“Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself on Twitter) is one of my absolute heroes, and probably my favorite author of all time (you’re certainly going to see more from him on here!)”
*Ahem*. Well, in the last few weeks, I’ve made it through a couple more of his books that I had yet to read - one older, one brand new. Sidenote: it is my continuing goal to get through everything he’s written. Given that I claim him as my favorite author, it seems pretty deplorable not to do so. But that’s one for next year, as I think GRaBaW merits a bit more variety.
First, there was Stardust, first published in 1998. Since it was made into an excellent film in 2007, this is usually my go-to reference when describing Gaiman to people who haven’t heard of him. Unfortunately, people who haven’t heard of him seem to also be people who didn't see Stardust. Which is doubly sad.
I’ve always very much enjoyed the film adaptation, but had never got to reading the book. I heard from friends that it was significantly different from the film, so I thought I was prepared for this - but, as it turns out, I really wasn’t.
At their cores, both the film and the books are fairy tales and share many elements in theme and content - but it’s similar to the difference between the slightly fluffy things that many people now consider fairy tales to be and the harsh reality of the Grimms stories. I won’t say that Stardust was ‘sanitised’ for the big screen, but it was definitely made more palatable to a wider film audience - with some dramatic action scenes added in, and some of the more interesting side adventures expunged. I will say that the film was worth it for [film spoilers in link] Robert De Niro alone, though.
If you enjoyed the film, read the book - it’s better. If you didn’t enjoy the film, read the book. It’s better.
Gaiman’s newest work, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, released just a few weeks ago, has been getting a lot of attention and prompting an interesting range of reactions (mostly adulation). Those I know who read it before me had some interesting takes - mostly, they were unsure precisely what to make of it. Now that I’ve finished, I understand how they feel.
The protagonist of Ocean is an unnamed, timid boy of seven years. The novel is written from his perspective, and the relative simplicity of the writing made a narrator who seemed oddly heartbreaking, though I still cannot entirely articulate why.
It is hard to separate the protagonist from Gaiman himself. Is this meant to be difficult? Probably less so than I think, but the parallels between the two are so strongly inbuilt that I found them next to impossible to ignore. This was not helped by the fact that I listened to much of it in audiobook format - read by Gaiman himself.
I’m still not sure what to make of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It actually feels like a very simple book - and the fact that it started life as a novella makes complete sense. The story that unfolds is relatively straightforward in outline, but is permeated with that nebulous magic of Gaiman’s universe. The relatively simple writing underscores this. The story is told through the eyes of a child, and that makes the stakes feel so high, when the drama and pain is so personal.
The best advice I can give about Ocean is - if you’re thinking of reading it, do so, and form your own opinion. Reviews and other people’s opinions always only get you so far, and I think that’s doubly true with this book. If you haven’t read any other Gaiman, there are definitely more accessible and imagination-capturing places to start, but for Gaiman fans, this is a must.
I am intrigued to see that Gaiman is now working on his own game - Wayward Manor. As many people have pointed out ‘just because he’s a great writer, doesn’t mean he knows how to make a great game’, and that’s true, but as he himself points out in the linked video, he is a storyteller. It doesn’t mean the game will be great, but I honestly don’t expect it to be anything less than a wholly compelling story.
We’re coming into week 31 as I write this, and I’m currently at 32 books down, which is an excellent feeling. Still have a full 20 more to go, but at this point, that doesn’t seem so bad.
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman (2006)
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (2011)
The Revolution of Saint Jone - Lorna Mitchell (1988)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carré (1974)
I Can Make You Hate - Charlie Brooker (2012)
Looking For Jake and Other Stories - China Miéville (2005)
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett (1989)
The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter (1979)
Jobs* - Walter Isaacson (2012)
The Plague - Albert Camus (1947)
Ready Player One* - Ernest Cline (2011)
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman (2010)
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
Storm Front* - Jim Butcher (2000)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (2005)
Fool Moon* - Jim Butcher (2001)
Iron Man: Extremis - Warren Ellis (2006)
Ultimate Thor Vol.1 - Hickman, Pachego & Vines (2010)
How To Eat Out - Giles Coren (2001)
How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran (2011)
In The Garden of Beasts* - Erik Larson (2011)
Pirate Cinema - Cory Doctrow (2012)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)
The Long Earth - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2012)
The Illustrated Man* - Ray Bradbury (1951)
The Long War - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2013)
The Player of Games - Iain M Banks (1988)
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (1985)
Stardust - Neil Gaiman (1998)
The Knife of Never Letting Go* - Patrick Ness (2008)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane* - Neil Gaiman (2013)
Currently Reading:
Facing Violence - Sgt. Rory Miller
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Terra* - Mitch Benn
*Ahem*. Well, in the last few weeks, I’ve made it through a couple more of his books that I had yet to read - one older, one brand new. Sidenote: it is my continuing goal to get through everything he’s written. Given that I claim him as my favorite author, it seems pretty deplorable not to do so. But that’s one for next year, as I think GRaBaW merits a bit more variety.
First, there was Stardust, first published in 1998. Since it was made into an excellent film in 2007, this is usually my go-to reference when describing Gaiman to people who haven’t heard of him. Unfortunately, people who haven’t heard of him seem to also be people who didn't see Stardust. Which is doubly sad.
I’ve always very much enjoyed the film adaptation, but had never got to reading the book. I heard from friends that it was significantly different from the film, so I thought I was prepared for this - but, as it turns out, I really wasn’t.
At their cores, both the film and the books are fairy tales and share many elements in theme and content - but it’s similar to the difference between the slightly fluffy things that many people now consider fairy tales to be and the harsh reality of the Grimms stories. I won’t say that Stardust was ‘sanitised’ for the big screen, but it was definitely made more palatable to a wider film audience - with some dramatic action scenes added in, and some of the more interesting side adventures expunged. I will say that the film was worth it for [film spoilers in link] Robert De Niro alone, though.
If you enjoyed the film, read the book - it’s better. If you didn’t enjoy the film, read the book. It’s better.
Gaiman’s newest work, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, released just a few weeks ago, has been getting a lot of attention and prompting an interesting range of reactions (mostly adulation). Those I know who read it before me had some interesting takes - mostly, they were unsure precisely what to make of it. Now that I’ve finished, I understand how they feel.
The protagonist of Ocean is an unnamed, timid boy of seven years. The novel is written from his perspective, and the relative simplicity of the writing made a narrator who seemed oddly heartbreaking, though I still cannot entirely articulate why.
It is hard to separate the protagonist from Gaiman himself. Is this meant to be difficult? Probably less so than I think, but the parallels between the two are so strongly inbuilt that I found them next to impossible to ignore. This was not helped by the fact that I listened to much of it in audiobook format - read by Gaiman himself.
I’m still not sure what to make of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It actually feels like a very simple book - and the fact that it started life as a novella makes complete sense. The story that unfolds is relatively straightforward in outline, but is permeated with that nebulous magic of Gaiman’s universe. The relatively simple writing underscores this. The story is told through the eyes of a child, and that makes the stakes feel so high, when the drama and pain is so personal.
The best advice I can give about Ocean is - if you’re thinking of reading it, do so, and form your own opinion. Reviews and other people’s opinions always only get you so far, and I think that’s doubly true with this book. If you haven’t read any other Gaiman, there are definitely more accessible and imagination-capturing places to start, but for Gaiman fans, this is a must.
I am intrigued to see that Gaiman is now working on his own game - Wayward Manor. As many people have pointed out ‘just because he’s a great writer, doesn’t mean he knows how to make a great game’, and that’s true, but as he himself points out in the linked video, he is a storyteller. It doesn’t mean the game will be great, but I honestly don’t expect it to be anything less than a wholly compelling story.
We’re coming into week 31 as I write this, and I’m currently at 32 books down, which is an excellent feeling. Still have a full 20 more to go, but at this point, that doesn’t seem so bad.
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman (2006)
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (2011)
The Revolution of Saint Jone - Lorna Mitchell (1988)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carré (1974)
I Can Make You Hate - Charlie Brooker (2012)
Looking For Jake and Other Stories - China Miéville (2005)
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett (1989)
The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter (1979)
Jobs* - Walter Isaacson (2012)
The Plague - Albert Camus (1947)
Ready Player One* - Ernest Cline (2011)
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman (2010)
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
Storm Front* - Jim Butcher (2000)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (2005)
Fool Moon* - Jim Butcher (2001)
Iron Man: Extremis - Warren Ellis (2006)
Ultimate Thor Vol.1 - Hickman, Pachego & Vines (2010)
How To Eat Out - Giles Coren (2001)
How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran (2011)
In The Garden of Beasts* - Erik Larson (2011)
Pirate Cinema - Cory Doctrow (2012)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)
The Long Earth - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2012)
The Illustrated Man* - Ray Bradbury (1951)
The Long War - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2013)
The Player of Games - Iain M Banks (1988)
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (1985)
Stardust - Neil Gaiman (1998)
The Knife of Never Letting Go* - Patrick Ness (2008)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane* - Neil Gaiman (2013)
Currently Reading:
Facing Violence - Sgt. Rory Miller
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Terra* - Mitch Benn
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