M is for Magic

Neil Gaiman's book, M is for Magic is, like all short story collections, hit-or-miss.  However, it is mostly hit.  The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds was one of the misses.  Books with a serious or modern tone that use fairy-tale and nursery rhyme characters have been done before, and often.  This one used characters from far too many nursery rhymes to be a good read.  It was like reading the little stories at the back of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: a lot of references just thrown out there trying to sound cool or funny, but quite tedious for somebody who doesn't know every single one.  Troll Bridge was a masterpiece.  Though a tad vulgar, it conveyed a deep message.  It had a feel to it of taking place in a world many times richer and more soulful than our own.  Don't Ask Jack was unmemorable.  It had a plot that has been done by several authors several times, and Neil Gaiman's rendition of it didn't exactly knock me out of my seat.  In fact, though I read it only a few hours ago, I had to look it up to refresh my memory.  The plot of How to Sell the Ponti Bridge was fantastic and well-thought out.  The only problem was the frame story: the Rogue's Club could have been left out entirely and it would have made the story much better.  October in the Chair was fun.  This one had both a good frame story and good main stories.  Even though it was not the main attraction, I particularly enjoyed the small story about the airport security guard.  Chivalry was hilarious.  The little details about sir Galaad giving pony rides to the neighborhood children and how the apple felt to the old lady made the story all he better.  The premise was incredible and original as well.  The Price had an exciting premise, but it could have been told better.  It definitely should have been longer.  I think I'd have liked it more from the perspective of the cat.  I've read Gaiman's work before, and The Price has little of his way with details.  How to Talk to Girls at Parties was hilarious, though the main character's friend seemed unusually dark for a humorous story.  His rough way with girls was shocking from beginning to end.  I was fascinated by the girls' stories.  The story, though small, was bursting with ideas, as if Gaiman had hundreds of them and wanted to stuff in as many as he could, which was not a bad overall effect.  Sunbird was a good read.  It was better than the average short story, but was not a masterpiece for Gaiman.  The Witch's Headstone was beautifully written, and by the end, I still couldn't tell if the witch was good or bad.  Most of the elements were either completely made up or taken from mythologies that I am not familiar with, so it was wonderful to read something fresh that hadn't been done hundreds of times, like most books and short stories seem to be.  Instructions probably belonged in another book.  I don't know what to make of it.  I would review it similarly to The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt by saying that it belongs in another book.