Neil Gaiman - Preludes and Nocturnes - 9

[mrdude]

<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1563890119.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left">
Preludes and Nocturnes, The First Volume in the The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman is a graphic novel, or more correctly a collection of short comics in the sandman series. From what I understand these are in fact in order, at least in this volume.

This is one of the first graphic novels I have ever read and therefore it is a little more difficult for me critique it. I'll try just the same though.

The premise of the stories is that the sandman, eternal king of dreams has been summoned and captured by a mortal human who imprisons him in a glass cell and quickly steals his tools which hold some powers to the dream world. It's a fun fantastical tale that really captivated me. Most any complaints I have are so opinionated that I feel silly talking about them. (this isn't necessarily stopping me) DC comics owns the publishing company that these novels are written for and urged the author to try to incorporate some existing DC characters into his story. The author did and I myself just though it was weird in such a story, although some comic book fans will undoubtedly enjoy the short inclusions of these characters

Spoiler: show

(some members of the justice league as well as some villains from the batman comic books).

Apart from that one and only complaint I really enjoyed these works greatly. The artwork is grim and grotesque, which really adds to the overall mood of the stories. Neil Gaiman impressed me with his ability to weave a unique and fun story into such a fun medium. The characters he creates and the connections that are made between them are really what held this together for me. I had a real fun time reading this and would recommend it to nearly everyone I can think of.


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Review also posted at the IBLIST

[Darb]

There are quite a few more books in this series, and the whole story cycle picks up steam as it goes ... getting stronger and stronger. The series as a whole is a veritable smorgasboard of different artists, inkers, and letterers, all hand picked by one of the best writers in the GN business. I'd be hard pressed to name an issue that I didn't like, because they're all great, and all of the people who helped produce each issue are the cream of the crop in the comics industry ... no weak chinks.

Book one, while excellent, spends a lot of time merely setting the stage for the rest of the series. I think my favorite segment comes near the end of book one ... the multi-award winning "The Sound of Her Wings" chapter in which Dream's sister, Death, appears to him while he's sulking on a park bench (in a metaphysical funk about if/how he's still relevant in the greater scheme of things). In other words, he's feeling sorry for himself, and he's spiritually/thematically lost his way ... and his sister basically chews him out and then helps to 're-center' him in his purpose by dragging him along on a few of her eternal rounds of appearing to those who are dying. In other words, she finds fullfillment in simply being who she is, and fulfilling her role in the universe with a zen-like satori bliss.

It was a great micro-short piece.

[jweb]

I think my favorite segment comes near the end of book one ... the multi-award winning "The Sound of Her Wings" chapter

That's one of my favorites, too. I thought it was at the beginning of book 2, though.

[mrdude]

You do realise I listed the seires in my review? That's three links to the series in one thread, maybe a bit of overkill there.

[Darb]

Fixed ... sorry bout that. Adding hyperlinks to the database is purely reflex now.

[Kvetch]

I must say that I like the 'sound' segment too. I'm slowly working through the series (as i can afford them), and they are getting better.

[mrdude]

Fixed ... sorry bout that. Adding hyperlinks to the database is purely reflex now.

No worries, I just like razzing you now and again

[Darb]

I must say that I like the 'sound' segment too. I'm slowly working through the series (as i can afford them), and they are getting better.

Kvetch: I vaguely recall getting all but the first 2 issues used, at a local comic book store, where (despite a long gap since my collecting days) I was still able to swindle a good discount from one of my old acquaintances in the store.

I also had a few other segments that stood out for me in the series:

1) Calliope (the muse) <-- I think she's in Book 2
2) I dont recall the title, but it's the one that's a story within a story within a story within a story within a story about a sky burial by an neophyte priest of an ancient necropolis. Great story - and so deceptively difficult to write, despite the smooth way NG carried it off. Harlan Ellison positively gushed with appreciation in his intro to that particular issue (I forget which one).
3) I love one piece with the green shard in the african desert, where the eldar tells the tale of how morpheus falls in love with a mortal as part of a coming of age ritual. I forget which book that was, but it was well done, and wonderfully sparse and minimalist in style.

There are others pieces that were great, but these are the 3 that come to mind at the moment. More will doubtless occur, the second I stop typing this.

[Kvetch]

your number 3 I remember, and liked, as well as the otherstories tied into that arc. 2 I don't recognise, and 1 i know, but wasn't incrediably impressed with (it was good, but not amazing)

The one with the insane serial killer really terrified me (it was called 24 hours or something) but it was good.
The one set in a dreamscape involving the cuckoo and other bizzare characters also appealed to my fantasy coded mind. i do hope you know what I mean, because i cannot be more clear without spoilers.

[Darb]

I liked (1) because I'm a total geek (as is Gaiman) when it comes to ancient mythology. It's a short segment, and a bit of a sleeper ... but I like the motif of an enslaved muse. It's one of those subtle and cute literary ideas that lingers on the mental palate for me.

(2) happens much later in the series, so you probably havent read it yet. It's probably gaiman's most technically challenging piece in the entire series, from a purely writing standpoint ... and it's amazing how smoothly he pulled it off. It's a literary tour de force, from both a writing and an artistic standpoint. Very impressive. Just like there are certain musicians for whom you have to be a musician to really appreciate, you almost have to be a writers to really appreciate how tough it must have been to craft that one piece - and make it look both easy and sensibile. Think of it as a storyteller's equivalent of an incredible sax solo performance.

(3) I liked 3 for similar reasons to 1 - I'm a big buff of ancient mythology, and I've also read about some of the ancient civilizations (and their beliefs/customs) of northern and central africa ... and Gaiman deftly created his own fictional spin on real african myths and genuine coming of age rituals. So, not only did gaiman tell a good story, but he did it in delightfully sparse and sublime fashion, AND he did his homework on ancient african rituals, in order to accuately play his own variation on the theme. I really really like it with authors do their homework, and get the small details correct ... especially on material that's esoteric and high brow enough for most people to ever notice. I noticed, and I appreciated it.

[Kvetch]

what catches me the most is the interweaving of so many extelligences, so skillfully. very few people can do it that well. The only other one I can think of who is that good is Terry Pratchett.

Is there some reason that the mainstream genres cannot have such a depth of references?

[Darb]

Is there some reason that the mainstream genres cannot have such a depth of references?

Speaking in unfairly broad and sweeping generalities for a moment, most mainstream hoi polloi seem prefer their entertainment fairly simple, straight forward, and not to intellectually/educationally challenging ... in much the same way that they like simple, pre-chewed writing in their sitcoms, simple pre-chewed plots in their movies, simple pre-chewed news reporting, simple pre-chewed SF&F, and simple-to-eat/easy-to-prepare fare in their dietary preferences.

The old maxim that 'you are what you eat' is backwards. IMHO, it'd be a bit more accurate to say, instead, that who you are tends to determine what you generally prefer. Dont get me wrong ... such fare has it's place in one's intellectual diet, and I like Bevis & Butthead as much as everyone else. But as the saying goes, 'man cannot live by bread alone', and non-mainstreamers like us can't live on literary fluff alone either ... which is why we gravitate to works like The Sandman. We NEED such works for good intellectual nutrition.

In any case, if you like those sort of densely packed esoteric references, try Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce sometime.

[Kvetch]

I'm not quite that advanced, but bear it in mind I will. (and now I start to sound like Yoda)

[Evaine]

Shouldn't that be "like Yoda I start to sound"?

I've just read The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender, and even the synopses were compelling reading. I don't usually stray into the world of comics, mainly because I just don't know what's out there, but I'm going to make an effort to find these.

It was also interesting that Neil Gaiman had done The Black Orchid back in the eighties - one of the few comics I do remember. I'd never heard of Neil Gaiman at the time, and had no idea who he was, but I remember the comic and how impressed I was with it (a 3 issue story).

[Darb]

You can read my review over here. I think you'll really like it. Great stuff.

[Blackwing]

I can go on for hours about how wonderful Sandman is, so don't tempt me. I think that Doll's House is the first truely great one. Preludes and Nocturnes was "only" good. I love the Dream Country dearly but I also love all the stories with history references. And the once that deal with mythology characters. The one issue with a Roman emperor was really great!

In fact, a reread is in order...