First off - Neverwhere.
image (via)
It's been on my shelf for a while now and then I randomly picked it up, only to discover (Thanks to a random guy on the Lawrence bus) that it is currently the One Book, One Chicago...book (also known as the One City, One Book Book). This is one of those totally corny things that I absolutely lose my sh*t over. A whole city reading the same book!!!? Squeeeeeee, how harmonious! No guns! Only books! I got so jacked about it I suggested my book club read it too so that we could be one with the city (it lost out to Public Enemies - the John Dillinger book, which is poetic, Chicagoian democracy at its finest).
This is also wonderful because Neil Gaiman (himself) will be here to talk about it. I love listening to authors talk and rubbing off some of their being-published aura. So I'm excited because its really quite lovely when timing works out just right.
As for the book. Well. I cannot bring myself to think anything beyond, "yeaaah, its good." I mean, it is crazy imaginative and vividly written (to the point where there were moments that I forgot it was a fantasy book. I totally bought into this world because sometimes I'm an idiot). But at the same time, I didn't really jam out with any of the main characters. So much energy was spent on the world, that I felt completely ambivalent on whether Door or Richard or any of them made it out of this place alive (except the two bad guys - they were deliciously bad).
I don't think that this is a problem, necessarily - it was a pretty quick read and accessible for the masses (as the One City One Book...book should be). I am excited to read his other stuff and also listen to him talk, as I have heard he is funny fellow.
3 comments:
"Neverwhere" was FUCKING TERRIBLE. I wanted to gouge my eyes out with the spoon practically the whole time I was reading it. I hear his other books aren't so mind-numbingly awful, but I'm not convinced. Sorry, Rach, I was unimpressed.
I disagree with this other commentator. I love Neil Gaiman and I enjoyed Neverwhere. You're lucky if you get to go hear him speak!
Weird sauce, Annie. I thought it was strange, but strange in a foreign country kind of way, not a bad smell in the garbage disposal kind of way. And I felt it was harmless. Did this book get tons of publicity at some point while I was living under a rock? I don't know if it would necessarily live up to any hype... but I thought it was fine.
McKim! He's doing 2 events back to back (and chances are - I'm going to both because I'm a nerd), one of them he's doing with Audrey Niffenegger! Maybe I'll have an opportunity to ask her what the deal was with that weird picture book we read.
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