Objetos frágiles

Por Neil Gaiman

Estos relatos—varios de ellos merecedores de premio Hugo y Locus—conforman este extraordinario libro que nos sumerge en el universo particular de Neil Gaiman: tierno, gótico, infantil, fantástico, cargado de un oscuro sentido del humor y, sobre todo, de una imaginación fuera de lo común y un talento que lo convierten en un escritor excepcional.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Open Road Integrated Media
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 1 abr 2014
• ISBN: 9781497698796

Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is an award-winning author of books, graphic novels, short stories, and films for all ages. His titles include Norse Mythology, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, The View from the Cheap Seats, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neverwhere, and the Sandman series of graphic novels, among other works. His fiction has received Newbery, Carnegie, Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Eisner awards. The film adaptation of his short story “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” and the second season of the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated television adaptation of his novel American Gods will be released in 2018. Born in the UK, he now lives in the United States.

Comentarios para Objetos frágiles

[danielstj · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A thematic set of short stories that focuses on intimate and revealing moments. The collection is full of so many conflicting feelings, expectations, results, disturbing details, and effluence. It's Gaiman attempting to reach for something literary-- and that is always to be commended.

3.5

[schufman · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Definite high points and low points, but even the low points were good. Worth re-reading.

[jlharmon · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Another Gaiman. I am slowly working my way through them all. I was over halfway through this book of short stories when I got the audio book and started over. There's something about the author reading his own words that makes them more meaningful. Plus, I'm a sucker for British male narrators.

Anyways, this collection is very diverse, with poems and funny ones and mystery ones and ones I'd never read before, and everything with that little (or huge) twist I've come to expect. There are some, like "The Problem of Susan" that I'm not very happy about, but I know they will stick with me as only the best sci-fi short stories can. You know that creepy way Bradbury or Twilight Zone stories come back to haunt you every time you hear about virtual reality or fly on an airplane? Only this one is about children's books. There are some, like the novella featuring Shadow, the main character from American Gods, that are just plain good stories. They hit all the right buttons and leave you with a feeling that something amazing just happened but you missed how the magic trick happened. If I ever have a long road trip, I'm putting this back in the queue for sure.

[csdaley-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Some excellent shorts. My favorites was shadows.

[kmajort · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Another pick-up-put-down-pick-up-again collection of short stories.....

[delialynn · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Love it, love it, love it.

[josephcamilleri-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I tend to prefer my supernatural fiction "vintage", by which I understand that it should be written before 1950 and/or in the style of the classic ghost, gothic or horror story. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the occasional foray into the "New Weird". In December 2014 I had read with pleasure China Mieville's "Looking for Jake and Other Stories". Over Christmas this year I opted for another anthology of short fiction: Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. I can't say I know these two authors well enough to compare them but, if forced to do so, I'd say Mieville strikes me as grittier and more politically committed, his style owing as much to noir and thriller genres as to the tradition of supernatural fiction. On the other hand, Gaiman seems more fascinated by the world of faerie, folk tale and myth; by the sometimes subtle, sometimes shocking intrusion of the weird into everyday life. Another recurrent inspiration in this collection appears to be the act of "writing" and "creating" itself. Not only is the anthology preceded by an introduction in which Gaiman explains the genesis of each of the pieces, but some of the stories themselves are either *about* writing, writers and storytellers, or else reinterpret known literary works. For instance, in the opening story - "A Study in Emerald" - the worlds of Conan Doyle and Lovecraft combine as Sherlock Holmes is placed in an alternative 19th Century ruled by "Old One" Queen Victoria. It's the sort of divertissement which shouldn't work but ultimately does. "The Problem of Susan" presents a more disturbing and abstruse reinterpretation of characters from the Chronicles of Narnia. "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" veers between parody and pastiche and features an author living in a typical candle-lit Gothic world of crumbling castles and stormy nights who is suffering from a particularly acute case of writer's block. A critic described this tale as "facetious nonsense" (which it probably is), but it is hilarious - after all, parody has always been an element of the Gothic tradition. A highlight of the collection is "October in the Chair", in which, at a story-telling reunion between the months of the year, October relates the tale of a bullied boy who befriends a ghost. A prototype for The Graveyard Book , it is touching and unsettling at the same time.In other tales we meet child zombies, haunted playrooms, beautiful aliens and magical instruments. There is a return of "Shadow" from "American Gods" in the novella "Monarch of the Glen", where the protagonist finds himself pitted against a Grendel-like monster of old. In this story there is also a cameo appearance by the repulsive "Mr Smith and Mr Alice", who also get their own story - "Keepsakes and Treasures" is violent, quite revolting but strangely fascinating.With such a varied anthology there will be entries which do not work for you. In my case, I didn't particularly like the poetry and there were stories which lost me because they seemed to lack an internal logic. Gaiman points out that supernatural tales are rarely "story-shaped", so others may actually relish the feeling of being "bewildered" by a seemingly illogical tale. I don't.I must make a mental note to venture into "New Weird" more often - possibly starting with some of Gaiman's and Mieville's full-length novels.

[andsoitgoes_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Didn't like too many of these short stories or poems which surprised me since I do enjoy Neil Gaimen's books.

[writertomg · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A splendid collection from one of my authors. Will give mini-synopses/reviews of the stories.

A Study in Emerald - Wow! I don't know if I've ever read a better short story in my life. Written for an anthology of stories where the world of Sherlock Holmes meets the world of H.P. Lovecraft, Gaiman's take gives The Ancient Ones the sanity-crumbling horror I'm used to and gives Holmes the brilliant see-everything-at-once deductive skills that we expect. A best-of-both-worlds story that's scary, thrilling, and surprising.

The Fairy Reel -

October in the Chair

The Hidden Chamber

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire

The Flints of Memory Lane

Closing Time

Going Wodwo

Bitter Grounds

Other People

Keepsakes and Treasures

Good Boys Deserve Favors

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

Strange Little Girls

Harlequin Valentine

Locks

The Problem of Susan

Instructions

How Do You Think It Feels?

My Life

Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

Feeders and Eaters

Diseasemaker's Croup

In the End

Goliath

Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

The Day the Saucers Came

Sunbird

Inventing Aladdin

The Monarch of the Glen

[ahs7wolfy · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A bunch of short stories and poems which concludes with a novella. I don't tend to read a lot of short fiction but have been picking at this one for quite a while. For me it was quite a mixed bag so far as quality goes but you can't argue with the quantity as there are nearly 30 entries included in this collection.. There are also introductions to each piece located in a separate section at the beginning of the book. My favourites were Monarch of the Glen (the novella which features Shadow from American Gods), Sunbird (a club set on sampling all the world's gastronomic delights), Bitter Grounds (Ghost story with voodoo element), Keepsakes and Treasures (Introduces a couple of villains who also appear in the novella) and The Hidden Chamber (possibly the creepiest poem I've ever read). Most of the rest were at least enjoyable to a certain extent even if some were instantly forgettable.

[shaunesay · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I really just love listening to Neil Gaiman read, whether I'm actually paying attention to the story or not. Short stories have never been my favorite medium, but there were several interesting ones in here, and combined with Neil's performance, I enjoyed this. My biggest problem in looking back at the list of stories is not really being able to say which ones were my favorites, because I'm not entirely sure which ones they were! lol! I'm pretty sure that Bitter Grounds was one with an Anthropology/Voodoo/Missing Person spin. Also there was another that had a Matrix-esque premise of the world you feel is real actually being a simulation that I liked quite a bit.

I think at some point I would like to read this physically, since I retain them better when I'm reading visually than when I'm listening, but I will always listen to Neil reading, always. :)

I'm counting this in for Award Winning Challenge as a couple of the stories in this collection are award winners or mentions.

Study in Emerald
short story : 2004 Hugo W
novelette : 2004 Locus W

The Monarch of the Glen
novelette : 2004 Locus/2

[sile_2 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Loved it!Proper review to follow.Why did I read it? Well, I had listened to two other books by Neil Gaiman: one being a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, "Good Omens"; and the other being the 10th anniversary edition of "American Gods", which I truly enjoyed. Given this was a selection of short stories, and prose, I thought it would be entertaining for my commute. And, so it was!What's it about? Bizarre tales, short stories, the odd poem, and, finally, a little epilogue to "American Gods". A rather odd collection, though nicely set out, which I imagine can be dipped in an out of at random (if you have the hard copy, and aren't listening to Neil Gaiman narrate them himself). Tales of mythical creatures, legends, and some snatched from fragments of folklore. Included are stories from Neil Gaiman's early writings revised, edited and included here; one is a birthday gift to his daughter; and each is a wonder tale.What did I like? Every, single story, and poem. Really, I did! This collection kept me engaged, wanting to listen to every word, and not miss a moment. Neil Gaiman is a writer of the odd, the unusual, the supernatural, the otherworlds and so his tales have twists not found in other stories, but once found in the myths of old.There is a sense of humour to be found in the works, as well. Sometimes authors forget to include this in darker tales, but life, or indeed fantasy, is not just one dimensional - or shouldn't be. Neil Gaiman incorporates the whole of life, death, and everything in between in these tales.Neil Gaiman is also rather good at narrating his own work. This author knows how to bring a story to life, and doesn't seem to falter in his delivery. It's kind of refreshing to hear an author read his own words, even if you will never hear him do so live.The audio version, provided by Audible, was clear, and without fault.What didn't I like? Nope. Can't think of anything.Would I recommend it? Oh yes! To anyone who has read Neil Gaiman's other works, or even those of Terry Pratchett. If you want to read something a little different, this is it. I'll definitely be listening again.

[kforeman_10 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

fantasy fiction horror anthology favorites

[renbedell · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A fantastic set of short stories by Neil Gaiman. Many of the stories have been published in the past, but there are some that were written long ago but never published. Majority of them have a horror or spooky theme. Many of them I loved and would want to read more, some are satisfying, and some are mostly enjoyable. I don't think any of the stories are bad. If you are fan of Neil Gaiman, then this is definitely a collection to check out.

[schneider_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman is a magical walk inside the mind of the author. A book of short stories of which some are wonderfully light and airy while others are dark and brooding. Some are easy to follow along others following the story line can be a bit of a challenge.I listened to the audio version of the book and the reader was none other than the author himself. He is quite a good reader and I enjoyed listening to his characters. My hot take here is Mr. Gaiman's American voice/accent is...not good.All of the stories are fairly quick with the last being a visit to a familiar character (Shadow) who finds himself in another interesting predicament.I am torn between liking it and really liking it, I give it 3.5 stars due to some of the confusion and difficulty following a few of the stories, but there are quite a few absolute gems in here. The man is a treasure...I would recommend this to any fan of Gaiman and fantasy and or fiction readers anywhere.

[steve02476 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Not my kind of stuff, but he does it really well,with a fine sense of humor. Listened to the audiobook and Gaiman’s voice is wonderful.

[winterfox-392140 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Having read a bunch of Gaiman's work in the past, and also his previous collection of short stories, I pretty much knew what to expect from this collection, and I largely got it. He's definitely got his own style and tone, and it appears in most of the work, but in a few cases, he departs from his own style and tries to write in the style of someone else, often to quite good effect. I really enjoyed Sunbird, for example, his take on a Lafferty story.Anyway, there are a few misses in the collection, but it's mostly quite strong; I particularly enjoyed Sunbird, A Study in Emerald, The Monarch in the Glen, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Most of the rest was good, but some didn't quite do it for me (probably the worst from my view was Feeders and Eaters). I liked most of the poetry, as well. It's a solid collection, and it's worth going through if you're a fan, but I'd start with the novels if you want to try his work for the first time, personally.

[linyarai · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Overall I enjoyed it, but some stories were too short and others were really creepy. The story of Shadow at the end was really good.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

The Shadow story was my favorite part of this collection.

[carol420 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I don't think I have read anything by this author that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. If you've never read Neil Gaiman and you want to meet this talented story teller...then these short stories are a perfect way to go. You'll find these little jewels dark and magnificently creepy...but easy and quick reads. There are a few pieces that are on the weak side...but that's okay, as there is plenty to pick and choose from here.

[charlotteburt · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I don't normally like short stories, but this is the exception. Each is exquisitely crafted and most are disquieting. He is a master of his craft.

[melrailey-412132 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

In short, this is another great installment from Neil Gaiman. Some of the stories blew me over (A Study In Emerald) and others were forgettable. But the entire time, I was lost in the world of Neil Gaiman's imagination (which has no competition). This story collection is worth picking up just for the American Gods story featuring Shadow.

[angelajmaher · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

These stories are wonderful flights of fancy but what gets me is how very 'complete' they are. There is a meat, a complexity, that usually only comes from a skillful telling of a true story. There's no excess backstory but the structure of the telling shows so much more than the words themselves express. Wonderful.

[theelliemo · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A bit of a mixed bag; some of the stories didn’t really do it for me - mostly these are because this isn’t my usual genre and I therefore didn’t get some of the references; the stories linked to Tori Amos’ albums or tours missed the mark for me too, because hers isn’t my kind of music. But on balance, the good stories are superb. I loved The Monarch of The Glen, the American Gods novella that rounds off this collections, and while I’m not in general a huge fan of poetry, the poems in this collection are delightful.

[cassandra2020 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (short stories) - some better than others from good to very good

Ah, it seemed such a good idea when I was wandering round Penicuik Library: two books by two of my favourite authors. Only when I got home did I realise that both were Short Stories. Now I like short stories, but you can't sit and read them continuously, you need to read a novel for that. So, this took me some time to finish.

As you would expect with Neil Gaiman, each of the stories was quirky and interesting, some appealed more than others, all were worth reading. Of course, all lacked depth/substance because some of them were only a few pages long. I particularly enjoyed the return of Shadow from American Gods: it was nice to see how he progressed post novel! It was also one of the longer stories and therefore had time to develop. In fact I think the ones I enjoyed the most were the longer stories for that very reason. Having said that, I did enjoy the poems.

In general, this is one of the collections that proves Pauline's dislike of the genre. some interesting ideas, but not enough development to really capture the imagination.

[turtlesleap · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I love short fiction and I love Neil Gaiman. What an unbeatable combination this book provides.

[sdobie_2 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A very enjoyable collection, although a number of the pieces aren't really stories, just atmospheric literary pieces. I most enjoyed "Feeders and Eaters", "Goliath", and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties"

[steadfastreader · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Excellent collection, though I wish that the American Gods novella had come first. It's my little OCD that I have to read everything in order. I also enjoyed the explinations at the beginning of how each story or poem came to be. "The Problem of Susan" spurred me on to re-read the entire Narnia series, though I'm already so irritated I don't know if I'll make it. (See review on The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe)

[slpwhitehead · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Fragile Things is a collection of short works of fiction and poems by Neil Gaiman, most of which have been previously published elsewhere. This is the fourth work by Gaiman that I have read; previously, I have read Coraline, Odd and the Frost Giants, and The Graveyard Book, all of which I was enchanted with. So, I must admit that as I was reading Fragile Things, I found myself a bit disappointed because I was having the most difficult time getting into the text.

However, it wasn't really Gaiman's writing that the problem. I think the problem solely lies with the fact that I'm not a huge fan of short story collections. I do like short stories as a genre of writing, but I think when you collect them into a single text, they seem to lose some of their charm for me. Perhaps this is because I was trying to read the collection like you would a novel and simply could not get into a reading rhythm. I also found myself searching for a clear connection between one story to the next story of poem, and wasn't really finding any, which I think is part of what made getting into a reading rhythm more difficult. I found that when I picked up another book to read and would take longer breaks between the stories in Fragile Things that I actually enjoyed the book more.

Some of the short stories were just okay for me, while some of them I absolutely loved, especially "October in the Chair", a story in which the months of the year are personified, "Bitter Grounds", "Strange Little Girls", and "Pages of a Journal Found in a Shoebox...". Overall, I enjoyed the poetry more than I did the stories as a whole. "The Fairy Reel" was, I think, my favorite poem. I say "I think" because it's difficult to choose which poem I actually liked the most. What I found with all of the writing is that Gaiman is a master of word play, and that there are little bits and snippets of every story or poem that are little jewel-like treasures that keep singing through my head at the most mundane moments of my day (i.e. washing dishes or loading the washing machine.) I think I'll have to go back and reread this collection again soon.

Two of the parts of the book that I also enjoyed were the introduction to the text and the "Conversation with Neil Gaiman" that came at the end of my edition. Introductions are tricky little elements, I think. Often, I read an introduction to a text and wonder "Why did I bother?". But that wasn't the case with the introduction to Fragile Things. I found myself really interested in Gaiman's explanations of how each piece came to be or why it was written. "Strange Little Girls", for instance, was originally written to accompany Tori Amos' CD Strange Little Girls. So, this collection of 12 very short stories appeared as lines scattered throughout the CD booklet. "Harlequin Valentine" was a story inspired by the ticket-seller in a piece, a Ferris wheel, by Lisa Snellings-Clark and sculptor and artist.

The "Conversation with Neil Gaiman" included at the end of my edition was also equally interesting as Gaiman addressed questions such as which of the pieces in this collection was his favorite and further explored how some of the pieces were written in addition to answering some questions about his writing and writing process in general.

[quibee · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A very enjoyable read, except for two of the stories which I found rather distasteful. An Audible book which was read very capably by the author.