Neil Gaiman

imaginationshow:

This is where I’ve been the last five weeks instead of updating Tumblr that much: between the covers of Neil Gaiman’s books. That and working.

I suddenly found myself employed, full-time, as graphic designer, and it will last the better part of this year. The stuff I get to do and the people I get to do it with are great but it’s a huge change from the kaleidoscope of short term jobs I’ve grown used to. I needed somewhere for thoughts to go feral, exploring this new land. To know where I stood in all this. What better place for it than in the finest of adventures? And rereading books can offer such good observation points from which to understand change, yourself, anything.

Stardust and Neverwhere are books I’ve read more than thrice while reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Trigger Warning and M is for Magic were firsts.

American Gods and Stardust have been part of what is me for more than ten years and as far as I’m concerned they are one and the same book (although they are so different they somehow occupy the same space). Fittingly Neverwhere was once the door opener (although Good Omens pointed the way). Anansi Boys was always the great disappointment (for not being American Gods all over again) but is no longer, which made me both happy and strangely relieved. Bod surprised me more than I thought he would when I went back to the lovely world of The Graveyard Book (memory is a tricky thing) while Coraline was still more or less etched (or sewn) in place (maybe because of the additional help from Henry Selick). As for The Ocean of the End of the Lane it really struck a chord as the most emotionally naked and true piece of fantastic fiction I’ve read. Just wow.

The short fiction is an all-flavoured candy bonanza and it’s not easy to take one’s pick. To get to walk with Shadow again, in Black dog and The Monarch of the Glen, was deeply satisfying while Sunbird and Instructions, perhaps are the ones that best encapsules the essence of the Neil Gaiman’s writing to me.

Where to next? Apart from having ordered Blueberry Girl from my local independent bookstore, being curious about Finally the Milk and Odd and the Frost Giants, and thinking about finally getting acquainted with Sandman? Well I think it’s time I started drawing again.

Also: I used to read a lot but that was long ago and I’ve missed it. These past few weeks I think I’ve consumed more words than what I’ve done each year for the past seven(?) years.

Thank you Mr Gaiman!

You are very welcome.