Instructions audiobook

Gaiman and Vess...what more needs to be said? A wonderful team that I would really like to see tackle other works; bet they could do a 'magical' job on a series of Dr. Strange stories! Hope to see more collaborations with them in the future - always a treat when they get together!

Reading Instructions is akin to being in a hypnotic state. Its first couple of pages suggest that you "Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before. Say 'please' before you open the latch. Go through..." The preceding pithy commands instigate the hypnogenesis; they are the first of many that make up the short poem that flows through this new picture book, the latest collaboration between Coraline author Neil Gaiman and The Book of Ballads and Sagas illustrator Charles Vess.In Instructions, Gaiman's verses and Vess's drawings come together so pleasantly that you, the reader, is compelled either to adopt a voice that is at least half as mellifluously authoritative as Liam Neeson's or Cate Blanchett's if you have to read audibly (as to your cute little nephew) or to simply speak in your mind (as you would when talking to yourself) with such voice if you choose to read in silence. Either way leads to your being susceptible to suggestion as you are given (By whom? Yourself, technically.) step-by-step instructions on how to get to a faraway place, as strange a world to you as any, and back whence you came.In Instructions, you are yourself, never explicitly described by Gaiman but visualized by Vess as a kindly anthropomorphic cat. Upon touching the never-before-seen wooden gate, saying "please," and going through it, you enter a world inhabited by a bevy of familiar creatures and characters, encounters with whom evoke matching pieces of advice and references to classic fairy tales--an imp posing as a door knocker ("Do not touch it; it will bite your fingers," A Christmas Carol), a giant eagle ("Ride [it:]; you shall not fall," The Lord of the Rings), a pack of wolves ("Do not tell them where you are going," The Little Red Riding Hood), and three princesses trapped in the highest room of the tallest tower of a castle ("Do not trust the youngest," any fairy tale where the youngest sibling proves smartest), among many others.You are guided by an all-knowing presence that you yourself have given voice to. Is it just you reading simple words on a glossy children's book with pretty pictures inspired by old Aesop's Fables illustrations? Or is that--dare I say it--your conscience, your old friend, talking? The deep well you walk past leads to Winter's realm; there is another land at the bottom of it. If you turn around here, you can walk back safely; you will lose no face.         I will think no less of you. These are not instructions for children to follow as they imagine themselves as a heroic and morally upright feline fellow in medieval clothing so much as reminders for adults, young and old alike. Remember your name. Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found. Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn. Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story. When you come back, return the way you came. Favors will be returned, debts will be repaid. Do not forget your manners. Do not look back. You realize that Gaiman and Vess's Instructions is a map, with directions towards home.Finally, you wake up.--Cross-posted on The Polysyllabic Spree.

This might be my favorite Gaiman book, so far. I always want to love his work more than I do. I don’t know that I adored this, but I really appreciate it. The story is a set of simple instructions, about one per page, about how to live life, and it’s amusing because it uses how to survive a trip through fairy tales as its examples. Most of the time I was thinking How clever! although at times I noticed myself arguing with the philosophy presented, but I appreciated what was being attempted and I was relatively engaged throughout. And got a few chuckles along the way. The illustrations weren’t exactly my cup of tea style wise but they fit the story/instructions perfectly. I think kids will like this book but I think it will be most appreciated by people old enough to have quite a bit of life experience under their belts. It’s one of those great books that can be read on several different levels, differently by different age/stage groups. “Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story.” Overall, just lovely!

This is "Neil's Guide To Life". And it was illustrated by one of my favourite artists, Charles Vess.

5 / 5Un maravilloso cuento sobre cómo adentrarte en las historias y salir con vida. Ilustraciones hermosas y una narración poética. Increíble.Reseña: http://www.eternamenteentiniebla.com/...

Great illustrations. Great book for young readers.

"Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story."

Beautifully illustrated instructions for surviving every fairytale ever written.

I read this for the "A Hardcover" part of my 2020 reading challenge. Instructions for having a great adventure, it was simple and lyrical and perfect.

A short yet mesmerizing poem, "Instructions" will be of inqualifiable value to both children and adults looking for their way (back) through creativity/life — isn’t it the very same thing? — Read it!

Una hermosa moraleja acerca de los caminos de la vida bellamente ilustrada.Para los más pequeños pero, también, para los adultos que acompañen esta lectura.

I had to read this book twice to fully appreciate it. The first time through, I think I got half the messages that this book wanted me to get. It also a book that I couldn’t rush through but I had to stop and fully absorb what I read on each page. The illustrations stopped me in my tracks a few times, as I thought they really didn’t match what I thought should go with the words on the page nevertheless, I enjoyed what I read. This book to me was a words-of-wisdom book as each page(s) was about making your way in the world. The illustrations were just as great as the words in this book. They were fun to look at as they contained a lot of detail and there was the fantasy aspect of them. How can you go wrong with trolls, cats, and beasts? Written by Neil Gaiman, this is what brought me to pick up this one.

Poem from Gaiman, illustrated by Vess. I think I found stuff to read with my kids in future.