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Neil Gaiman

Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:35 pm

I'm currently devouring the complete works of Neil Gaiman. I got a copy of Fragile Things for my birthday, so I can't wait to get started on that. :D

My favorites (so far; I haven't read all of his books) are American Gods, Anansi Boys, Good Omens, and Neverwhere. It's wonderful and scarily plausible at 3 AM how that he integrates hidden worlds with our own in those. You can tell he loved the Narnia books. Plus, I absolutely love Crowley, Aziraphale, the Them, Charlie, Shadow, and Hunter. He's got a gift for writing characters that inspire me to want to hear absolutely everything about them.

I know that there are some other Neil Gaiman fans here. What are your favorites of his books? Who are your favorite characters?

Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:02 am

I haven't read a lot of his stuff...I primarily only know about him from The Sandman, which I loved and still love (and of which my favorite characters are Death and Dream, with Delirium close behind). The only one of his novels I've read is Neverwhere, which I also enjoyed immensely...I felt an odd affinity to The Angel Islington. :oops:

Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:04 pm

I remember really liking Neverwhere, even though I remember nothing about it. Stardust has pretty much been erased from my memory as well, even though it was good too. Anansi Boys stuck with me a little better, because I read it more than once. I actually liked Fat Charlie more at the beginning of the book than at the end, though.
He also co-authored The Books of Magic, a graphic novel series, and he did some stuff with Buffy The Vampire Slayer, although I can't remember what exactly. There's a very creepy story he wrote called Coraline that's purportedly for children, but I wouldn't read it to a child unless it were the spawn of Satan or something.
It looks like some of his stuff's going to be turned into movies. Finally, something I can go see at the movie theater that's worth watching.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:33 pm

TiCup wrote:I haven't read a lot of his stuff...I primarily only know about him from The Sandman, which I loved and still love (and of which my favorite characters are Death and Dream, with Delirium close behind). The only one of his novels I've read is Neverwhere, which I also enjoyed immensely...I felt an odd affinity to The Angel Islington.


I keep meaning to read The Sandman comic books, but I must admit that I'm somewhat intimidated by how many of them there are. I'll get over that soon enough. :)

Isn't it excellently creepy how good he is at making you relate to all of his characters, even the scary ones?

Moongewl wrote: Anansi Boys stuck with me a little better, because I read it more than once. I actually liked Fat Charlie more at the beginning of the book than at the end, though.


I can definitely see your point about Fat Charlie, so I'm not sure why I don't feel that way too. I guess I just liked him so much as an unconfident office worker that I couldn't help but be happy for him once his situation improved.

Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:06 am

oohhhyes.

yes.

yes.

I think i just might marry Neil Gaiman one day. Perhaps.

youknow. yeah.

Anyway. I don't quite know that i can identify with desire or despair, but then again, i guess i'm not supposed to :P
But i lovveeed American gods and Anansi Boys, as well as good omens. I went back and re-read good omens after having read quite a few Neil Gaiman and Tery Pratchett books, and it's really great. You can almost tell who's writing at what point. The man's a genius.

Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:05 am

I read through the entire sandman series back when I was like 17 or 18. Absolutely fantabulous series. ALthough they were borrowed books... I want to eventually have them all to myself. At home, I've got a few of the offspring of the sandman series - Death (which was only one book, but she rocks) and Lucifer, which is three books.

I've got a signed sketches and signed comics too thanks to my mate Wendy for birthdays and Christmases... she is the woman that for part of my wedding present, bought us a statue of supergirl... ok, we love that too.

Fri Dec 01, 2006 7:37 pm

One of my friends was reading American Gods which I then got hooked on; after hearing him talk about it. I got copies of Coraline, Stardust, Neverwhere, Smoke and Mirrors, and Sandman: A Book of Dreams after I finished American Gods. I haven't read Anansi Boys yet; but now I feel the urge to re-read them all again.

Re: Neil Gaiman

Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:31 am

My nine year old was wanting to read Stardust. I checked it out, but I decided to read it first to make sure it was OK for her. I decided not to let her read it yet, but I really did enjoy it myself. It turned me onto Gaiman's other books.
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