I actually "read" the audiobook version of this, which I think made a big difference for me. The story itself is well-told enough, but doesn't strike me as a riveting page-turner. If you like Gaiman's other stories, then I think it's a fair bet that you will like this one. I find that he has a penchant for stories where the characters don't have a lot of agency and things *just happen*, kind...
more I actually "read" the audiobook version of this, which I think made a big difference for me. The story itself is well-told enough, but doesn't strike me as a riveting page-turner. If you like Gaiman's other stories, then I think it's a fair bet that you will like this one. I find that he has a penchant for stories where the characters don't have a lot of agency and things *just happen*, kind of like book-long Deus Ex Machina chains (often literally). This one, explicitly being a fairy tale for adults and thus not requiring any particular logic, definitely has that tone. However, his prose, as always, is wonderful and the world he builds is enchanting. What put this over the top for me and made it a very enjoyable experience, however, was his reading of it (Gaiman himself narrates the audiobook). He really infuses the story with life.
Overall, I'd recommend this book and especially the audio version to fans of Gaiman's works in general and to those who like magic and whimsy in their stories. You might want to give it a miss if you like strongly-anchored plots driven by intelligent and strong-willed characters.
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