The Ocean at the end of the lane is such a beautiful book. I often pull it off my shelve and read random passages.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

The writing is spectacular. ❤️

Neverwhere is my absolute favourite. I also really love his short stories. When my wife and I were first dating I used to read to her from Fragile Things so I have a soft spot for that collection as well.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

That's really sweet - such a nice memory to have associated with them. :)

This was Neil Gaiman guide I needed! I did start with Stardust many years ago. This may sound weird but I actually found out about Neil Gaiman through Tori Amos lyrics. She referenced him in songs, and he made a tree of her in Stardust. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was the book that made me fall in love with audiobooks, and I might try the Norse Mythology audiobook some time!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

That’s an amazing way to find an author! His narration is so good - it can convert even the most reluctant listeners!

@bmoneybby

2 жыл бұрын

I've heard him say in interviews that Tori Amos has a vacation type house that she let's Neil use to go live at for months on end so he can be alone and write.

@Johanna_reads

2 жыл бұрын

@@bmoneybby Thank you for sharing that! I understand they have a very close friendship, and it's so fun to see that as a fan!

@MagusMarquillin

2 жыл бұрын

That's cool! Was Tori's tree the Copper Beach that Tristran slept under; who dreamed of Pan and who told her told to help Tristran, and she did because he didn't keep the Star chained up, and then she gave him a leaf? That makes me want to give Tori Amos a better listen!

@Johanna_reads

2 жыл бұрын

@@MagusMarquillin That’s the one! There’s a song called Horses (it’s actually Beauty Queen/Horses), and sings: “If there is a way to find you I will find you, but will you find me if Neil makes me a tree?” There’s also a line in the song Tear in Your Hand: “If you need me, me and Neil'll be hangin' out with the dream king. Neil says ‘hi’ by the way.” He’s referenced in a couple of other songs, I believe, but in those two, it seems like she’s almost using him as jealousy bate to lover or ex she’s singing to. It’s very interesting. But they are good friends in real life.

No background music and a critical appreciation with depth. Thank you.

I too love Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere was my first and I was instantly hooked. It remains my favorite of his books but Norse Mythology comes in a close second! The word that always comes to my mind when I think of Gaiman is "delectable", as if you can almost smell and taste the words coming off the page. It's weird, but it makes sense to me. His prose is so good. The short story collections are the only books of his I haven't read yet, but I'm definitely interested now.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I totally understand what you mean! He's truly one of the greats. I'm rereading Sandman right now and having a great time. I hope you enjoy the short stories :)

So happy a video like this exist🥰 I want to get into him because I fell for his style watching good omens and sandman. I will follow this guide because when i googled his works i felt overwhelmed with how much he's done

Great video! Haven't read much of Neil but I have listen to his lectures they are amazing.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve yet to see something he’s bad at 😅 And thank you ☺️

Loved this video ❤️! The Ocean at the End of Lane was my gateway drug to Neil Gaiman , now he is my favorite author.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Love to hear this 🥰

Great video! I picked up Fortunately, the Milk a couple weeks ago based on your recommendation from an earlier video, and my kids really loved it.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad!! Hearing that your kids loved the recommendation has made my night 😍

Great overview! My personal favourite is Neverwhere, which was the first one I read of his and opened my eyes to some amazing storytelling. Honourable mentioned goes to The Sandman series which is just epic and awe-inspiring as well.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree! His style translates so well into the graphic novel medium.

I have only read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and this book solidified my love and appreciation for Neil Gaiman. It was a wonderful introduction. Can’t wait to read more!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I hope you keep loving his work :)

Gaimen for me shines the brightest in Good Omens!!! Great video Sarah.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I love Good Omens as well! Thanks, Andrew ☺️

Thanks Sarah! I am the exact target for this video, as I always saw Neil Gaiman books on the bookstore shelves, but was never sure where to start. Now I have narrowed it down to Neverwhere ... or maybe Fragile Things (and Fortunately, the Milk, for the nightly read-along with my boys).

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Whenever someone picks up a recommendation for their kids I am so happy. I hope you all love his work!

I very much agree with your starting point recommendations - my first Gaiman book was Neverwhere, followed by Stardust. My favorites are American Gods and Sandman. I totally enjoyed The View From the Cheap Seats for the glimpses into the evolution of the author and him recounting his own history as a reader.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

That’s what I enjoyed about it as well! It’s nice to have that insight into one of your favourite authors. ☺️

Yay I have been excited for this video! I really want to read more Gaiman! I picked up a few books, American Gods and Ocean at the End of the Lane, and I think I will start with the latter since it is shorter lol

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I think that’s a good choice! It’s such a beautiful book. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it ☺️

Wonderful video, exactly the kind of video I've been looking for as I've recently bought whole collection of Neil Gaiman and been thinking to start with Coraline and Graveyard yard book, I've heard even adults could enjoy those books and Sarah you are so pleasant to listen

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much :) I'm glad that you found this helpful - please let me know what you think of his work once you get started!

I have just started getting into his writing. I listened to the Audible version of the Sandman and it was amazing. Can't wait for the TV show. I think Neverwhere will be next. Thank you for such a great look at this subject.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ☺️ I’ve heard good things about the Sandman production. Perhaps I’ll reread and listen at the same time!

Thanks for your video. Neil Gaiman is a great pick for highlighting an author's work. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on these books. It's probably good that you excluded some works, or the video would have gone on awhile (I'm a big fan of two episodes he wrote for Dr. Who). I liked his Norse Mythology quite a bit. The Poetic and Prose Eddas, the sagas and so forth are great reads (and Old Norse is fascinating), but re-tellings of the stories are a treat. The stories all started as oral traditions, and even the preserved versions in the Eddas point to variations and different forms of the same story, so refreshed, new tellings are just keeping the stories alive. I love Gaiman's other works as well, but this one is a favorite.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

It worked really well as a starting point for me. I’d love to go on to explore some of the Poetic/Prose Eddas, but I’ll need to do some digging to find out where to start. I’m glad you enjoyed the video ☺️

@derrisreaditbefore

2 жыл бұрын

I LOVED The Doctor's Wife! It was one of my favourite episodes even before I knew it had been penned by Neil :)

Brilliant video and extremely helpful since I am trying to pick up a Neil gaiman book for the first time

@TheBookCure

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! I'm glad it could be helpful for you :)

Great guide Sarah thank you! Personally I have only started listening to Neil Gaiman last week with 'An Ocean at The End Of The Lane', so far I am enjoying it!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

So glad to hear that you're enjoying it :)

Hi Sarah, I listened to Norse mythology earlier this year also and loved it so much that I went straight on to read The Prose Edda which blew my mind. 🤓 I have American God's here which I've not read yet however as it was a charity shop find for 50p I picked it up and will read it before the end of the year. I also think that I read The ocean at the end of the lane a long time ago, might need a re read of that one. Thank you for the information here, excellent as ever.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I hope you enjoy American Gods! I think your knowledge of Norse Mythology will make it an even richer experience ☺️

Fragil Things also has a story in the American Gods universe, The Monarch of the Glen so i would recommend reading Gods first. Excellent video!

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is my favorite as well. I love it so, so, so much. With all my heart and soul.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

It’s wonderful. We’re both suckers for that haunting edge to fantasy, it seems.

Great video and I completely agree. Stardust is both a favorite book and movie. He writes with such magic, another I compare him to is Diana Wynne Jones. They have that ability to insert actual magic into their writing just as you're saying. Thanks!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree. I love DWJ as well. Two such beautifully imaginative authors. ❤️

Great content! I've read and/or listened to a few of Neil Gaiman's works, and this reminded me I want to read more. Like you, I haven't watched Coraline as a movie - because that is a seriously *creepy* story. I'm still gobsmacked that it's classified as a childrens book, and not horror. With excluding collaborations, I missed the chance to hear your thoughts on Good Omens - the book that brought Neil Gaiman to my attention. The whimsical nature of Terry Pratchett's work has long been a favourite of mine, and in Good Omens Neil Gaiman added a frisson of fear and shadow, helping to create an utterly unique book. From there I read Stardust - and my heart was won. A gloriously gruesome, lighthearted (a combination I don't think many authors could pull off), adventurous fairy tale - and while different, the movie has captured a little of it's sparkle, making it worth watching. American Gods was one I wanted to read for a long time, but knew would be far heavier in feel, so I actually read it after Stephen King's The Stand. Turned out to be a remarkably good book pairing. I have Stardust and Norse Myths on audible, and his voice is gorgeous - and dangerously soporific! If I'm not physically doing something while listening - he puts me to sleep every time. Thanks Sarah

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you; I’m glad you enjoyed! ☺️ I agree that Coraline is incredibly creepy. I love Gaiman, so will likely cover more of his work on the channel in the future. I really like Good Omens and love Sandman, so I’d like to talk about them sometime. How did you feel about The Stand?

@derrisreaditbefore

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure I love The Stand, it's my favourite of King's works, I think the characters are the best he's written, and the scale of the story is amazing. It certainly put me in the right head-space for American Gods! The mix of mundane and profound is oddly similar.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

@@derrisreaditbefore I wouldn’t have made the connection, but I think it absolutely fits! The Stand is certainly ambitious - and has so many fantastic characters. Definitely one of my favourites by King.

Didn't expect for Chris Riddell to be mentioned here, he's the same guy who illustrated the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's 42nd anniversary edition.

Excellent video Sarah. Ocean is my absolute favorite Neil Gaiman book, and also my favorite book of all time. I’ve yet to read a book that outranks it…for me anyway lol. Graveyard, I agree, is the best kids book to start with. It’s so much fun. Some of the books I might put in different categories, but I think you nailed this. Oh, and Sandman is his magnum opus in my opinion 😉, but I know you weren’t covering graphic novels.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, Chas! When I think Neil Gaiman, Sandman is the first thing that comes to mind. But for novels, I think AG takes the spot. I didn’t know Ocean was your favourite book! If you’re ever doing a reread, let me know. Would be nice to reread it with a friend ☺️

@BookishChas

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure absolutely. I’m actually planning a reread sometime this year. I’ll message you on Discord if that’s ok?

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

@@BookishChas Definitely ☺️

I adore Neil Gaiman 😊 My favs are def American Gods and Neverwhere. I have yet to read Good Omens but I have heard so many good things. Great video 🙂

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I really love Good Omens, but you can definitely feel Terry Pratchett’s influence. That’s why I didn’t include it here. American Gods is fantastic. Have you watched the show?

@crystalsingh7325

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure I have, but I am not a fan of the show 😖😅

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

@@crystalsingh7325 I haven’t seen it, but that’s good to know!

Thank you. I wasn't sure which books should I get. I thought Ocean and Stardust were also written for kids... You helped me a lot. Great video indeed.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you; I’m so glad this was helpful! ☺️

You left off the Interworld Triology. I've only read the 1st one, but it was good. My favorite short story was in M is for Magic and another one and I think it's called November about each month telling a story. Amazing.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I left off Interworld and Good Omens because they were co-authored and I felt like the video was going to be very long even with Gaiman-only publications 😅 But I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the first one - I’ll have to give them a try sometime ☺️

I've read most of Gaiman's works and still working on finishing them off. I have mostly some short stories. The Graveyard book is one of my all time favorite books. I love it. I also love American Gods - its brilliant.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I love both of those 😍I think The Ocean at the End of the Lane is probably my favourite, but I love all his stuff so much 🥰

wow this is such a great video. I started off with Fragile things which was a gift, then moved onto American Gods, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neverwhere. I have also read Smoke & Mirrors and Norse Mythology. I have Anansi Boys which I am yet to read.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it!

My favourite so far is The Ocean at the End of the Lane and as a second Norse Mythology but I still have so many to read (incl. American Gods!). I was surprised though that you included Norse Mythology in nonfiction ^^ but I understand your rationale. Thanks for the video!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Hahaha, I wasn’t sure where to put it 😅😅 I really enjoyed it as well; Gaiman’s narration made it even better.

@cynthiaholmes5124

2 жыл бұрын

American gods is a great book I read it in one hole day 💙🌟

You got me at "Holmes mystery told with a Lovecraftian flair". Book is now in the checkout basket.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Yay!! I hope you love it :)

Neil Gaiman is one of the best in the business. Personally Neverwhere is my favourite. It is hard to get better than Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar hahah. But I definitely need to read some more :). Will

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, they are the best part of the book! So creepy. I’ve seen other authors try to match that kind of duo and it doesn’t love up. He does a great job narrating their voices as well. :)

Just started reading American Gods (due to German metal band Blind Guardian having a song on it) but am stuck for what to read afterwards. Help.

My Gaiman intro was Good Omens and then American Gods. Those and the Graveyard Book are my favorite works of his (and Sandman, naturally). Neverwhere is my least favorite

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Neverwhere is definitely the most straightforward of his books. I still enjoy it, but it’s not my favourite.

Many years ago I started with American Gods and I honestly didn’t understand it. Something with the writing style didn’t suit me. Then last year I read Stardust and Coraline and loved both. I liked his style in these stories which is different than most. Thank you for the guide.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! He has so much variation in his books that I really think there is something for everyone ☺️

@zahraferdous6548

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure yes. And I'll start with Fragile Things soon because I think since It's a collection I might find some "genre" of his writing that I love. I believe It's fairy tale retelling, but let's see.

Have you ever read the otherworld series by Kelly Armstrong her book series was adapted into a tv series called bitten I absolutely loved both the tv show and the books 🤔👓🥰☺️

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I haven’t read it, but I will look it up for sure ☺️

@cynthiaholmes5124

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure the book series is set the world of the supernatural it has werewolves and witches and other creatures in the series plus some of the books have different female protagonists in them but the series is mostly centered on only elena Michaels the show lasted three seasons 🌟💜💙

It's not fair Neil is the best writer AND the best narrator. Save a little for rest of us bro!

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Right? Just showing off, really.

Neverwhere had been my favorite until I read Ocean at the End of the Lane. And looking at the other comments, I feel like I want to say Neverwhere again just to be different... but I won't. I still feel bad I haven't read past the first issue of Sandman because that might end up being my fave. By the way, have you ever heard of his Books of Magic comic series? If not, look into it and see if it reminds you of anything.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

It's hard to top Ocean at the End of the Lane! Neverwhere is really fun though. I have not heard of hat comic series, but I will definitely look it up now :)

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Just looked it up and it sounds like something I'd enjoy. Will definitely pick it up and give it a read.

Sucks majorly that so many people scrub The Sandman from these lists just because it's a comic book. Too many people disrespect comics.

@TheBookCure

Жыл бұрын

I love Sandman, I just specified this one was for fiction because I couldn’t do Sandman justice within the limits here. Gaiman has written enough comics for them to earn their own video!

Even though I have Stardust, I am thinking that I’ll plan to start with The Ocean at the End of the Lane. (Re: Johanna’s comment) Oddly enough, I, too, found out about Neil Gaiman’s existence through Tori Amos. 😂

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I think you’ll like it, Evie!

Also, Fragile Things has a short story related to American Gods

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Oh, thank you!

I'm gonna have to bust you, you missed one of his most important works, and that is the Adult comic book, "The Sandman". I know a comic book, yes, a book with illustrations and words, forbid. But, this comic book is not for kids, its not you typical DC or Marvel Comics, this was the first Gaiman work i read when i was younger, and, it blew me away, i'd never read anything like it. You can find bits of Ideas and concepts from his books in this series. Seriously, just cause its a comic, don't buy it for your kids cause their are vary adult themes, gothic violence, gods with human flaws whom have to deal with their choices to humanity, revenge, love, reincarnation, and taking responsibility for their actions... seriously, this is one of his most amazing works that i still find reason to go back and read this series. Oh, i still feel my favorite book by him is "Stardust".

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I love Sandman, and many of his other comics :) I just didn’t think I could do them justice without doubling the time of this video 😅 Will definitely make another to cover them; glad to see that you love them just as much! 🥰

Amazing. I´m about to begin American Gods.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Nice! I hope you enjoy ☺️

The only things I've read by Neil Gaiman are the Comics, and, or Graphic novels. The reason being, every other Writer I've read that crossed over I haven't enjoyed. 🤷‍♂️ You know the stuff I've talked about, Give Me one In Your Opinion I should 2 try. Also remember...I don't listen 2 Audio books. Nothing against them. Just not my thing. It takes away from my own imagination, or how I like 2 make the voices in my head as I read. IMO.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

Norse Mythology might be a good one to try, just to see if you like his writing style. I think that given your love of the Dark Tower that you might appreciate the genre-blending of American Gods, but the plot does meander a bit.

@jamesfetcho6315

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheBookCure OK. Thank You. 😊

I've tried to read american gods and good omens and dnfed both. Just couldn't get into his writing.

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

That’s fair; no author is for everyone. If you want to give something else a try, I hope this is helpful!

:D

The only book that I read from him is American gods I absolutely loved it I read it in one day I was so hooked into the story but the TV series I absolutely hated it one of the worst tv adaptations ever I only watched the first two episodes it was so bad 💙💜💝💖👎

@TheBookCure

2 жыл бұрын

I haven’t watched the show, but I’m glad that I’m not missing out on something amazing.