Staff Pick
"I think
that I would rather recollect
a life mis-spent on fragile things
than spent avoiding moral debt."
So begins Gaiman's introduction to this collection of "short fictions and wonders," which reads as a short story itself. The writing herein is some of Gaiman's best, and this oft-overlooked book makes an excellent gift for any fan of this master storyteller's other works. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
“A prodigiously imaginative collection.”
—New York Times Book Review, Editors Choice
“Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic.”
—Washington Post Book World
Fragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaimans astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed!
Review
“Fiercely playful and very grim, wisps of whimsy and wonder buoyed by the happy heart of a tragic poet.” USA Today
Review
“Those with a taste for inventive idiosyncracy will find themselves fully rewarded.” San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
Review
“A powerful and oddly unified collection, a perfect introduction to Gaimans work for new readers and a thrilling reminder to his long-time fans . . . [T]he shorter prose form allows Gaiman a greater freedom of whimsy and provocation than even his graphic work, with stunning results.” Toronto Star
Review
“Lush prose...and a winning faith in the enchantment of stories. Expect the unexpected. Then savor the chills.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
“Charming, at times creepy, and good fun . . . [W]ell-worth adding to any collection; highly recommended.” Library Journal
Review
“Readers will be reminded most in these stories of that master craftsman...Ray Bradbury...Gothic tales of high caliber.” Baltimore Sun
Review
“One delight after another.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
“FRAGILE THINGS is a delightful compendium...[Gaiman] is indeed a national treasure.” Washington Post Book World
Review
“The tales of FRAGILE THINGS are nibbles and bits of Gaimans immensely satisfying inner landscape. They are fiercely playful and very grim, wisps of whimsy and wonder buoyed by the happy heart of a tragic poet.” USA Today
Review
“Strange, or sweet, or eerie, or heartfelt stories . . . wonderfully peculiar . . . Gaiman relishes the sacred act of telling stories.” Entertainment Weekly
Review
“A prodigiously imaginative collection...The best of these clever fantasy metafictions explore the mysteries of artistic inspiration.” New York Times Book Review
Review
“[Gaiman] is a one-man story engine. . . . FRAGILE THINGS is a delightful compendium . . . [Gaiman] is indeed a national treasure.” Washington Post B ook World
Synopsis
A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night . . .
Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams—and nightmares . . .
In a Hugo Award-winning story, a great detective must solve a most unsettling royal murder in a strangely altered Victorian England . . .
These marvelous creations and more showcase the unparalleled invention and storytelling brilliance—and the terrifyingly dark and entertaining wit—of the incomparable Neil Gaiman. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most original writers of our time.
Synopsis
A prodigiously imaginative collection.
New York Times Book Review, Editor s Choice
Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic.
Washington Post Book World
Fragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaiman s astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed
"
Synopsis
"A prodigiously imaginative collection." --New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice
Fragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaiman's astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed
"Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic."--Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, an astonishing collection of short fiction that stretches the boundaries of imagination, probes the depths of human experience, and reveals how the ordinary and the fantastical are intertwined.
Fragile Things showcases the distinctive storytelling genius that has made Neil Gaiman one of the most admired literary artists of our time. The thirty-two gems of prose and verse in this astonishing collection stretch the imagination and engage the intellect even as they illuminate the vagaries of human experience. Whether he's conjuring a mysterious traveling circus, exploring the rarefied tastes of an exclusive epicurean club, or visiting a strangely altered Victorian England, Gaiman reveals how the ordinary and the fantastical are transmutable and intertwined.
With breathtaking clarity, Fragile Things illumines Gaiman's brilliance as well as his terrifyingly entertaining dark sense of humor. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, this volume is a gift of enchantments that will startle the senses and stir the soul.
About the Author
Neil Gaiman is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books for adults and children, including the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book; the Sandman series of graphic novels; and Make Good Art, the text of a commencement speech he delivered at Philadelphias University of the Arts.
He is the recipient of numerous literary honors, including the Locus and Hugo Awards and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. 1.8 million people follow him on Twitter.
Born and raised in England, Neil Gaiman now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, the rock star Amanda Palmer.