The View from the Cheap Seats
Selected Nonfiction
گزارش تخلف
فرمت کتاب
audiobook
تاریخ انتشار
2016
Lexile Score
1140
Reading Level
8-9
نویسنده
Neil Gaimanناشر
HarperAudioشابک
9780062262295
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
Neil Gaiman is widely acknowledged for his work as a writer, but his narration of this collection of his essays and speeches reminds listeners that he's a charismatic performer as well. Gaiman's tone ranges as his pieces do--reflective and affectionate when speaking about friends who have died (his essay on Diana Wynne Jones is particularly affecting), amused when speaking of his youth, and passionate when speaking on reading and the importance of genre fiction. His playful accents are a high point, as when he does a not-half-bad impersonation of Stephen King. Fans of Gaiman will be familiar with many of his subjects, and he succeeds in his mission to encourage listeners to revisit favorites and seek out something new. A.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Starred review from April 25, 2016
This collection conclusively proves that Gaiman is just as accomplished an essayist as he is an author of fiction (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and comics (The Sandman). Echoing Rainer Maria Rilke’s sentiment that “To praise is the whole thing,” the collection is about building things up, not tearing them down. Gaiman’s paeans to books, libraries, and bookstores, which tellingly are grouped together at the start, are heartfelt gems that capture the joy of reading. The author’s eclecticism finds him writing on many disparate subjects; Gaiman is as deft analyzing Batman and G.K. Chesterton as he is describing the plight of Syrian refugees in Jordan. The most meaningful piece is titled simply “Make Good Art”—the 2012 commencement address for the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The speech is in the same category as David Foster Wallace’s “This Is Water” in terms of wisdom per square inch. Gaiman’s words capture the importance of making art that is sincerely one’s own. With this volume, Gaiman has shown that his nonfiction rivals his much-lauded fiction. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.
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