M Is for Magic audiobook

I love this book it was so cute . I love the short stories and especially the graveyard book themed story. Neil Gaiman is probably my favorite author . I try to read as much from him as possible. Neverwhere was my first of his books I ever read and still my favorite followed by Coraline , but I do love books of short stories and this book was whimsical and fanciful. It was great 👍🏻👍🏻&⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Un piccolo viaggio fino all'estremo opposto dell'universo con la certezza di rientrare per l'ora di cena.Ho iniziato da qui a conoscere Gaiman, anche se in realtà avevo altri suoi libri nella wl.Atmosfere cupe e tinte gotiche ed anche molta ironia in questi racconti.Una piacevole lettura

The problem with assigning a star rating to this book is that, like any book of short stories, it is a mixed bag. Especially considering that this particular book of stories is by Neil Gaiman who can pen novles that are original enough that the only resemblance they bear to one another is the name on the front cover.What I gather from this book (intended for a YA audience) is that Gaiman allows himself to get more experimental with stories than perhaps with his novel. As always, the writing is superb. Sometimes, the stories edge on the likably bizarre. The only fair and scientific way to assignm this book a rating is to assign each story a seperate review and then average the outcome.1) "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds"- This is the stupidest piece of Gaiman writing I have read yet. It is clever, but didn't grab me. The whole film noir meets nursery rhymes bit seemed rather silly. Don't let this story stop you from continuing to read. Thank heavens, it does get better. * *2) "Troll Bridge"- This is a good adolescent short in that the symbolism is well done, but overt enough to be on the right level. It is not such a good adolescent story in it's discussion of sexuality and specific references to genitals. As an adult, I can appreciate this story; as a teen, I would have been distured by it. (I am a goodie two-shoes.) * * *3) "Don't Ask Jack"- This is a great short short read. I would have loved and tried to emulate this short story a hundred times over in my own writing as an adolescent. As an adult, I know this isn't as transcendently amazing as Gaiman at his best. * * *4) "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge"- The sci-fi setting is what makes this story borderline bizarre. There are some interesting details, still not my favorite. * * *5) "October in the Chair"- This is Gaiman's tribute to Bradbury. (I would love to see Bradbury's response.) This is an interesting, thought provoking read. It seems like a warm-up exercise for The Graveyard Book. * * * *6) "Chivalry"- Gaiman at his best. The strength of this story lies in both plot and characterization. I am completely enamored of it in every way and even more so because I listened to Gaiman's reading of it (available for free on-line- google it!) If you read only one story from this book, choose this one. It makes me wish I were teaching HS English all over again, because this story is worth sharing. * * * * *7)"The Price"- I am, likewise, very fond of this story. I like the "in medias res" type ending. It reminds me a bit of Poe's "The Black Cat." * * * * *8)"How to Talk to Girls at Parties"- Once again, Neiman goes a bit sci-fi with this one. For anyone who has ever known or has ever been an awkward adolescent male, this story is a hilarious read. * * * * *9) "Sunbird"- This story is very unusual and unpredictable. I seriously had no idea where it was headed until it had arrived.* * * * * for ingenuity.10)"The Witch's Headstone"- This is actually one of the vignettes included in The Graveyard Book. As such, * * * * *11) "Instructions"- This is not a short story, but a poem. Poetry is not exactly Gaiman's strong suite. This is a good piece or writing, but not amazing as poetry. * * * * (It is available as a youtube clip of Gaiman reading it. It is always well worth it to hear Gaiman read his own work.)

I have a sort of love-hate thing with Neil's short stories. Some of them are the best stories I've ever read, and some have been far too grotesque for my liking, to be honest. So I had much better luck with this collection, which contains his stories suitable for children. (So there was a noticeable lack of graphic sex, cannibalism, and etc.) These were, hands down, his best short stories. I'd read a few before, since most of these have appeared in his other collections, but a few were new (at least to me). It included two of my personal favorites: The Sunbird and The Price. But some of the new ones have now become faves, like Chivalry, and Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds. Chivalry was my favorite of the collection, and I just can't stop giggling over it.Reread 2020: Decided to read a few of these to my kids. (Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds, Chivalry, The Sunbird) Some of the stories really aren't that suitable for children, to be honest. Okay for teen readers, though. Chivalry has become one of my favorite short stories of all time.

The first short story in the collection has a private investigator trying to find out who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall. Apparently, it wasn’t an accident, it was murder. The cliches and one-liners fly like bullets in this opener. This story has a strong “Jasper Fforde” feel to it and is a comical start to the collection.The second story reads like a fairy tale. A young boy is accosted by a Troll under a bridge. A troll who is going to “eat his life”. He keeps escaping the troll by promising him he will return later in his life, where he will have acquired more “life” for the troll to eat.The collection takes a dark turn with the third story. A story about an evil Jack in the Box. It is only four pages long, but a killer ending will send chills down your spine.Next up is a story about an inter-galactic club of con artists. This story is one of the longest and pays homage to the old stories of con artists selling tourists the London Bridge and other similar cons. Another longer story follows. All the months of the year are seated around a table and it seems that each must tell a tale to the other months. A tale, that has not been told before, and one that must be entertaining. The current month of the year has the chair and the story to tell. A wonderful idea conjured from Gaiman’s imagination.The remaining stories are bound in magical realism. From a group of gourmands who fear they have eaten everything there is to be eaten on the planet, that is until they find out about the mystical Sunbird. To a story about a child who can talk to ghosts, and simply wants to provide the ghost of a woman who was drowned and burned as a witch, a headstone to mark where she is buried. This one just happens to be my favourite.Sorry for the short descriptions but these are short stories and to give too much about them away can ruin them instantly.Some of the stories are a little mediocre, but Gaiman’s wonderful writing style lifts them above the line, turning them into most enjoyable reads. I feel an inferior author would not have been able to accomplish this, and I find Gaiman to be, along with authors such as Stephen King, a natural teller of stories. For me he could almost write about anything and it would be enjoyable. So, if you are looking for a quick read from a diverse range of short stories, brilliantly written and most enjoyable to read, then this may be the collection for you. 3.5 Stars.This was supposed to be a buddy read with the wonderful Nat K, but somewhere along the line I got sidetracked and never finished it. Please check out her review if you are thinking of reading this collection.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book of short stories by Neil Gaiman. A couple I had read before - Sunbird & Witch's Gravestone - and they are very good. Otherwise Troll Bridge and Chivalry appealed a lot. Anyone who reads The Price and doesn't have a shiver down their spine maybe doesn't get this kind of tale!! :) Excellent batch of stories from a favourite author of mine.

I have no words to describe how masterfully these stories were put together. Gaiman never lets me down...can't believe I only read this now!

Every story is very imaginative indeed, but aside from the first four or five stories at the beginning, some of the later stories seem.........slightly lacking in this re-read, but those stories are really outstanding than most stuff we can find in the book market these days...

Una raccolta di storie noir, si potrebbe benissimo dire alla Neil Gaiman!Perfette da leggere una a sera durante la spooky season!🎃Alcune più belle delle altre a mio avviso...le mie preferite sono state "Il ponte dei Troll", "Ottobre sulla sedia", "Cavalleria" e "Il prezzo".