A guide to getting lost
when you read a Neil Gaiman novel, or graphic novel, or short story, or whatever, prepare to get lost.
delightfully lost, that is. you can never tell which world you’re going to end up in, once you take that plunge in the first page. and when i was asked by a ‘Gaiman virgin’* if he was any good read, i (refrained from looking taken aback that there was one such literate soul who did not know G) said the very same thing.
when you read Gaiman, there’s no such thing as clearly delineated reality and dreams. everything is surreal. what’s the term? magically real. i’m not sure where i picked up the term, probably during my Pop Lit subject in college or from my Film friends.
anyway. i’ve read American Gods (my initiate’s book, so guess what that did to my Grisham mind), Anansi Boys (a little milder, yes), The Graveyard Book (lovely, if i may borrow an english accent too), Stardust (even more delightful), Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchet, another good one), M is for Magic (halfway through), and Death: The High Cost of Living (i’m afraid, i haven’t been immersed in the Sandman series enough).
film adaptations of his novels/graphic novels are also strongly recommended. so far i’ve only been able to watch Stardust, Coraline, Beowulf, and Mirrormask, which are all part of my favorites list.
so if you’re in the process of forgetting the realities of life, like a ‘tiny’ glitch in the workplace or an absolutely insufferable ex, this could be your pill. swallow it whole, and don’t think to much about it.
*noun. one whose world hasn’t been invaded by kindly ghouls and semi-transparent ghosts whose nature it was to take care of a living child, or a giant floating lethargic man, or simply, by gods.
Tags: Books, Neil Gaiman
