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The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains
The text of The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was first published in the collection anthology All New Tales edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. This gorgeous full-color illustrated book version was born of a unique collaboration between writer Neil Gaiman and artist Eddie Campbell, who brought to vivid life the characters and landscape of Gaiman's story. In August 2010, The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was performed in the concert hall of the Sydney Opera House to a sold-out crowd—Gaiman read his tale live as Campbell's magnificent artwork was presented, scene-by-scene, on large screens. Narrative and art were accompanied by live music composed and performed especially for the story by the FourPlay String Quartet.
74 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
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6250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,418 reviews
January 11, 2021
“The Truth Is A Cave in the Black Mountains” is a superbly told story of loss, greed, love and fate. Although only a short story, it is full of atmosphere; bringing to life the craggy, stormy and windy Scottish countryside which is as unpredictable and treacherous as the morals and intentions of the main characters. The stark simplicity in Neil Gaiman’s prose, complemented with Eddie Campbell’s stunning illustrations, creates an unforgettably haunting book.
For all its darkness, I find this book charming and brilliant. It's stories like this that remind me that Gaiman is a deeply traditional story-teller -- and an excellent one at that. He spun a new folk tale that sounds as though it's been passed down and embellished and honed over centuries.
For all its darkness, I find this book charming and brilliant. It's stories like this that remind me that Gaiman is a deeply traditional story-teller -- and an excellent one at that. He spun a new folk tale that sounds as though it's been passed down and embellished and honed over centuries.
July 8, 2014
A tiny confession, I didn't actually read the book, I listened to it. And I did so possibly in the best conditions one could ever ask for: Neil Gaiman was the one doing the reading, there was a string quartet playing in the background, there were beautiful illustrations being projected AND the performance took place in Scotland. (I am sorry for the bragging sentiment throughout, but this show just made me so excited!)
If I had read the book, I'd maybe have given it only 4 stars, but one can't really deny the extra star after being spoiled this bad.
Neil Gaiman is possibly the best reader of his own work I've encountered in my life. The FourPlay String Quartet are an amazing bunch and I want to get all their albums. (Fun fact: They play a mean Doctor Who theme.) Eddie Campbell's art was so Scottish and rough, I simply adored it.
This is quite a disturbing tale. The music complemented Neil Gaiman's spooky words with something close to perfection. It is, after all, a story about a man who goes on a quest for gold. They say the gold will make you lose the good in you.
I think it's not an overstatement to say that everyone was on the edge of their seats. At some point, my chin went down. I can't remember the last time that had happened to me. I looked to my side and there was a girl with a hand pressed to her lips in shock. I checked a few times and the hand didn't move. No one was moving. Mr. Gaiman went on and on and on and destroyed our hearts. Like always.
It's so much more heartbreaking when he's right there in front of you, though.
If I had read the book, I'd maybe have given it only 4 stars, but one can't really deny the extra star after being spoiled this bad.
Neil Gaiman is possibly the best reader of his own work I've encountered in my life. The FourPlay String Quartet are an amazing bunch and I want to get all their albums. (Fun fact: They play a mean Doctor Who theme.) Eddie Campbell's art was so Scottish and rough, I simply adored it.
This is quite a disturbing tale. The music complemented Neil Gaiman's spooky words with something close to perfection. It is, after all, a story about a man who goes on a quest for gold. They say the gold will make you lose the good in you.
I think it's not an overstatement to say that everyone was on the edge of their seats. At some point, my chin went down. I can't remember the last time that had happened to me. I looked to my side and there was a girl with a hand pressed to her lips in shock. I checked a few times and the hand didn't move. No one was moving. Mr. Gaiman went on and on and on and destroyed our hearts. Like always.
It's so much more heartbreaking when he's right there in front of you, though.
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December 3, 2025Sometimes the books you once read just... hit a bit different when you learn too much.
This one used to be a 2 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art and this book had rather good elements... but I'm really struggling here.
This one used to be a 2 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art and this book had rather good elements... but I'm really struggling here.
August 17, 2023
4★
This could be a fable as told and illustrated (if he could paint like this) by Roald Dahl. It begins as a straightforward tale of a very small man seeking a guide to the Misty Isle where there is said to be a cave filled with gold. He stops at a house and speaks to a boy who asks him why he’s so small.
The man explains that it can be handy to be small, because that’s how he escaped some men who were chasing him. Why were they chasing him, the boy wanted to know.
“It was a disagreement about the ownership of cattle. They thought the cows were theirs. I maintained the Campbells’ ownership of them had ended the first night the cows had come with me over the hills.”
He seems a bit of a rascal, not necessarily a likeable one.
The boy, the little man, and the home of Calum MacInnes.
It’s not exactly a picture book or a graphic novel, but a heavily illustrated story. I found the illustrations scary and dark, but I suspect that’s the point. These are harsh people in miserable circumstances. Cold, wet, dank, scary.
The wee man is philosophical, and I know just what he means here:
“I am old now, or at least, I am no longer young, and everything I see reminds me of something else I’ve seen, such that I see nothing for the first time . . .
It is the curse of age, that all things are reflections of other things.
I say that, but my time on the Misty Isle, that is also called, by the wise, the Winged isle, reminds me of nothing but itself.”
Calum MacInnes agrees to show him the way. He says he was a reaver in his youth and is still fit and strong. (I had to look up 'border reivers' to find out about them. Warring Scots.)
We follow their trek, being ferried across a river, climbing, clambering, seeking shelter with a crofter and eating oats.
The result of the quest is worth the trip for the reader and the wee man. I consider it a fable, as it shows the price we pay for jumping to conclusions and for succumbing to self-interest. I feel certain there's more in here about highlanders and lowlanders and clan rivalry, etc, but I haven't looked into that. Interesting to note that the illustrator is a Campbell, though. :)
But I have no idea to whom I’d recommend it. I just happened across it in the library and it’s short.
This could be a fable as told and illustrated (if he could paint like this) by Roald Dahl. It begins as a straightforward tale of a very small man seeking a guide to the Misty Isle where there is said to be a cave filled with gold. He stops at a house and speaks to a boy who asks him why he’s so small.
The man explains that it can be handy to be small, because that’s how he escaped some men who were chasing him. Why were they chasing him, the boy wanted to know.
“It was a disagreement about the ownership of cattle. They thought the cows were theirs. I maintained the Campbells’ ownership of them had ended the first night the cows had come with me over the hills.”
He seems a bit of a rascal, not necessarily a likeable one.
The boy, the little man, and the home of Calum MacInnes.
It’s not exactly a picture book or a graphic novel, but a heavily illustrated story. I found the illustrations scary and dark, but I suspect that’s the point. These are harsh people in miserable circumstances. Cold, wet, dank, scary.
The wee man is philosophical, and I know just what he means here:
“I am old now, or at least, I am no longer young, and everything I see reminds me of something else I’ve seen, such that I see nothing for the first time . . .
It is the curse of age, that all things are reflections of other things.
I say that, but my time on the Misty Isle, that is also called, by the wise, the Winged isle, reminds me of nothing but itself.”
Calum MacInnes agrees to show him the way. He says he was a reaver in his youth and is still fit and strong. (I had to look up 'border reivers' to find out about them. Warring Scots.)
We follow their trek, being ferried across a river, climbing, clambering, seeking shelter with a crofter and eating oats.
The result of the quest is worth the trip for the reader and the wee man. I consider it a fable, as it shows the price we pay for jumping to conclusions and for succumbing to self-interest. I feel certain there's more in here about highlanders and lowlanders and clan rivalry, etc, but I haven't looked into that. Interesting to note that the illustrator is a Campbell, though. :)
But I have no idea to whom I’d recommend it. I just happened across it in the library and it’s short.
May 29, 2022
قصه قصيره بتحمل معاني كتيره
بتتكلم عن الطمع والجشع وبتتكلم كمان على الحب والمصير
وبتدور حول قزم يأجر دليل عشان يرشده للكهف الي في الجبال السوداء والشهير بوجود ذهب داخله
والدليل يعتقد إن هدف القزم في دخول الكهف هو البحث عن الثراء
والكهف ده معروف عنه إن أي حد يدخله ما يخرجش منه
وتبدأ رحلتهما داخل الكهف
القصه مش بطاله لكن أحداثها مش جذابه ولولا إنها قصيره مكنتش خلصتها
بتتكلم عن الطمع والجشع وبتتكلم كمان على الحب والمصير
وبتدور حول قزم يأجر دليل عشان يرشده للكهف الي في الجبال السوداء والشهير بوجود ذهب داخله
والدليل يعتقد إن هدف القزم في دخول الكهف هو البحث عن الثراء
والكهف ده معروف عنه إن أي حد يدخله ما يخرجش منه
وتبدأ رحلتهما داخل الكهف
القصه مش بطاله لكن أحداثها مش جذابه ولولا إنها قصيره مكنتش خلصتها
April 15, 2020
I read this as a short story first, then actually heard this audio version also, but never reviewed it. While surfing around for something short to read I found Trish's rave review, where you can also find the link to Neil Gaiman Himself reading his story aloud. Which I again did. Gaiman read this in Sydney (at the Sydney Opera House) with Eddie Campbell's paintings (which I will also see in the illustrated book version after libraries open again; thanks, Covid) as a huge canvas backdrop, with orchestral accompaniment. The BBC produced this particular audio, where the atmospheric music accompanies Gaiman's beautiful reading.
The story is at least initially a simple one, like a dark parable or fable, involving a dwarf who hires a man to take him to a cave in the mountains, the Scottish Highlands. A quest for gold that turns into a story of revenge. The death of a woman and the mistreatment of another one forms a kind of dark back story for this story, that is lean and mean, stripped down and haunting.
One thing I was reminded of when hearing it again was The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, though this story is not primarily a Marxist critique of capitalism and greed, as that book and movie was. Thought there is the pursuit of money in gold here, definitely. Reminded me of yet another remote location story of greed, Jack London's Call of the Wild, which I also just listened to.
Anyway, here's a kind of random clip from Treasure, "We don't need no stinking badges," maybe 16 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZ...
The story is at least initially a simple one, like a dark parable or fable, involving a dwarf who hires a man to take him to a cave in the mountains, the Scottish Highlands. A quest for gold that turns into a story of revenge. The death of a woman and the mistreatment of another one forms a kind of dark back story for this story, that is lean and mean, stripped down and haunting.
One thing I was reminded of when hearing it again was The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, though this story is not primarily a Marxist critique of capitalism and greed, as that book and movie was. Thought there is the pursuit of money in gold here, definitely. Reminded me of yet another remote location story of greed, Jack London's Call of the Wild, which I also just listened to.
Anyway, here's a kind of random clip from Treasure, "We don't need no stinking badges," maybe 16 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZ...
February 4, 2020
This is one of Neil Gaiman's finest short stories (IMO) that got treated to a gorgeous illustrated edition years ago. If you're interested in that version, see my review for it here.
As has happened with many of Gaiman's stories, BBC Radio 4 had it adapted. I had actually started to listen to this back in 2016 but then switched to the print version due to the gorgeous illustrations. Since I was recently reminded of this audio version, I gave it a listen now. You can find it for free here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b06...
The story is that of a legendary cave containing gold that might be cursed. It's also about a dwarf wanting to go there and hiring a human guide. It's therefore about a time when both species lived side by side (more or less trusting one another). It's about family secrets and - most importantly - about injustice and revenge.
Tragic and gritty and utterly at home in the Scottish Highlands that were conjured by Bill Paterson's voice.
Really nice and atmospheric in both versions (though I still prefer the illustrated print version) and this one, like I said, is still freely available.
As has happened with many of Gaiman's stories, BBC Radio 4 had it adapted. I had actually started to listen to this back in 2016 but then switched to the print version due to the gorgeous illustrations. Since I was recently reminded of this audio version, I gave it a listen now. You can find it for free here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b06...
The story is that of a legendary cave containing gold that might be cursed. It's also about a dwarf wanting to go there and hiring a human guide. It's therefore about a time when both species lived side by side (more or less trusting one another). It's about family secrets and - most importantly - about injustice and revenge.
Tragic and gritty and utterly at home in the Scottish Highlands that were conjured by Bill Paterson's voice.
Really nice and atmospheric in both versions (though I still prefer the illustrated print version) and this one, like I said, is still freely available.
February 4, 2020
As soon as I became aware of Neil Gaiman (actively) and started reading one book of his after another, I also came across The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains. Thanks to amazon I was able to look into it but somehow I misjudged / underestimated it until now. Then, a couple of days ago, Neil Gaiman himself started tweeting about it having been adapted for BBC Radio 4. Since I already enjoyed the BBC adaptations of two of the author's other books, I gave this a chance.
I can only apologize.
If it wasn't for the BBC adapting the story and the author tweeting about the possibility of listening to it online, I would have missed out on what might just be one of the best stories NG or any other author has ever told!
A very old myth lies at the heart of this story. A myth about family, revenge and regret. The easy trust/alliance between dwarves and humans. Magic gold. Curses and more.
I knew that myth from another (very old) story book but Neil Gaiman took it and reshaped it into a story taking place in the Scottish highlands. I won't say any more because that would give away too much but he did a splendid job. A well-known tale still familiar and yet so different that one only feels the familiarity deep down, with realization only hitting the reader towards the end.
The story was read by Bill Paterson who has this wonderful Scottish accent! *swoons* You can sell me next to anything if you do it with a Scottish or Irish accent. ;p
And yet, I stopped listening to the audio version and HAD to get my grabby hands on the gorgeous hardcover with Eddie Campbell's illustrations that set the mood perfectly.
I can only apologize.
If it wasn't for the BBC adapting the story and the author tweeting about the possibility of listening to it online, I would have missed out on what might just be one of the best stories NG or any other author has ever told!
A very old myth lies at the heart of this story. A myth about family, revenge and regret. The easy trust/alliance between dwarves and humans. Magic gold. Curses and more.
I knew that myth from another (very old) story book but Neil Gaiman took it and reshaped it into a story taking place in the Scottish highlands. I won't say any more because that would give away too much but he did a splendid job. A well-known tale still familiar and yet so different that one only feels the familiarity deep down, with realization only hitting the reader towards the end.
The story was read by Bill Paterson who has this wonderful Scottish accent! *swoons* You can sell me next to anything if you do it with a Scottish or Irish accent. ;p
And yet, I stopped listening to the audio version and HAD to get my grabby hands on the gorgeous hardcover with Eddie Campbell's illustrations that set the mood perfectly.
July 1, 2014
This book is only the length of a short story, so I actually read it the same night I posted it to my currently reading shelf, but it also needed time to settle after reading. I read it again last night, and it is definitely a story that benefits from multiple readings. For one thing, early comments make more or different sense on a second reading, but for another, there is actually quite a bit to puzzle over in the story.
It is a simple, dark story in some ways, but it also gave me the feeling that there was more under the surface. It certainly gives a reader lots to consider about revenge, how we become a bit evil, the disparity between what we might feel we need and what is actually good for us.
The paintings, too, have to be mentioned. This isn't a graphic novel, but it uses some techniques familiar to comics readers, and it isn't just tidily illustrated either. The artwork challenges expectations as much as the text, and together they both become something more.
I absolutely recommend this book, as a story, as artwork, as a physical artifact - this is the kind of thing that will keep e-readers from ever being our sole source for reading materials.
It is a simple, dark story in some ways, but it also gave me the feeling that there was more under the surface. It certainly gives a reader lots to consider about revenge, how we become a bit evil, the disparity between what we might feel we need and what is actually good for us.
The paintings, too, have to be mentioned. This isn't a graphic novel, but it uses some techniques familiar to comics readers, and it isn't just tidily illustrated either. The artwork challenges expectations as much as the text, and together they both become something more.
I absolutely recommend this book, as a story, as artwork, as a physical artifact - this is the kind of thing that will keep e-readers from ever being our sole source for reading materials.
March 7, 2023
قصة قصيرة مصورة لـ"نيل جايمان" عن الانتقام والجشع والطمع، عن الوحشية التي تجعل الإنسان يسفك دماءاً بلا هوادة أو رحمة، وعن البراءة التي تُلوث بتلك السودواية. رجلاً من الأقزام يستأجر دليلاً ليُرشده إلى داخل ذلك الكهف الضبابي في الجبال السوداء، ليصلوا إلى الحقيقة بداخله، فنفهم كُنه العنوان ودلالته.
قصة أحداثها بطيئة بعض الشيء، ولكن لا تزال جيدة الحبكة والمحتوى، ورسوماتها جميلة وساحرة، بالإضافة إلى ترجمة "هشام فهمي" للنص التي جعلته يزداد ثُقلاً وبهاءاً.
يُنصح بها.
November 19, 2024
Neil Gaiman is such a talented author, I'm honestly blown away by his writing abilities. "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" is the third short story of Gaiman's I've read so far - and I haven't even touched any of his longer novels, although I recently started "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" - and I'm already considering him to be one of those authors you can pick any story you want from and will never be left disappointed by it.
In general, you shouldn't expect to read this work and get as many answers as questions which have been raised through the course of the story. It deals with a dwarf (who highly reminds me of George R.R. Martin's Tyrion Lannister due to his cleverness and his smart behaviour) and does not only explore an interesting fantasy setting in all its detailedness, but also the depths of human behaviour in extreme situations.
What you can expect from this story is to be left stunned by the disturbing ways Neil Gaiman chose to tell the protagonist's story in. I've been captivated by the first lines of the story and then became slightly bored (which is the major reason why I won't give a five-star-rating), but after one third or so Neil Gaiman managed to sweep his reader away into the dangerous journey of two interesting souls, and I literally couldn't put it down anymore. It's been some days since I've read it, but I have been thinking quite a lot about the story so far, and one thing I realized is that it needs to be reread in order to be understood. However, there is still so much stuff to be interpreted differently, everyone will have his/her own theories as to what Neil Gaiman intended to state with his words.
In general, you shouldn't expect to read this work and get as many answers as questions which have been raised through the course of the story. It deals with a dwarf (who highly reminds me of George R.R. Martin's Tyrion Lannister due to his cleverness and his smart behaviour) and does not only explore an interesting fantasy setting in all its detailedness, but also the depths of human behaviour in extreme situations.
What you can expect from this story is to be left stunned by the disturbing ways Neil Gaiman chose to tell the protagonist's story in. I've been captivated by the first lines of the story and then became slightly bored (which is the major reason why I won't give a five-star-rating), but after one third or so Neil Gaiman managed to sweep his reader away into the dangerous journey of two interesting souls, and I literally couldn't put it down anymore. It's been some days since I've read it, but I have been thinking quite a lot about the story so far, and one thing I realized is that it needs to be reread in order to be understood. However, there is still so much stuff to be interpreted differently, everyone will have his/her own theories as to what Neil Gaiman intended to state with his words.
July 23, 2014
Set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland a long time ago, a dwarf visits a man who knows the location of a cave far away in the mountains - a cave that contains gold to make a man rich for a lifetime. So begins the pair’s perilous quest into the darkness ahead…
I know Neil Gaiman has a LOT of female fans, legions of them who probably outnumber the male fans, so it’s going to be interesting to see their reaction to this book as the female characters - all two of them - are treated very badly.
Gail Simone’s theory of the woman in the fridge - when a female character is maimed and/or killed in order to advance a male character’s story - is very pertinent here as the death of a woman is the driving motivation behind this book. Meanwhile, the other female character is beaten and raped while our two “heroes” do their best to ignore it rather than step in. I suppose you could argue that it’s Gaiman showing the readers his narrator’s complexity as a character - that he would do so much for one female character but not for another.
Short stories really are Gaiman’s forte. His novels are uneven but I find his short story collections - Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things - to be outstanding and he excels in The Truth is a Cave… in crafting a story that’s part folk/fairy tale and part horror with some powerful real human moments too.
The story builds in a satisfyingly slow burn, starting in a way that feels like you know where it’s headed with some strange images popping up that, in hindsight, reveal themselves to be increasingly relevant foreshadowings as the tale unwinds so that you shouldn’t be surprised when the story takes a left turn and then another, but you are. Little moments like the dwarf running nimbly ahead of the man seem oddly magical under Gaiman’s hand while the fantastical, like what lies within the cave, seem terribly real.
The book’s genesis started when Gaiman offered to read the story at the Graphic Literary Festival in the Sydney Opera House in 2010 with artist Eddie Campbell providing pictures to be shown behind Gaiman as he read accompanied by a string quartet playing background music (I know, very… art-y!). Since then, Campbell’s added to the pictures until there were enough to create this book which is a bit like an illustrated novella, a bit like a comic, and a bit like a picture book, while never being either one!
Campbell’s painted images are very beautiful and suits the fantastical, scenic story with page after page celebrating nature and the forbidding, isolated atmosphere of the tale. He also experiments with his style to alternately shift from paint to inks to incorporating photographs into his pictures at various moments. Certain times through the story he’ll resort to comic panelling. I quite like Campbell’s art so I had no complaints about his work on this book except for one thing - the lettering in those panels.
It’s definitely true that you never notice how important lettering is in a comic until you read one which has bad lettering, and I was surprised at how poorly lettered Campbell’s panels were, especially considering his lengthy career in comics. Scratchy, shaky letters done in a spidery hand that looked rushed, they were the only aspect of this book that let the reader down.
The Truth is a Black Cave in the Black Mountains isn’t a perfect book but it is a highly compelling one. It’s an evocative story of revenge and death with fantastic paintings that lend new energy and interpretation to Gaiman’s haunting tale. His female fans may find their lips curling in disgust at times but when the story is this good, it’s hard to keep from turning the pages until you find out what happens in the end. A great horror fable from a brilliant short story writer with a terrific artistic collaborator.
I know Neil Gaiman has a LOT of female fans, legions of them who probably outnumber the male fans, so it’s going to be interesting to see their reaction to this book as the female characters - all two of them - are treated very badly.
Gail Simone’s theory of the woman in the fridge - when a female character is maimed and/or killed in order to advance a male character’s story - is very pertinent here as the death of a woman is the driving motivation behind this book. Meanwhile, the other female character is beaten and raped while our two “heroes” do their best to ignore it rather than step in. I suppose you could argue that it’s Gaiman showing the readers his narrator’s complexity as a character - that he would do so much for one female character but not for another.
Short stories really are Gaiman’s forte. His novels are uneven but I find his short story collections - Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things - to be outstanding and he excels in The Truth is a Cave… in crafting a story that’s part folk/fairy tale and part horror with some powerful real human moments too.
The story builds in a satisfyingly slow burn, starting in a way that feels like you know where it’s headed with some strange images popping up that, in hindsight, reveal themselves to be increasingly relevant foreshadowings as the tale unwinds so that you shouldn’t be surprised when the story takes a left turn and then another, but you are. Little moments like the dwarf running nimbly ahead of the man seem oddly magical under Gaiman’s hand while the fantastical, like what lies within the cave, seem terribly real.
The book’s genesis started when Gaiman offered to read the story at the Graphic Literary Festival in the Sydney Opera House in 2010 with artist Eddie Campbell providing pictures to be shown behind Gaiman as he read accompanied by a string quartet playing background music (I know, very… art-y!). Since then, Campbell’s added to the pictures until there were enough to create this book which is a bit like an illustrated novella, a bit like a comic, and a bit like a picture book, while never being either one!
Campbell’s painted images are very beautiful and suits the fantastical, scenic story with page after page celebrating nature and the forbidding, isolated atmosphere of the tale. He also experiments with his style to alternately shift from paint to inks to incorporating photographs into his pictures at various moments. Certain times through the story he’ll resort to comic panelling. I quite like Campbell’s art so I had no complaints about his work on this book except for one thing - the lettering in those panels.
It’s definitely true that you never notice how important lettering is in a comic until you read one which has bad lettering, and I was surprised at how poorly lettered Campbell’s panels were, especially considering his lengthy career in comics. Scratchy, shaky letters done in a spidery hand that looked rushed, they were the only aspect of this book that let the reader down.
The Truth is a Black Cave in the Black Mountains isn’t a perfect book but it is a highly compelling one. It’s an evocative story of revenge and death with fantastic paintings that lend new energy and interpretation to Gaiman’s haunting tale. His female fans may find their lips curling in disgust at times but when the story is this good, it’s hard to keep from turning the pages until you find out what happens in the end. A great horror fable from a brilliant short story writer with a terrific artistic collaborator.
August 26, 2014
Absolutely delightful. This is really a short story but it comes with magnificent art work, some of it in similar format to a graphic novel so there is much more to take in than just the story itself. Gaiman bases his book on part of a legend from the Scottish Hebrides and it has all that you would expect from such a tale, otherworldly beings, touches of magic, death and revenge to name just some. It is just beautiful and will get pride of place on my bookshelves.
October 21, 2019
یک داستانکوتاهِ مصورِ خوب با پرداخت هوشمندانه و تصویرسازیِ نهچندان دلچسب.
یکی از ویژگیهای گیمن اینه که شخصیتهاش با سادهترین لحن مدام در حال فلسفه بافتن هستن، از پیش پا افتادهترین موضوعات تا عمیقترین بافتهای ادراک انسانی و جالبتر از همه اینه که خواننده اگر هیچکدوم از این مسائل رو در گفتوگوها متوجه نشه بازهم از کتاب لذت میبره.
"بعضی وقتها فکر میکنم حقیقت یک مکان است. در ذهنم مثل یک شهر است: میتواند صدها جاده باشد، هزاران کوره راه، که همگی در نهایت تو را به یک جا میبرد. مهم نیست از کجا آمدهای. اگر به سمت حقیقت
گام برداری، به آن میرسی، مهم نیست چه راهی را انتخاب کرده باشی."
یکی از ویژگیهای گیمن اینه که شخصیتهاش با سادهترین لحن مدام در حال فلسفه بافتن هستن، از پیش پا افتادهترین موضوعات تا عمیقترین بافتهای ادراک انسانی و جالبتر از همه اینه که خواننده اگر هیچکدوم از این مسائل رو در گفتوگوها متوجه نشه بازهم از کتاب لذت میبره.
"بعضی وقتها فکر میکنم حقیقت یک مکان است. در ذهنم مثل یک شهر است: میتواند صدها جاده باشد، هزاران کوره راه، که همگی در نهایت تو را به یک جا میبرد. مهم نیست از کجا آمدهای. اگر به سمت حقیقت
گام برداری، به آن میرسی، مهم نیست چه راهی را انتخاب کرده باشی."
July 11, 2016
I did not like this book.
Just to clarify: not story - book.
The illustrations, such an important, intrinsic part of the book (or so we keep being told), mix digital and traditional media in a way that becomes increasingly awkward. The design of the book is clumsy, false, generated "textures" behind every block of text - and they really are blocks of text, with no fluidity or integration, so the images and words feel constantly separated, at odds. Fine, sure, this could have worked for a different story: but apparently they aren't supposed to be separate at all.
The story itself is quite lovely (if dark and slightly traumatic can ever be lovely) but the book feels stiff and flat and falls short. I wish I'd read this as a short story only, not his "mix of all amazing things" it was promised to be.
I adore Neil's work, and it pains me to say such negative things but this one really disappointed.
Just to clarify: not story - book.
The illustrations, such an important, intrinsic part of the book (or so we keep being told), mix digital and traditional media in a way that becomes increasingly awkward. The design of the book is clumsy, false, generated "textures" behind every block of text - and they really are blocks of text, with no fluidity or integration, so the images and words feel constantly separated, at odds. Fine, sure, this could have worked for a different story: but apparently they aren't supposed to be separate at all.
The story itself is quite lovely (if dark and slightly traumatic can ever be lovely) but the book feels stiff and flat and falls short. I wish I'd read this as a short story only, not his "mix of all amazing things" it was promised to be.
I adore Neil's work, and it pains me to say such negative things but this one really disappointed.
March 4, 2018
Beautiful short story. I listened to this and Neil read this himself. Great tone and characters. I was totally absorbed into the story. The story is a mood that passes through you. This is a great story and quick to read. You should read it.
January 28, 2022
قصة جميلة عن الفقد والجشع والحب وثمن الانتقام، عندي الرغبة في ترجمتها منذ قراءتها في عام 2014، وسعيد لأني نلت الفرصة أخيرًا.
August 2, 2016
This was not a bad book. Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
Diamond
September 27, 2019
4 1/2 to 5 stars
She said, "I see death in your past and death in your future."
"Death waits in all our futures," I said.
I'm still thinking about this novelette, days later.
I listened to Neil Gaiman's wonderful narration with music and sound effects included, while also reading this 'tale of travel and darkness with pictures of all kinds' (illustrations by Eddie Campbell) as noted on the cover.
Fan art by JaqDelaCruz - https://www.deviantart.com/jaqdelacru...
Truth.
She paused, there in the highest of the high lands, where the summer winds have winter on their breath, where they howl and whip and slash the air like knives. She said, "There was a woman in a tree. There will be a man in a tree."
I said, "Will this mean anything to me?"
"One day, perhaps." She said, "Beware of gold. Silver is your friend." And then she was done with me.
To Calum MacInnes she said, "Your palm has been burned." He said that was true. She said, "Give me your other hand, your left hand." He did so. She gazed at it, intently. Then, "You return to where you began. You will be higher than most other men. And there is no grave waiting for you, where you are going."
He said, "You tell me that I will not die?"
"It is a left-handed fortune. I know what I have told you, and no more."
She knew more. I saw it in her face.
Some wish to avoid it, alter it, hide it, deny it, bury it in lies, remake it, forget it, run from it, praying that it fades into dust, the darkest depths of memory, and history lost...
We walked down a path worn by hundreds of years of sheep and deer and few enough men.
He said, "They also call it the Winged Isle. Some say it is because the island, if seen from above, would look like butterfly wings. And I do not know the truth of it." Then, "'And what is the truth?' said jesting Pilate."
It is harder coming down than it is going up.
I thought about it. "Sometimes I think that truth is a place. In my mind, it is like a city: there can be a hundred roads, a thousand paths, that will all take you, eventually, to the same place. It does not matter where you come from. If you walk toward truth, you will reach it, whatever path you take."
Others cannot rest until they unearth it, are obsessed by their need for it, every waking moment filled with the desire to know what their heart, mind, and soul refuses to deny.
They are sometimes driven by love or hate, by a need for justice or vengeance (or all of these things). They cannot experience any semblance of peace until it is found and its consequences (and potential karma) are unleashed.
No matter what it costs them...
Calum MacInnes looked down at me and said nothing.
Then, "You are wrong. The truth is a cave in the black mountains. There is one way there, and one way only, and that way is treacherous and hard. And if you choose the wrong path you will die alone, on the mountainside."
For the truth is always out there, biding its time... waiting ever so patiently...
I take no joy in killing; no man should, and no woman. Sometimes death is necessary, but it is always an evil thing. That is something I am in no doubt of, even after the events I speak of here.
... to be revealed.
She said, "I see death in your past and death in your future."
"Death waits in all our futures," I said.
I'm still thinking about this novelette, days later.
I listened to Neil Gaiman's wonderful narration with music and sound effects included, while also reading this 'tale of travel and darkness with pictures of all kinds' (illustrations by Eddie Campbell) as noted on the cover.
Fan art by JaqDelaCruz - https://www.deviantart.com/jaqdelacru...
Truth.
She paused, there in the highest of the high lands, where the summer winds have winter on their breath, where they howl and whip and slash the air like knives. She said, "There was a woman in a tree. There will be a man in a tree."
I said, "Will this mean anything to me?"
"One day, perhaps." She said, "Beware of gold. Silver is your friend." And then she was done with me.
To Calum MacInnes she said, "Your palm has been burned." He said that was true. She said, "Give me your other hand, your left hand." He did so. She gazed at it, intently. Then, "You return to where you began. You will be higher than most other men. And there is no grave waiting for you, where you are going."
He said, "You tell me that I will not die?"
"It is a left-handed fortune. I know what I have told you, and no more."
She knew more. I saw it in her face.
Some wish to avoid it, alter it, hide it, deny it, bury it in lies, remake it, forget it, run from it, praying that it fades into dust, the darkest depths of memory, and history lost...
We walked down a path worn by hundreds of years of sheep and deer and few enough men.
He said, "They also call it the Winged Isle. Some say it is because the island, if seen from above, would look like butterfly wings. And I do not know the truth of it." Then, "'And what is the truth?' said jesting Pilate."
It is harder coming down than it is going up.
I thought about it. "Sometimes I think that truth is a place. In my mind, it is like a city: there can be a hundred roads, a thousand paths, that will all take you, eventually, to the same place. It does not matter where you come from. If you walk toward truth, you will reach it, whatever path you take."
Others cannot rest until they unearth it, are obsessed by their need for it, every waking moment filled with the desire to know what their heart, mind, and soul refuses to deny.
They are sometimes driven by love or hate, by a need for justice or vengeance (or all of these things). They cannot experience any semblance of peace until it is found and its consequences (and potential karma) are unleashed.
No matter what it costs them...
Calum MacInnes looked down at me and said nothing.
Then, "You are wrong. The truth is a cave in the black mountains. There is one way there, and one way only, and that way is treacherous and hard. And if you choose the wrong path you will die alone, on the mountainside."
For the truth is always out there, biding its time... waiting ever so patiently...
I take no joy in killing; no man should, and no woman. Sometimes death is necessary, but it is always an evil thing. That is something I am in no doubt of, even after the events I speak of here.
... to be revealed.
March 12, 2015
Wonderfully dark and truly a thing of tactile beauty. There are very few stories that deserve a rereading purely to add another dimension to the tale and even few where words and pictures are woven together with perfection. A dark, whimsical and unsettling tale, filled with poignancy and a sense of disquietude that lingers on long afterwards.
A quintessential Gaiman delight!
A quintessential Gaiman delight!
June 23, 2014
I expected great things from this short story and instead it fell a bit flat. This novel is a result of a live reading Gaiman did where the artist, Eddie Campbell, did live artwork as Neil read this story. The art work itself is not to my taste and always felt a little unfinished to me. I have been to one of these Gaiman events and while they work well on the night I would have expected the artwork in the book to be a little more polished, although I do not know this artists style so I don't know if this is how he usually does his work.
The compilation of art and text felt a bit higgledy piggledy in away that was occasionally jarring, but more importantly the story just didn't captivate me. I am a big fan of Gaiman but while the story was well written the whole thing just wasn't winning me over for some reason. Although, I did enjoy the ending and I liked the folk tale aspect so altogether not a complete flop.
It is hard to define this book. Its not exactly a graphic novel, nor is it a short story. I would say it takes the form of a child's picture book, but with definitely more mature content.
Overall I think this is good to add to your collection if you're a Gaiman fanatic like me, but not necessary if you're an occasional reader or are looking to start reading his work.
The compilation of art and text felt a bit higgledy piggledy in away that was occasionally jarring, but more importantly the story just didn't captivate me. I am a big fan of Gaiman but while the story was well written the whole thing just wasn't winning me over for some reason. Although, I did enjoy the ending and I liked the folk tale aspect so altogether not a complete flop.
It is hard to define this book. Its not exactly a graphic novel, nor is it a short story. I would say it takes the form of a child's picture book, but with definitely more mature content.
Overall I think this is good to add to your collection if you're a Gaiman fanatic like me, but not necessary if you're an occasional reader or are looking to start reading his work.
March 7, 2022
قصة بقلم نيل جايمان ورسوم إدي كامبل وترجمة هشام فهمي
نسخة عصير الكتب
القصة ليست رواية ولا كوميكس هي تشبة الي حد ما قصص الاطفال التي تحتوي علي رسمة كبيرة والكلام مكتوب علي الجانبين
القصة بسيطة والرسومات ليست تقليدية والترجمة جيدة
نسخة عصير الكتب
القصة ليست رواية ولا كوميكس هي تشبة الي حد ما قصص الاطفال التي تحتوي علي رسمة كبيرة والكلام مكتوب علي الجانبين
القصة بسيطة والرسومات ليست تقليدية والترجمة جيدة
July 5, 2014
A long time ago, in a land far away, well, last October and about nine miles away in central London; Neil Gaiman read me a story, it was called Fortunately, the Milk.... A marvellous experience. So when I heard he was returning to London on the 4th July to read another book, well, I nearly broke a nail clicking on that mouse and hammering the keys so fast to get a decent ticket. At least I did when the Barbican finally released the ticket sales to non-members (it was at 9am, I had to set a bloody alarm!).
Then I waited...
Eventually, as is conventional with time, it was today at last - and away I went. Once again to be read a lovely sweet and funny story by the master of reading aloud, and writing things down. Except it wasn't sweet, or funny for the most part... It was that other Gaiman speciality, a dark, brooding and sinister novel.
He was accompanied this time via the most wonderful string quartet, a group called FourPlay from Australia. They started proceedings, playing to the massed delight of an obviously intensely geeky audience, the Doctor Who theme - fantastic. They went on to do a few numbers from a past album called Fourthcoming and a forthcoming album called something else; finishing it off with a lovely piece called Now To The Future. Then Gaiman sung, yes sung, a funny little song with them - have I said fantastic in italics yet? Good.
He read us some short stories at this point, something called Adventure Story, which was quite entertaining in his usual quirky way. Then he read us a couple of months from his A Calendar of Tales (which is available directly from the Goodreads page there, go get it - even the audio book version is available for free!). The October story he read us about a djinn was quite beautiful.
A quick interval and on to the main event, the story, it was scored like a film, with music throughout with Gaiman telling the tale, with Eddie Campbell's images filling the huge screen behind, changing regularly, it was like watching an old episode of Jackanory.
It's a dark tale, based on old Scots stories he read long ago, I forget the name of the author - someone, please, enlighten me. A tale of greed and appearances, of past mistakes and hidden truths, and of morality and one's attachment to their own feelings and good nature. It is also a travelling tale, an adventure, in the misty isles of Scotland; a lot of Skye went in to this, where Gaiman has a house.
To cap it all off at the end, Neil again sung, he said a happy cheerful song to remind us that not all the world was doom and gloom, but was full of flowers and bunnies. (Click below to hear it.)
Then I waited...
Eventually, as is conventional with time, it was today at last - and away I went. Once again to be read a lovely sweet and funny story by the master of reading aloud, and writing things down. Except it wasn't sweet, or funny for the most part... It was that other Gaiman speciality, a dark, brooding and sinister novel.
He was accompanied this time via the most wonderful string quartet, a group called FourPlay from Australia. They started proceedings, playing to the massed delight of an obviously intensely geeky audience, the Doctor Who theme - fantastic. They went on to do a few numbers from a past album called Fourthcoming and a forthcoming album called something else; finishing it off with a lovely piece called Now To The Future. Then Gaiman sung, yes sung, a funny little song with them - have I said fantastic in italics yet? Good.
He read us some short stories at this point, something called Adventure Story, which was quite entertaining in his usual quirky way. Then he read us a couple of months from his A Calendar of Tales (which is available directly from the Goodreads page there, go get it - even the audio book version is available for free!). The October story he read us about a djinn was quite beautiful.
A quick interval and on to the main event, the story, it was scored like a film, with music throughout with Gaiman telling the tale, with Eddie Campbell's images filling the huge screen behind, changing regularly, it was like watching an old episode of Jackanory.
It's a dark tale, based on old Scots stories he read long ago, I forget the name of the author - someone, please, enlighten me. A tale of greed and appearances, of past mistakes and hidden truths, and of morality and one's attachment to their own feelings and good nature. It is also a travelling tale, an adventure, in the misty isles of Scotland; a lot of Skye went in to this, where Gaiman has a house.
To cap it all off at the end, Neil again sung, he said a happy cheerful song to remind us that not all the world was doom and gloom, but was full of flowers and bunnies. (Click below to hear it.)
September 2, 2014
I love libraries! I hadn’t planned to get the illustrated version of this, or probably read it at all. But then there it was, on my library’s New Books shelf, staring at me … and I stared back … and I borrowed it. Because that’s what libraries let you do. They let you take books, as long as you promise to bring them back. It’s amazing.
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a short story reimagined as a picture book for adults. Actually, I think we need more picture books for adults. No, not graphic novels—those are fine in their own way—actual picture books, with stylized illustrations accompanying prose, like this one.
The illustrations by Eddie Campbell definitely enhance the story. They emphasize certain elements of the characters—the narrator’s diminutive stature, Calum’s wolfish red beard—and portray some of the lovely landscape through which the characters travel. I don’t visualize things when I read. So had I read this without the illustrations, with only Neil Gaiman’s sumptuous, scrumptious prose to go on, I would still have enjoyed the story … but I don’t think I would have marvelled at the setting quite so much.
The story takes place in Scotland, perhaps not our Scotland, in an area inspired by the Isle of Skye. Our narrator is a little person who recently lost his daughter after she ran away from home. He looks up Calum MacInnes, a border reaver who knows how to find the Cave in the Black Mountains of the Misty Isle. Together they go to this cave, where the narrator hopes to find the gold reputed to be hidden there. But there is more going on than meets the eye, and The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains shifts seamlessly from fable to fairytale to revenge story. It can’t quite seem to decide what it should be—but why should it be confined to any particular thing?
The disadvantage of a story so short and so fairytale-like is that it becomes easy to fall into the pattern of old, outmoded tropes. The sparseness of characters makes the absence of women characters all the more pronounced. The narrator mentions his wife, Morag, by name several times, but always in relation to himself … she has no existence independent of the role of absent wife. His daughter’s death is, of course, the motivation behind his entire journey. And along the way we encounter two other women: the first, Calum MacInnes’ wife, we don’t actually see—and it’s at this point I almost feel like Gaiman is intentionally lampshading—and the second dares to grant hospitality to Calum and our narrator, and for that her husband beats and rapes her while the protagonists lie awake, listening to it.
It’s easy to make excuses for these decisions. One can argue that it’s supposed to be “dark”, that these are all common and therefore somehow acceptable motifs in a fairytale-like story. But that’s disingenuous; it misses that point that maybe they shouldn’t be, that a writer of Gaiman’s calibre could certainly create a story where they aren’t necessary….
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is about revenge and regret and greed and what, exactly, it takes for someone to become evil. There is a lot of emphasis on choice, the fact that it’s not just one’s actions but one’s decisions to act that contribute to one’s moral alignment. Gaiman seems to suggest that people are inherently good, but that the world and our decisions tend to erode this goodness. This is true regardless of whether we have access to a tempting cave filled with Norse gold…. This is a moving, if imperfect, short story accompanied by nice, stylized illustrations. I’m glad it’s in the library.
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a short story reimagined as a picture book for adults. Actually, I think we need more picture books for adults. No, not graphic novels—those are fine in their own way—actual picture books, with stylized illustrations accompanying prose, like this one.
The illustrations by Eddie Campbell definitely enhance the story. They emphasize certain elements of the characters—the narrator’s diminutive stature, Calum’s wolfish red beard—and portray some of the lovely landscape through which the characters travel. I don’t visualize things when I read. So had I read this without the illustrations, with only Neil Gaiman’s sumptuous, scrumptious prose to go on, I would still have enjoyed the story … but I don’t think I would have marvelled at the setting quite so much.
The story takes place in Scotland, perhaps not our Scotland, in an area inspired by the Isle of Skye. Our narrator is a little person who recently lost his daughter after she ran away from home. He looks up Calum MacInnes, a border reaver who knows how to find the Cave in the Black Mountains of the Misty Isle. Together they go to this cave, where the narrator hopes to find the gold reputed to be hidden there. But there is more going on than meets the eye, and The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains shifts seamlessly from fable to fairytale to revenge story. It can’t quite seem to decide what it should be—but why should it be confined to any particular thing?
The disadvantage of a story so short and so fairytale-like is that it becomes easy to fall into the pattern of old, outmoded tropes. The sparseness of characters makes the absence of women characters all the more pronounced. The narrator mentions his wife, Morag, by name several times, but always in relation to himself … she has no existence independent of the role of absent wife. His daughter’s death is, of course, the motivation behind his entire journey. And along the way we encounter two other women: the first, Calum MacInnes’ wife, we don’t actually see—and it’s at this point I almost feel like Gaiman is intentionally lampshading—and the second dares to grant hospitality to Calum and our narrator, and for that her husband beats and rapes her while the protagonists lie awake, listening to it.
It’s easy to make excuses for these decisions. One can argue that it’s supposed to be “dark”, that these are all common and therefore somehow acceptable motifs in a fairytale-like story. But that’s disingenuous; it misses that point that maybe they shouldn’t be, that a writer of Gaiman’s calibre could certainly create a story where they aren’t necessary….
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is about revenge and regret and greed and what, exactly, it takes for someone to become evil. There is a lot of emphasis on choice, the fact that it’s not just one’s actions but one’s decisions to act that contribute to one’s moral alignment. Gaiman seems to suggest that people are inherently good, but that the world and our decisions tend to erode this goodness. This is true regardless of whether we have access to a tempting cave filled with Norse gold…. This is a moving, if imperfect, short story accompanied by nice, stylized illustrations. I’m glad it’s in the library.
September 29, 2016
Legend says that in the Black Mountains is a cave filled with gold. One day Calum MacInnes has a dwarf call at his home seeking this mythical place. MacInnes reluctantly agrees to guide him there, for a price, and they set off for Misty Island where it supposedly is located. There is a healthy amount of distrust between the travellers, MacInnes at one point tries to lose the man, but he finds him fairly quickly. They do bond eventually and slowly reveal secrets from their past, dark secrets that no others had known before. Their secrets are linked to the cave of gold, which is claimed holds a curse for those that take it, a curse that MacInnes thinks he still carries from the first time he visited. Will they find the cave and is it cursed?
This is a moody, atmospheric tale that Gaiman has written, full of XXX and revenge. It is a story that I first read in Trigger Warnings and quite liked, but the dark tale is perfectly complemented by the artwork of Eddie Campbell who manages to convey the brooding skies and mountains of the region as the characters swirl around each other. Solid stuff from Gaiman once again.
This is a moody, atmospheric tale that Gaiman has written, full of XXX and revenge. It is a story that I first read in Trigger Warnings and quite liked, but the dark tale is perfectly complemented by the artwork of Eddie Campbell who manages to convey the brooding skies and mountains of the region as the characters swirl around each other. Solid stuff from Gaiman once again.
December 12, 2014
Welllll... I have been thinking about this little book for a couple of days now. I actually gave it 4 stars, but have pushed it down to 3 today. There is a whole range of emotions between 3 and 4 and I was not excited enough to go tell everyone I know that they have to read this book. Don't take it wrong, there is nothing wrong with it. It is a dark story, much like a lot of Gaiman's work. It is definately not a fairytale for kids under 22 (an arbitrary number), this is for adults.
It is a picture book, of paintings and comic book artwork woven together with a story of a story. I really liked the format, and some of the paintings are fantastic. Some, not so much, but they all fit together with the theme and the characters. It is good work by a talented artist and an exceptional wordsmith.
There was one thing about the story that I did not get, but it is probably only me. What was the little guy?
It is a picture book, of paintings and comic book artwork woven together with a story of a story. I really liked the format, and some of the paintings are fantastic. Some, not so much, but they all fit together with the theme and the characters. It is good work by a talented artist and an exceptional wordsmith.
There was one thing about the story that I did not get, but it is probably only me. What was the little guy?
February 22, 2015
I was reading all the introductions to the stories in Neil Gaiman's new collection Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances, and he said he had performed this story with the FourPlay String Quartet. I went looking and found it in Audible.
Neil Gaiman is an excellent teller of stories, and I usually enjoy his audio. This is an entertaining short story, not as twisty as some of his, but I liked the musical interludes and accompaniment. He seems to be writing several stories set in the Hebrides and this was a nice trip there.
I'll have a longer review of the set of stories soon!
Neil Gaiman is an excellent teller of stories, and I usually enjoy his audio. This is an entertaining short story, not as twisty as some of his, but I liked the musical interludes and accompaniment. He seems to be writing several stories set in the Hebrides and this was a nice trip there.
I'll have a longer review of the set of stories soon!
February 5, 2017
Incredible work!!This is a short novelette from Gaiman along with Eddie Campbell’s dark fascinating paintings. Reading this story is very fast and like other Gaiman’s work very rich. Campbell’s graphic novel’s style is strange and at first I didn’t really enjoy it but after a few pages I was all in. So much harmony between the story and the art work.
Story starts with a small man looking for a guide to accompany him to a mysterious cave. For the contrast the guide man is very big/tall. As they travel story reveals itself and the companions’ true intentions.
Story starts with a small man looking for a guide to accompany him to a mysterious cave. For the contrast the guide man is very big/tall. As they travel story reveals itself and the companions’ true intentions.
January 15, 2021
Neil Gaiman is a master-aka a god- of storytelling and when he narrates his books that talent explodes by ten thousand times. he has a way with words so amazing that I cannot describe
...الجمال يذاق ولا يعرف
...الجمال يذاق ولا يعرف
July 4, 2017
I actually began this book not realizing that I had already read it in Trigger Warning and I must say that reading through for the second time was even more enjoyable than the first.
As always with Neil Gaiman short fiction, the storytelling is an experience and the telling of the story is even more marvelous than the story itself. And that's saying something because this story is full of mysticism and magic.
I recommend the audio version. It's read by the author and there is a neat, haunting soundtrack as well that adds to the experience.
As always with Neil Gaiman short fiction, the storytelling is an experience and the telling of the story is even more marvelous than the story itself. And that's saying something because this story is full of mysticism and magic.
I recommend the audio version. It's read by the author and there is a neat, haunting soundtrack as well that adds to the experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,418 reviews