Fragile Things Group Read, Week 8

This is it, the last of the short stories for Neil Gaiman’s, Fragile Things. This has been a lot of fun. I want to say thank you to Stainless Steel Droppings for hosting this group read because 1) I finally read the book that’s been sitting on my shelf for over a year, 2) there have been some great treasures found within the pages of Fragile Things that I’ve enjoyed and 3) I’ve gained insight into different tales and folklores that I probably never would have read about had it not been for these discussions. So remember, there will be spoilers once again with these last four stories:

The Day the Saucers Came

Sunbird

Inventing Aladdin

The Monarch of the Glen

The Day the Saucers Came: So we’ve got flying saucers, zombies, Ragnarok (which I had no idea what that was until I did some research for The Monarch of the Glen!) warring Gods and Giants coming to get us. But we’re too busy to notice. The first thought that came to mind reading this… “Of course I wouldn’t notice! I’m too busy blogging!”

Sunbird: Zebediah T. Crawcrustle, the real director of a group of Epicureans who one day decide they’ve eaten everything there is to eat (vulture, mole, fruitbat, mammoth, etc.). Zebediah suggests they eat Sunbird.

I liked Zebediah, how he was found sleeping in odd places and eating fireflies and charcoal and you’re wondering where is this all leading?

It’s the story of the phoenix, rising from the ashes. And not only does a real phoenix rise from its own ashes after the Epicureans have eaten it, but they in turn burn until nothing but their ashes are left, with Zebediah then rising from their ashes, a young man ready to start a new Epicurean Club to go through the whole thing all over again. I’d love to read more about Zebediah and his eccentricities and learn who and what he really is and how he managed to harness the power of a phoenix for himself.

Inventing Aladdin: Another poem I liked. I loved the TV series Arabian Nights so based on that I'm somewhat familiar with Scheherazade and her stories. This reminds me of Neil’s idea that we need to tell stories, something mentioned in the Introduction and told wonderfully through Locks. In this case, for Scheherazade, it’s to save her life.

The Monarch of the Glen: It’s good to see Shadow again! But not so good to see Mr. Alice and Smith again, they of Keepsakes and Treasures. Those two are nothing but trouble and are up to no good in this story. And of course they have to drag poor Shadow into their scheme. I liked Shadow in American Gods and I like him here too. He doesn’t try to hurt or take advantage of anyone but it always seems there are others who try to do so to him. But so far he’s managed to get out of sticky situations. But being the son of Odin I guess he’s bound to get into more.

Ending Fragile Things with a story of Shadow two years after the events of American Gods was a good way to end this collection of short stories. I’m going to miss reading and discussing these stories. But there are still more Neil Gaiman stories out there I can pick up and you know I will. Stardust has been calling to me for a while now.

Hope everyone is having a Happy Halloween!

Brains!!!!

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 7

And I'm back with the week 7 group read of Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. So close to the end and I'm going to miss the fun (and frustrating) journey! But no worries. I have something else planned for November. This week’s stories were not as frustrating as some earlier stories. Though I only found two I really enjoyed and two that didn't make much of an impression. But I didn't hate them so it's all good.

Remember, there will be spoilers!

This week’s stories are:

In The End

Goliath

Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma and Louisville, Kentucky

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

In The End: In the Introduction, Neil said he was trying to imagine the last book of the Bible. It definitely read as a more pleasing way to end the Bible considering the way things began and "will" end. It was well written but I’m kinda over religious stuff at this point of my life. Maybe in a few years I’ll find Jesus again. Anyways, moving on...

Goliath: Neil was given the script for the Matrix and wrote Goliath for the website. It is a very cool, very trippy read. There are a lot of déjà vu moments as a man relives his life several times running through different versions that run in fast forward. This was a very visual read. The confusion of the loops felt very real and are so well written! Now, I hope I don’t get into too much trouble for writing this out, but I just have to share this moment:

The tube stopped in the tunnel.

That was what I thought happened, anyways: I thought the tube had stopped. Everything went very quiet.

And then we went through Euston, and half the passengers got off.

And then we went through Euston, and half the passengers got off. And I was looking at the other passengers and wondering who they really were inside when the train stopped in the tunnel, and everything went very quiet.

And then everything lurched so hard I thought we’d been hit by another train.

And then we went through Euston, and half the passengers got off, and then the train stopped in the tunnel, and then everything went –

(Normal service will be resumed as possible, whispered a voice in the back of my head.)

And this time as the train slowed and began to approach Euston I wondered if I was going crazy: I felt like I was jerking back and forth on a video loop. I knew it was happening, but there was nothing I could do to change anything, nothing I could do to break out of it.

(Fragile Things, pg. 238)

See?! So good! I just loved reading that part!

It definitely had the feel of the beginning of The Matrix. The pale, almost colorless world that seems to be passing you by and you just go through the motions. Then the character finds that all is not as it seems as he is yanked back and forth between one reality and another. I'm not going to get into too many details because this one needs to be read and enjoyed.

Pages From a Journal…: A woman is on a road trip looking for Scarlet. In actuality she’s looking for herself which is what I was able to determine through some of the nonsensical ramblings. But isn’t that what usually happens on a road trip? Self discovery?

How to Talk to Girls at Parties: Two teenage boys stumble upon the wrong party. And when they find out the girl who had invited them to a party in the first place wasn't even there, does that stop them from inviting themselves in? Nooooooo.... Neil wrote in the Introduction that this is an account of a tourist holiday on Earth. The girls (or, aliens) at the party are the tourists. The two boys don’t seem to mind (or notice at first) as long as the girls are pretty. The girls can say whatever they want and these two boys will be “impressed” (translation: they do not really care as long as they can put their arm around one of the pretty girls or steal a kiss). Isn’t this how most men, oops, sorry, boys are anyways? Nothing shocking. It’s funny near the end how one of the boys finds out that things are not as it should be with these girls and they leave in a hurry. Ha! That’s what they get for not paying attention!

So, Goliath and How to Talk to Girls at Parties were the winners with me this week. It’s funny, these two stories this week were more in the realm of sci fi and I see Neil as a fantasy writer, or am I wrong to think that? Anyways, at least with this collection of short stories they have been on the fantasy spectrum so it was very interesting to see this side to Neil Gaiman’s writing.

Next (and last) week’s stories will be:

The Day the Saucers Came

Sunbird

Inventing Aladdin

The Monarch of the Glen

Happy Fragile Things Reading!

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 6

It is now week 6 of the group read of Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings. After this only two more weeks! Time flies when you're having fun (or venting frustration with some of these short stories! But still fun!).

This weeks stories were shorter and much more interesting to me. And no emotional breakdowns! Just little chills running up and down my spine. Very appropriate for October. And remember, there will be spoilers!

So this weeks stories are:

My Life

Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

Feeders and Eaters

Diseasemaker's Croup

My Life: Here we have someone who has had one too many drinks and keeps telling very outrageous tales. This reminded me of a time, in my high school drama class, how we had to take song lyrics and create a story around it, then perform in front of the class. I chose Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction and I performed it as a young girl, at a slumber party, bragging about how much she likes to steal. The narrator of My Life and the character I created both will say anything to be the center of attention. And I thought it was interesting in the Introduction, Neil said he is often asked by others to use My Life as an audition piece. I believe it's a good choice.

Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot: There are 22 very short vampire tales. My favorites were The Fool, The Priestess and The Lovers. The Fool wants to become a vampire. He says he "wants to live forever." Just as it seems he's about to get his wish, the vampire stops and tells him, "This is not life," and leaves. It was written in such a way that it sent a chill up my spine and I also felt some sadness for the vampire who probably didn't want to become what he is and now he's faced with The Fool asking for something he knows nothing about. In The Priestess, an Oprah-like talk show host is interviewing a woman who claims to be a vampire. I love how the talk show host, aka The Priestess, reveals herself to the impostor. I didn't get the reveal at first but when I did I giggled. The Lovers is so sad, dark and creepy. Another short tale that sent a chill up my spine.

Feeders and Eaters: Poor poor Eddie Barrow. As he tells his tale you are giving him your full attention, unlike the narrator who is more concerned with whether Eddie is going to ask him for money. But Eddie is telling a very frightening tale of what has happened to him and maybe even pleading for help... or release from his predicament. Such a subtle way to tell a horror story that was chill inducing.

Diseasemaker's Croup: A very dry and boring read for me. I found my mind wandering. Neil said in the Introduction that he was asked to contribute an entry for a book of imaginary diseases. Using a program called Babble and an old book of advice for a home physician this was the result. It read as one so Mission: Accomplished? Fortunately it's short so you can breeze through it.

Overall, My Life, the Vampire Tarots and Feeders and Eaters were my favorites. For next week, the stories will be:

In The End

Goliath

Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

Whoa, gotta love some of these short story titles. Happy Fragile Things Reading!

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 5

Here we go, continuing with the group read of Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings. For week 5 there were two poems and two stories, making them a very easy yet emotional read for me. I enjoyed the two poems but the two stories were not my favorite. As I go through each one I’ll explain further. Remember there will be spoilers!

The fifth week stories are:

Locks

The Problem of Susan

Instructions

How Do You Think it Feels?

Locks: I don’t know if I read this story at the right time, or the wrong time. I’d like to leave behind happy memories for my daughter and that’s one of the reasons I’ve been reading aloud to her daily. So this story, of passing on stories (or rather, as I’d like to call them, memories) to your children hit me really hard when I read it. Tears welled up in my eyes and it took me a few minutes to recover before moving on the next story. Then I had to pick up my daughter from school, so sitting in a parked car, listening to Janis Joplin on the radio, debating whether to publish my movie memories of my mom or if I wanted to keep those memories to myself, it having been the week my mom passed away four years ago... I was just overwhelmed emotionally and had a good cry. Neil wrote in the Introduction, “I believe we owe it to each other to tell stories.” I agree. We need these stories; these memories, and I cherish mine and hope to pass on some to my daughter.

The Problem of Susan: Having only read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and having only watched the first two Narnia movies, I had no idea what had happened to Susan until reading this story. I didn’t really connect with this one. I just haven’t felt that magic for Narnia and if I was ever to feel it, I think it has been spoiled by some of the imagery here of the lion and the witch, which was really gross.

Instructions: Instructions is basically a list of instructions to survive a fairy tale but I don’t recognize any of them except for the references made to Neil’s own stories, two of which have been covered already in the group read. But it’s still fun to read.

How Do You Think It Feels?: I’m going to get harsh here but I hated this one. I don’t hate Neil’s writing, I just hated the subject matter. The man in this story was just looking for an opportunity to cheat, and as it progressed he felt himself in love and became this miserably pathetic, weak loser. When his mistress broke up with him, after he announced he was getting a divorce, I thought, "Well, good, but she should have done that a long time ago when she found out he was married!" I think the question for this cheating husband and his lover was not how they felt, but how his wife and two daughters felt. Then when they met up again, years later and the ex-lover pursued the divorced husband, before finding out he was divorced... ugh, these are just two awful people that I don’t wish to read about again. Their reunion and acting like what happened between them didn’t destroy a marriage or possibly this man’s relationship with his daughters, made me very upset.

I read these stories all in one day. I was already emotional so I may not be entirely fair with this story. But honestly, I don’t think I’ll be reading it again to give it another chance or another opinion. Stainless Steel Droppings had some great insight to the story that helped me understand it better, the thing about the golem. But I still don’t like it and I’ll be happy to move on the next four stories, which will be:

My Life

Fifteen Painted Cards From a Vampire Tarot

Feeders and Eaters

Diseasemaker’s Croup

Happy Fragile Things Reading!

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 4

Now that I’m all caught up with the group read, you’ll be seeing these once a week until I’ve finished reading Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. Also, I’ll be able to read at a reasonable pace now, which is a good thing for Fragile Things; I can devote my full attention to the stories.

So, carrying on, the fourth week stories are:

Good Boys Deserve Favors

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

Strange Little Girls

Harlequin Valentine

I like these four stories quite a bit. It definitely was a fun group of stories. Beware (once again) there will be spoilers!

Good Boys Deserve Favors: This one about a boy who is not a very good bass player but has his moment to shine, until he breaks his bass and once fixed, never sounds the same. I really connected with this one having been a violinist as a teenager for five years. I’ve known the feeling of triumph when I’ve mastered a musical piece or frustration when it takes longer than I'd like (I didn't always practice as I should have). I’ve also had that one special school violin that did play a certain way for me and when I would try other school instruments they did not have that sound that I liked and they just didn’t feel right in my hands. I made sure each year to get that same one. I think my musical background really strengthened my connection to this story.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch: A mysterious underground circus and Miss Finch, the prudish party pooper, is “asked” to participate and is never seen again after her performance during the Cabinet of Wishes Fullfill’d. I came away that this underground circus took on a life of it’s own, that it will never have another show and Miss Finch may be the one and only person to have a wish fulfilled.

Strange Little Girls: Quick peaks into the lives, thoughts and feelings of different women. Some are sad, triumphant, each story vague enough that you just barely understand what is happening in these moments but allow you to fill in the blanks yourself.

Harlequin Valentine: The stalkerish aspect in the beginning, with the nailing of a heart to a door, I found a bit disturbing. But the story turned around in the end and I found it charming and sweet (for Neil Gaiman). A secret crushed revealed and satisfied by a simple “Happy Valentines Day”, was a nice way to end this story.

I could reread these four short stories again. Especially Harlequin Valentine, it put a smile on my face and Good Boys Deserve Favors for bringing back fond memories of my high school orchestra class.

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 3 Ketchup

Week 3 group read of Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman and I’m all caught up. And as always, the ever mindful SPOILER ALERT so here we go! For the third week, the assigned stories were:

Going Wodwo

Bitter Grounds

Other People

Keepsakes and Treasures

Going Wodwo: A poem. I had to look up wodwo. It’s a wild man of the forest. The poem made a lot more sense reading it a second time. I really like this line at the beginning...

“Shedding my shirt, my book, my coat, my life

Leaving them, empty husks and fallen leaves”

Once again, Neil has a gift with words. And while I admire someone with the courage to run free, I don’t think I could live without hot running water.

Bitter Grounds: I didn’t understand the zombie coffee girls and I don't want them bringing me any coffee if it means that's it for me. So the main character said in the beginning that "In every way that counted, I was dead." Then a few lines down there was this "If I could have physically passed away, just let it all go, like that, without doing anything, stepped out of life as easily as walking through a door, I would have done." From this I got he was basically done with life. Something happened to this man and he was ready to check out. So he did. He left. Kept driving and even assumed the identity of someone else. Maybe this was his last road trip before passing on? Or maybe he was the walking dead the whole time? I haven't really decided. It reminded me of American Gods, where the main character's dead wife kept stalking him.

Other People: An interesting story of what hell and eternal torment could be like. Something to look forward to maybe; the chance to torment others once you’ve had your turn, but the path to get there? Not for me.

Keepsakes and Treasures: This too felt like it could have been part of American Gods. Myths and legends I don’t know about (or perhaps they were just made up?) and sordid people. Smith I did not like. I’m not sure if he was joking about having a preference for young girls or if he really does. I’m pretty sure he does so... GROSS. Human trafficking and men who prefer little girls... SO NOT MY FAVORITE AT ALL!

I liked the stories from the first and second weeks so far. These last four I couldn’t connect with, similar to the way I didn’t quite connect with American Gods. So far my favorites are October in the Chair and Faceless Brides in the House of Dread or whatever it’s called. It reminded me of Good Omens - a book I truly loved - with it’s cheekiness.

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 2 Ketchup

Alright, remember I’m playing ketchup with the group read for Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. And, once again, there will be SPOILERS. For the second week, the stories were:

The Hidden Chamber

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire

The Flints of Memory Lane

Closing Time

The Hidden Chamber: Another poem. Dark and frightening “knowing that there’s a space without a door knowing that there’s a place that’s locked but isn’t there.” That line really stood out. Gaiman really knows how to write. It’s a poem about Bluebeard. I had to do some homework and once I did and reread it, this poem made a lot more sense and was even more chilling.

Forbidden Brides of the yadda yadda yadda: This story I found quite silly and fun. It’s a “facetious” (a word a learned from Neil’s introduction and now love) gothic thriller with a pretentious writer trying to write a... gothic thriller, who then comes face to face with a long lost brother who has returned to claim his birthright to only then be killed by the writer brother. It makes me smile thinking about it. Oh, just read this!

“Yes - I! I, your elder brother, whom you thought dead these many years. But I am not dead - or, perhaps, I am no longer dead - and I have come back - aye, come back from ways that are best left untraveled - to claim what is truly mine.”

Then just a paragraph down there’s this...

“Proof? I need no proof. I claim birth-right, and blood-right - and death-right!”

Cracks me up!

The Flints of Memory Lane: This one didn’t leave much of an impression. It’s a recollection of a unimpressive ghostly encounter.

Closing Time: Okay, all I want to know is what happened to the three boys that walked into the play house and if that old man in the end was one of them, why didn’t he say what happened?!

Alright, so in this batch of stories I liked three out of four. Let’s see what the third week stories bring...

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 1 Ketchup

Stainless Steel Droppings, the same blog hosting the R.I.P. Challenge I’m participating in, also hosts group readings. One of them is a group read of Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, a book I happen to have that had been sitting on my shelf, unread for the past year, so I figured why not.

I am, however, a bit late to the party, having missed the first three weeks of discussions, so this week I’ll be playing ketchup.

So, the first week stories are:

Introduction

A Study in Emerald

The Fairy Reel

October in the Chair

Be warned, there will be SPOILERS!

Introduction: I really liked reading about the inspiration and back-stories to some of the writings in this collection. There’s also a secret short story hidden within. Plus, there was this:

“Writing’s a lot like cooking. Sometimes the cake won’t rise, no matter what you do, and every now and again the cake tastes better than you ever could have dreamed it would.”

This made me smile and brought a tear to my eye when I first read it. Still does. I’ve been writing an original story of my own and sometimes it won’t speak to me. This made me not lose hope.

A Study in Emerald: A role reversal with Moriarty investigating a crime committed by Holmes and Watson. I’ve never read any Sherlock Holmes. My husband has and the style of Neil’s version is similar to what my husband described. However, it is not revealed who is looking for who until the end, so throughout I was under the impression it was Holmes and Watson and therefore imagining Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. I was a little disappointed that they were the bad guys. But it was an interesting idea.

This story was a mixture of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft. Having not read either I didn't really get it. I'll have to revisit after doing some homework.

The Fairy Reel: A poem. I don’t read much poetry and it was nice but it didn’t leave much of an impression on me when I first read it. Neil said it was fun to read aloud so I read it to my daughter and it was quite nice.

October in the Chair: I really liked this one. I didn't really get the months of the year, portrayed as people sitting around a camp fire, who gathered together to tell stories. I did like October's story very much though. There is some lovely writing here:

“Then the railroad came and they built a stop in the next town over, and our town sort of dried up and fell in and blew away.”

“Everything waited. The night was ending. The world was holding it’s breath, preparing to begin again.”

In the Introduction, Neil wrote this was a “dry run” for The Graveyard Book, a book I will have to read on my own very very soon now.

So far so good. Looking forward to the next four stories. I’ll have a write up for them on Wednesday.