Poetry Books

If you enjoy stories that weave the fantastic with the real, Neil Gaiman's "Fragile Things" is a treasure trove. Gaiman is a master at creating worlds that are both eerily familiar and strikingly imaginative. This collection of short stories and poems is perfect for when you're craving a touch of magic and a dose of the otherworldly in your life. It'll captivate you, whether you're a longtime fan or newly discovering Gaiman's rich storytelling.

Neil Gaiman is a master at weaving the fantastical with the everyday, giving a shimmer of magic to the norm. "Smoke and Mirrors" is a brilliant display of this talent, perfect for those who love stories that can transport them into a world where the lines between reality and the otherworldly blur beautifully. Whether you enjoy folklore, modern fairy tales, or are just looking to get lost in a rich tapestry of imagination, this collection will not disappoint.

an alternate cover for this ISBN can be found hereLet me tell you a story. No, wait, one's not enough.I'll begin again?Let me tell you stories of the months of the year, of ghosts and heartbreak, of dread and desire. Let me tell you of after-hours drinking and unanswered phones, of good deeds and bad days, of breaking down and making up, of dead men walking and missing fathers, of little French ladies in Miami, of trusting wolves and how to talk to girls.There are stories within stories, whispered in ears in the quiet of the night, shouted above the roar of the day, and played out between lovers and enemies, strangers and friends. But all, all are fragile things made up using just 26 letters arranged and rearranged again and again to form tales and imaginings which, if you let them, will dazzle your senses, haunt your imagination and move you to the very depths of your soul.The following stories are contained in this collection:1) An introduction where Gaiman details some background on each of the stories, and includes a short-short story (The Mapmaker)2) A Study in Emerald3) The Fairy Reel (poem)4) October in the Chair5) The Hidden Chamber6) Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire7) The Flints of Memory Lane8) Closing Time9) Going Wodwo (poem)10) Bitter Grounds11) Other People12) Keepsakes and Treasures13) Good Boys Deserve Favors14) The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch15) Strange Little Girls16) Harlequin Valentine17) Locks18) The Problem of Susan19) Instructions20) How Do You Think It Feels?21) My Life22) Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot23) Feeders and Eaters24) Diseasemaker's Croup25) In the End26) Goliath27) Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma and Louisville, Kentucky28) How to Talk to Girls at Parties29) The Day the Saucers Came30) Sunbird31) Inventing Aladdin32) The Monarch of the Glen

"The distinctive storytelling genius of Neil Gaiman has been acclaimed by writers as diverse as Norman Mailer and Stephen King. Now in this new collection of stories--several of which have never before appeared in print and more than half that have never been collected--that will dazzle the senses and haunt the imagination. Miraculous inventions and unforgettable characters inhabit these pages: an elderly widow who finds the Holy Grail in a second-hand store...a frightened little boy who bargains for his life with a troll living under a bridge by the railroad tracks...a stray cat who battles nightly against a recurring evil that threatens his unsuspecting adoptive family. In these stories, Gaiman displays the power, wit, insight and outrageous originality that has made him one of the most unique literary artists of our day."

Recommendation: - This collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman is a must-read for those who enjoy mind-bending tales that blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Each story is skillfully crafted to reveal the hidden magic of humanity, challenging our perceptions and delving into the depths of the human condition. Gaiman's unique literary style will leave you in awe, as you are transported into a world where anything is possible. Enter the realm of Smoke and Mirrors and prepare to be captivated by the astonishing and impressive tales that await you.

Librarian's Note: an alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here.Fragile Things is Neil Gaiman's second collection of short fiction.A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night, taking one of the spectators along with it.In a novella set two years after the events of American Gods, Shadow pays a visit to an ancient Scottish mansion, and finds himself trapped in a game of murder and monsters.Another short story is set in a strangely altered Victorian England, the great detective Sherlock Holmes must solve a most unsettling royal murder.Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams and nightmares.The members of an excusive epicurean club lament that they've eaten everything that can be eaten, with the exception of a legendary, rare, and exceedingly dangerous Egyptian bird.Such marvelous creations and more, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction, can be found in this collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his entertaining (and dark) sense of humor. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most unique writers of our time.Contents:• A Study in Emerald • (2003) • novelette• The Fairy Reel • (2004) • poem (variant of The Faery Reel)• October in the Chair • (2002) • shortstory• The Hidden Chamber • (2005) • poem• Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire • (2004) • shortstory (variant of Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Nameless House of the Night of Dread Desire)• The Flints of Memory Lane • (1997) • essay• Closing Time • (2003) • shortstory• Going Wodwo • (2002) • poem• Bitter Grounds • (2003) • novelette• Other People • (2001) • shortstory• Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story • (1999) • shortstory• Good Boys Deserve Favours • (1995) • shortstory• The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch • (1998) • shortstory• Strange Little Girls • (2001) • shortstory• Harlequin Valentine • (1999) • shortstory• Locks • (1999) • poem• The Problem of Susan • (2004) • shortstory• Instructions • (2000) • poem• How Do You Think It Feels? • (1998) • shortstory• My Life • (2002) • poem• Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot • (1998) • shortstory• Feeders and Eaters • (2002) • shortstory• Diseasemaker's Croup • (2003) • shortstory• In the End • (1996) • shortstory• Goliath • (1998) • shortstory• Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky • (2002) • shortstory• How to Talk to Girls at Parties • (2006) • shortstory• The Day the Saucers Came • (2006) • poem• Sunbird • (2005) • novelette• Inventing Aladdin • (2003) • poem• The Monarch of the Glen • [American Gods] • (2003) • novelette

A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night, taking one of the spectators along with it . . . In a novella set two years after the events of American Gods, Shadow pays a visit to an ancient Scottish mansion, and finds himself trapped in a game of murder and monsters . . . In a Hugo Award-winning short story set in a strangely altered Victorian England, the great detective Sherlock Holmes must solve a most unsettling royal murder . . . Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams—and nightmares . . . In a Locus Award-winning tale, the members of an exclusive epicurean club lament that they've eaten everything that can be eaten, with the exception of a legendary, rare, and exceedingly dangerous Egyptian bird . . . Such marvelous creations and more—including a short story set in the world of The Matrix, and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction—can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his terrifyingly entertaining dark sense of humor. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most unique writers of our time.