Wished it were longer.

This was the first book I bought online, many years ago. I bought the soft cover British edition when it first came out- there was no option to get even VHS tapes of the mini-series back then, and this was the closest I could get. I love the story as a whole- strange bits of folklore and mythology are woven in, the dialog is snappy and entertaining, and I like the characters. Having read this many years before I got to finally see the series, I must say I like the book much, much better. I think I read somewhere that the book was edited for the American release, and as my original copy probably will not stand many more years of rereading, I think I’ll buy it to see what’s different.

Mr. Croup did we enjoy this book?
Yes, Mr. Vandermar, very much indeed!

I love present-day fantasy, and this book is great. My first Neil Gaiman book and I’m loving it. I’ll definitely be reading more of his work.

:-O

Rating: 4*/5

Although I enjoyed the story, the writing did not appeal to me. The characters rarely spoke to each other except to develop the plot. The main character seemed more like an old mop stuck in the broom closet—dull and lifeless—until he miraculously becomes heroic. Gaiman could have worked on the novel longer. I think the story and characters deserved more. One thing I will say, though, he does a great job with description.

During my epic trip to Georgia, I reread this book for the fifth or sixth time. It never ceases to be interesting and fun. Every time I read it, I catch some new subtlety in the text, some new bit of common lore. I’m sure I’ll read this again sometime, and I’d recommend that anyone interested in modern fantasy read it, too.

A really good read… sparks of brilliance and kept me entertained.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t seem really complete at the end. I like Neil Gaiman’s work but he always seems to leave way too many loose ends for my comfort.