Reason for Reading: Group read on LibraryThing
Review
In this classic graphic novel, Dream (The Sandman) is captured by a sinister magician and remains trapped for decades. While he is gone, his kingdom falls apart and dreams on Earth are disrupted. I'm not very experienced with graphic novels, having only read Satrapi's Persepolis before this, so reading Preludes and Nocturnes took some getting used to. But I'm glad I decided to climb out of my comfort-zone for a while - I was REALLY enjoying the book by the time it ended. Neil Gaiman's mind never ceases to amaze me. He's so darkly creative. There are a few issues I had with this book, though. I thought the tie-in to DC superheroes was a bit cheesy - though I recognize that this cheese was do to the development of the graphic novel as a genre. I hear these elements disappear later in the series to leave only the good stuff. :) Also, I found one incident at the end of the book darkly depressing. It made me very sad to see the dark insides of humanity (as Gaiman and his illustrators see them)...but I guess my emotional reaction is exactly what Gaiman was going for. So, points to him. ;) Overall, this was a promising beginning, and now that I am more used to the graphic novel style, I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series much more - after all, it's only supposed to get better from here!
This sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I read a few graphic novels and really liked them. It seems like a very dynamic and fun art form. Alas I have not found the time to continue reading these works. I have never read Neil Gaiman but have heard great things about him.
Gaiman has a pretty amazing mind, so if you like darker fantasy you should try him out. Graphic novels seem like a lot of fun, and I've always liked illustrations. :)
DeleteOh, this does get so much better (and darker). Though I loved how Cain and Abel were portrayed here. And it is the battle of wits in hell where I finally realized how cliches can still become thrillingly grand. And where I realized I was going to see this series to the end.
ReplyDeleteYes, I found Cain and Abel pretty interesting. And the battle of wits was well-done. :) I certainly want to see the series to the end! I know there will be some parts that are darker than I'd like, but I'm willing to put up with that for the sake of a fascinating story.
DeleteThis series is great,its what got me into reading graphic novels! The second book is pretty dark but don't be put off!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warning! I actually deal with that sort of darkness much better when I have warnings. I don't mind gory zombie/vampire violence, but the dark-side of humanity is frightening to me. Too real, I guess.
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