the righteous anger of a distraught mother.

For eight years, Gaiman mined this rich vein, only to stop at the height of the series' popularity, at a point in time when he felt the story he had in mind from the beginning had reached its natural conclusion. Gaiman's creations live on however, in DC's new series The Dreaming, and in this anthology, written by several mainstream (i.e., non-comic book) writers.

Given the brilliance of the original comic, and with Gaiman co-editor, Sandman aficionados and novices alike might approach this anthology with high hopes. Unfortunately, they are likely to be somewhat disappointed. Perhaps the writers had to operate under severe restrictions; perhaps they didn't feel comfortable working within someone else's universe-it's hard to say. Although the stories are uniformly well crafted, they fail to break any new ground or provide novel insights into the rich cast of familiar characters. This is not to say that the anthology is entirely a waste of time-many of the stories are excellent, and all are readable. Still, the writers might have done more with the material.

Enough negativity. The best story in this collection is Susanna Clarke's "Stopp't Clock Yard," a tale that could easily have been part of the "World's End" story arc from the original series. (Gaiman himself comments "I wish I had written this story.") Clarke tells the amusing tale of magician Isaac Trismegistus and rogue John Paramore, a pair who invade Morpheus' realm to bring the deceased back to their loved ones. Morpheus is rendered perfectly, a distracted deity, swift to anger, but patient in the extreme. Dream waits out his tormentors, only to have his revenge stolen away by one of his siblings.

Other strong entries are Will Shetterly's "Splatter" (set at the infamous Serial Killers Convention seen in The Doll's House), George Alec Effinger's "Seven Nights in Slumberland" (a delightful tribute to both The Sandman and Little Nemo), Barbara Hambly's "Each Damp Thing" (a scary, funny piece featuring Cain and Abel), and Brenda W. Clough's "The Birth Day" (wherein Dream visits a storyteller who may be too clever for her own good). Honorable mentions include Colin Greenland's "Masquerade and High Water," Tad Williams' "The Writer's Child," Delia Sherman's "The Witch's Heart," Nancy Collins' "The Mender of Broken Dreams," and Gene Wolfe's "Ain't You Most Done?".

One need not be familiar with the series to enjoy this book, but it helps. Most of the writers here seem content pursuing themes Gaiman has already visited rather than developing their own. It's hard to recommend the hardcover to general audiences, but the trade paperback is an elegant solution-for twelve dollars, most will be able to spend a few pleasurable hours with Dream and his kin. Rabid fans of the series may be disappointed, but general readers should enjoy the time they spend in The Dreaming.

This is a very diverse collection of authors writing about my favorite story of all time, Dream of the Family Endless. The different authors don't bother trying to mimic Neil Gaiman's style or vision. That would be a waste of time. Instead each tells their story in their own way, offering a very enjoybable alternative to The Sandman.

Considering the quality and creativity that were displayed in the sandman comics I expected this book to be a real stand out. Unfortunately almost all of the stories were retread formulatic snoozers. Maybe I expected too much from the book but I couldn't, in good faith, recommend the hardcover to anyone. If you must have it wait a few months until it is discounted to under $5.

Ho hum, ho hum, after the absolute power house that was The Sandman I find myself assured in my beliefs that no one but Neil himself should ever write for the series. Over all this was a very bland collection of stories hat at times had very little to do with any of The Endless that ranged from mediocre to down right painful for the most of the book. However there were a few good pieces in here that definitely made it worth while to drudge through the lesser parts.

Masquerade & High Water, Ain't You Most Done Yet and the Witch's Heart were all middle ground for me, being entertaining but not particularly outstanding. The true stars for this collection for me were Each Damp Thing, Splatter, Valosay and Elet and Stopp't Clock Yard. The only story I found absolutely 100% appalling beyond belief in it's insipid story telling was The Birth Day which was so bad that I almost put down the book and decided to stop reading if it hadn't been for the fact that blissfully I decided to read one more story and came across Will Shetterly's absolutely brutal, if at times a bit obvious, Splatter.

Over all this isn't the worst way to spend an evening, but it's by no mean's Gaiman's Sandman and anyone looking for the brilliant story telling we got in canon will be advised to look elsewhere.

I haven't experienced the total Sandman world so am commenting from the 'some but not all perspective' which many potential readers may have. First is the short story structure itself: the beauty of the changing voices & visions pays the price of admission alone, even if you've only the barest knowledge of the Sandman oeuvre. This collection is like the gates to faery: within and between these short & beautifully tantalizing bits of prose you may glimpse Something just beyond. Sometimes you see it; sometimes (for the non-initiate?) it passes you by but for me it was an altogether enjoyable experience. That Gaiman chose & introduces each piece is a small sweetness before each story-course.

The Preface, by Frank McConnell, is a lovely and literate tale itself though I doubt the author would consider it so; nevertheless it is a true telling of who we are, and an excellently well written introduction to the Sandman world. It is exactly enough to know what to expect from these gifted authors whose words fill in and leave out what's needed.

I bought this because I've been enchanted by the works of Barbara Hambly for decades and wanted to read her story "Each Damp Thing"; she spins an exquisitely crafted tale of Dreaming herein. If you're a reader of Hambly's, or any author in the book, you won't be disappointed by their story in this collection & 'your' author's tale will take you by the hand through the others.