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The Sandman
The Sandman, Vol. 3: Dream Country
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series SANDMAN is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision.
The third book of the Sandman collection, DREAM COUNTRY continues the fantastical mythology of Morpheus, the King of Dreams. In these centuries-spanning tales, the powerful entity known as the Sandman interacts with a diverse assortment of humans, fairies, heroes, and animals as he walks the mortal plane. Including an amazing encounter with William Shakespeare and an interesting take on the origin and first performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," this book depicts the dreaming world of cats, the tragic life of forgotten super-heroes and the folly of imprisoning and torturing a former lover of the King of Dreams.
A new, recolored edition of the classic SANDMAN series, DREAM COUNTRY collects issues #17-20 including "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which won a World Fantasy Award.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 1990
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June 30, 2022
2022
Alright. This was the volume that originally ended my Sandman journey 8ish years ago.
Over the years quite a few of my friends have urged me to go back and give it a try again.
So, here I am.
Which just goes to say, you should never say never.
And while this was still a weak volume, I found it more tolerable than I did the first time around. The Shakespeare story was still a time-suck that I'll never get back, and the others will still never go down as favorites, but I'm hanging in there in the hopes that it picks up.
2014
I quit.
Sandman is not for me. I can honestly see why so many of you love it, but...
I can't force myself to do this any longer!
I don't like the art. It reminds me of some scratchy shit that one of my kids drew. The difference is, the artist isn't one of my kids, so I don't feel the need to put this up on my refrigerator.
Sorry, I know a lot of you love this style.
There are a few different stories in this one, and I didn't like any of them.
First one is about a writer who rapes a muse over and over again for inspiration.
Delightful.
Next up is some weird team-up between Dream and William Shakespeare.
ZZZZZZZZZZ
After that, it's the story about some ex-agent of some government sponsored superhero group. At least, I think that's what they were. It was honestly too bizarre/boring for me to actually claim I knew what was going on. Somehow, Ra (the Sun god) made this woman into Element Gal!...or something. Long story short, she's ugly and wants to die.
Death showed up to give her some advice, which was the only bright spot in the whole book.
Ironic, no?
I'd like to pretend I'm cool enough to get it, but that would mean I'd eventually have to read more of these. And that's not going to happen.
Ever.
Alright. This was the volume that originally ended my Sandman journey 8ish years ago.
Over the years quite a few of my friends have urged me to go back and give it a try again.
So, here I am.
Which just goes to say, you should never say never.
And while this was still a weak volume, I found it more tolerable than I did the first time around. The Shakespeare story was still a time-suck that I'll never get back, and the others will still never go down as favorites, but I'm hanging in there in the hopes that it picks up.
2014
I quit.
Sandman is not for me. I can honestly see why so many of you love it, but...
I can't force myself to do this any longer!
I don't like the art. It reminds me of some scratchy shit that one of my kids drew. The difference is, the artist isn't one of my kids, so I don't feel the need to put this up on my refrigerator.
Sorry, I know a lot of you love this style.
There are a few different stories in this one, and I didn't like any of them.
First one is about a writer who rapes a muse over and over again for inspiration.
Delightful.
Next up is some weird team-up between Dream and William Shakespeare.
ZZZZZZZZZZ
After that, it's the story about some ex-agent of some government sponsored superhero group. At least, I think that's what they were. It was honestly too bizarre/boring for me to actually claim I knew what was going on. Somehow, Ra (the Sun god) made this woman into Element Gal!...or something. Long story short, she's ugly and wants to die.
Death showed up to give her some advice, which was the only bright spot in the whole book.
Ironic, no?
I'd like to pretend I'm cool enough to get it, but that would mean I'd eventually have to read more of these. And that's not going to happen.
Ever.
June 10, 2019
The third volume of The Sandman series is a bit of a mixed bag, since the individual stories, although all entertaining, vary in quality. And yet it also contains what may be the greatest Sandman tale of all time.
First of all, this volume is essentially half the length of the first two, consisting of four individual numbers instead of the customary eight. It is padded to something close to the normal length by the addition of an original Gaiman script (“Calliope”), which I’m sure will be of great interest to some of you (although I must admit I skipped it myself).
The first tale (“Calliope”) tells of Morpheus’ rescue of a Muse who has been kidnapped, then brutalized sexually and artistically by two unscrupulous writers in turn, the second (“A Dream of a Thousand Cats”) is a charming tale of a late night grayeyard meeting in which a wise old feline tells “our” cats a tale they can dream on, and the fourth tale (“Facade”)--the volume’s weakest, in my opinion—concerns the sad, solitary existence of Urania Blackwell (AKA DC’s “Element Girl”) whose body, and life, has been destroyed by the same radioactive substance that transformed her into a superhero.
But the third tale—ah, the third tale!—is a masterpiece. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” tells us about a special performance of this play, on an isolated rural hill, by Shakespeare’s own company, arranged by Lord Dream himself. The audience? The actual beings that are the originals of Shakespeare’s Dream-inspired creations: Queen Titania, King Oberon, Puck, Peaseblossom, and the rest. The faeries comment critically on the play, interact with the players, and this mingling of art with the hyper-real personages of dream has consequences for Shakespeare’s company, and for his young son Hamnet as well.
Shakespeare was a master of the play-within-a play, using it to great effect not only in this play (the “Pyramus and Thisbe” interlude), but in Love’s Labours Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, and Hamlet as well. Gaiman shows his command of the form too, using it—as his master Shakespeare did—not only as meta-fictional commentary, but also as metaphysical meditation.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is quintessential Gaiman, and makes Sandman 3 a worthy entry in the series.
January 24, 2014
Note: This is part two of a rambling multi-volume re-read of the series. It will probably make better sense in context of other reviews...
The third volume of Sandman is several short stand-alone stories. It also includes my my favorite story in the entire series. Where Shakespeare's troupe performs Midsummer's Night's Dream for the assembled host of Faerie.
Midsummer's is my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, I should mention.
I remember reading this and thinking... "What? What the serious hell? You can make Shakespeare a character in a comic? This... this... I don't even..."
This time when I read it, I noticed many more subtle things going on than in my first two read-throughs.
This time when I read it, I thought to myself. "We have a play with a play in it."
Then I thought: "No, people are *watching* a play with a play in it.
Then I thought, "No. I am *reading* a book about people watching a play with a play in it. And the play is about the people watching it. And the characters are part of a larger story which is, in fact, about stories."
Dammit, Gaiman. Must you out-meta me as well? Can't I have just that one thing for myself?
The third volume of Sandman is several short stand-alone stories. It also includes my my favorite story in the entire series. Where Shakespeare's troupe performs Midsummer's Night's Dream for the assembled host of Faerie.
Midsummer's is my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, I should mention.
I remember reading this and thinking... "What? What the serious hell? You can make Shakespeare a character in a comic? This... this... I don't even..."
This time when I read it, I noticed many more subtle things going on than in my first two read-throughs.
This time when I read it, I thought to myself. "We have a play with a play in it."
Then I thought: "No, people are *watching* a play with a play in it.
Then I thought, "No. I am *reading* a book about people watching a play with a play in it. And the play is about the people watching it. And the characters are part of a larger story which is, in fact, about stories."
Dammit, Gaiman. Must you out-meta me as well? Can't I have just that one thing for myself?
February 28, 2017
Sometimes I like to binge read a series, I enjoy it that much that I try to read it as quickly as possible. The real world ceases to exist for a few days. This really isn’t anything particularly remarkable to say about a series, most readers do this sort of thing. Though every so often, maybe once every two to three years or so of reading, a series will come along that is so utterly excellent that I don’t want to read it. I mean, I don’t want to finish reading it. So I pace myself, I take my time with it and savour its splendour. This is most unusual for me, I’m sure some of you may have noticed how quickly I can get through books.
I started reading the Sandman almost a year ago now, and I’ve only just finished the third volume. This, in fact, took me almost two months to read. I went back and re-read issues; I flicked through and enjoyed the artwork on multiple occasions. For me The Sandman is the absolute peak of Gaiman’s writing and intellect, and it’s also the best graphic novel I’ve read to date. It would take a truly huge amount of ingenuity, creativity and originality to top something as good as this.
This volume, though not as good as the previous two, is a very enjoyable read. Unlike the others, that have six issues that follow a story arc, this one is divided into four separate issues that tell a different tale. It’s almost like the comic book equivalent of a book of short stories. I’m sure there’s may be a technical name for this, but if there is I certainly couldn’t find it! So I’ve broke down my review to talk about each of the four:
1. Calliope- 4*
What does the artistic muse dream about? She dreams about not being a muse, of course. She doesn’t want to exist for the purpose of another’s inspiration; she wants to exist for herself, and herself only. So she calls upon the lord of the dream world to come and save her from the confines of her existence.
2. A Dream of a Thousand Cats- 5*
What do cats dream about? Well, here they dream about being free; they dream about breaking the shackles of human domestication, and, of course, ruling the world. And in this world if enough beings dream for something to happen, with enough power, then it can become reality. So our she-cat heroine spreads the word; she lets other cats know what they must do if they want change. And I, being the cat crazed person that I am, absolutely loved the issue. It’s brilliantly told with a high level of wit.
3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream- 4*
More Shakespeare! (YAY!) The Bard makes good on his promise, that made in the previous volume, to write a play for Dream. He performs it for him in the middle of the countryside with a very strange audience straight from the world of Fae. No other audience could match such an interesting bunch. As ever, I love the way Gaiman inserts Shakespeare into his series and shows how the concept of dream influenced his subsequent writing.
4. Façade- 2*
This wasn't much of a Dream based issue; it was more a death based story. It was okay, just about a woman who was physically mutilated during some crazy experience that left her longing for an end. It was very short and lacked substance; it would have been much better in a death based collection.
Speaking of which, I must read her issues at some point: Death Deluxe. She’s certainly the most beautiful depiction of death I’ve ever seen…….(stares silently into the distance)
Final thoughts So this was another solid entry into the Sandman series, though it could never be quite as good as the rest when it doesn’t tell a sustained story, allowing the drama and tension to build up through the issues, it was still very enjoyable though. I think I'm going to wait a good few months before I pick up the next volume. Hopefully, this is the only one I give less than five stars.
I started reading the Sandman almost a year ago now, and I’ve only just finished the third volume. This, in fact, took me almost two months to read. I went back and re-read issues; I flicked through and enjoyed the artwork on multiple occasions. For me The Sandman is the absolute peak of Gaiman’s writing and intellect, and it’s also the best graphic novel I’ve read to date. It would take a truly huge amount of ingenuity, creativity and originality to top something as good as this.
This volume, though not as good as the previous two, is a very enjoyable read. Unlike the others, that have six issues that follow a story arc, this one is divided into four separate issues that tell a different tale. It’s almost like the comic book equivalent of a book of short stories. I’m sure there’s may be a technical name for this, but if there is I certainly couldn’t find it! So I’ve broke down my review to talk about each of the four:
1. Calliope- 4*
What does the artistic muse dream about? She dreams about not being a muse, of course. She doesn’t want to exist for the purpose of another’s inspiration; she wants to exist for herself, and herself only. So she calls upon the lord of the dream world to come and save her from the confines of her existence.
2. A Dream of a Thousand Cats- 5*
What do cats dream about? Well, here they dream about being free; they dream about breaking the shackles of human domestication, and, of course, ruling the world. And in this world if enough beings dream for something to happen, with enough power, then it can become reality. So our she-cat heroine spreads the word; she lets other cats know what they must do if they want change. And I, being the cat crazed person that I am, absolutely loved the issue. It’s brilliantly told with a high level of wit.
3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream- 4*
More Shakespeare! (YAY!) The Bard makes good on his promise, that made in the previous volume, to write a play for Dream. He performs it for him in the middle of the countryside with a very strange audience straight from the world of Fae. No other audience could match such an interesting bunch. As ever, I love the way Gaiman inserts Shakespeare into his series and shows how the concept of dream influenced his subsequent writing.
4. Façade- 2*
This wasn't much of a Dream based issue; it was more a death based story. It was okay, just about a woman who was physically mutilated during some crazy experience that left her longing for an end. It was very short and lacked substance; it would have been much better in a death based collection.
Speaking of which, I must read her issues at some point: Death Deluxe. She’s certainly the most beautiful depiction of death I’ve ever seen…….(stares silently into the distance)
Final thoughts So this was another solid entry into the Sandman series, though it could never be quite as good as the rest when it doesn’t tell a sustained story, allowing the drama and tension to build up through the issues, it was still very enjoyable though. I think I'm going to wait a good few months before I pick up the next volume. Hopefully, this is the only one I give less than five stars.
May 25, 2015
The Twilight Zone comes into The Dreaming.
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Kelly Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran & Charles Vess
Letterer: Todd Klein
Covers: Dave McKean
MUSES, CATS, PLAYWRIGHTS & ELEMENTS
This is a wonderful volumen in the The Sandman run where the great storyteller, Neil Gaiman, unleashes his imagination to the fullest giving us the pleasure of reading four stories where anything can happen...
CALLIOPE
You have changed, Oneiros. In the old days, you would have left me to rot forever, without turning a hair… Do you still hate me? For what I did?
No. I no longer hate you, Calliope. I have learned much in recent times, and… No matter. I do not hate you, child.
Morpheus, the embodiment of Dream, has many names, and Oneiros is one of those who used at some point, for some purpose.
It’s certain that the topic of a failed writer capturing a muse (a real one, from the Greek mythology) to be able to write again successful novels is something used here and there, but Neil Gaiman gives us here, this theme with a wonderful past relationship between Morpheus and Calliope, the muse of this tale. And how ironically, both have experienced similar situations helping to amend their complicated relationship.
A dREAM OF THOUSANd CATS
Mm. I wonder what cats have to dream about?
Cats, there are cats everywhere, in every continent, in every country, in every town, almost in every street. We are surrounded by cats. And they dream. They all dream. And they all can dream the same dream. And if they all can dream the same dream, they can change the world...
A MIdSUMMER NIGHT’S dREAM
This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.
This short story won the World Fantasy Award in 1991, of course the very next day, the committee changed the rules to avoid any other short story in the format of a comic book would be able to compete in that award. God forbids that people may think that comic books are respectful and valuable literature as any other literary genre! Geez!
Obviously not all comic books are high literature, but again not all prose novels are neither. It’s not a thing about the presentation format, it’s about what’s inside, as with any other book.
Neil Gaiman gives us here the epic meeting between Morpheus and William Shakespeare and the unique chance of presenting a theater play to an audience like not other in history. Refined literature in a graphic ambiance at its best.
FAçAdE
I smoke a cigarette, and pretend I’m normal.
Urania Blackwell is also known as Element Girl, but her life isn’t easy, since while she possess remarkable abilities, this comes with a price of grotesque features provoking that she doesn’t want to socialize and the most desperate choice, suicide isn’t on the table since due her powers, she is invulnerable to any human weapon.
Our lovely smiling Death is in the same floor of Urania’s apartment. She feels Urania’s sadness. But Death doesn’t provoke demises, she is only there to accompany those destined to die. However, she may have some idea...
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Kelly Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran & Charles Vess
Letterer: Todd Klein
Covers: Dave McKean
MUSES, CATS, PLAYWRIGHTS & ELEMENTS
This is a wonderful volumen in the The Sandman run where the great storyteller, Neil Gaiman, unleashes his imagination to the fullest giving us the pleasure of reading four stories where anything can happen...
CALLIOPE
You have changed, Oneiros. In the old days, you would have left me to rot forever, without turning a hair… Do you still hate me? For what I did?
No. I no longer hate you, Calliope. I have learned much in recent times, and… No matter. I do not hate you, child.
Morpheus, the embodiment of Dream, has many names, and Oneiros is one of those who used at some point, for some purpose.
It’s certain that the topic of a failed writer capturing a muse (a real one, from the Greek mythology) to be able to write again successful novels is something used here and there, but Neil Gaiman gives us here, this theme with a wonderful past relationship between Morpheus and Calliope, the muse of this tale. And how ironically, both have experienced similar situations helping to amend their complicated relationship.
A dREAM OF THOUSANd CATS
Mm. I wonder what cats have to dream about?
Cats, there are cats everywhere, in every continent, in every country, in every town, almost in every street. We are surrounded by cats. And they dream. They all dream. And they all can dream the same dream. And if they all can dream the same dream, they can change the world...
A MIdSUMMER NIGHT’S dREAM
This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.
This short story won the World Fantasy Award in 1991, of course the very next day, the committee changed the rules to avoid any other short story in the format of a comic book would be able to compete in that award. God forbids that people may think that comic books are respectful and valuable literature as any other literary genre! Geez!
Obviously not all comic books are high literature, but again not all prose novels are neither. It’s not a thing about the presentation format, it’s about what’s inside, as with any other book.
Neil Gaiman gives us here the epic meeting between Morpheus and William Shakespeare and the unique chance of presenting a theater play to an audience like not other in history. Refined literature in a graphic ambiance at its best.
FAçAdE
I smoke a cigarette, and pretend I’m normal.
Urania Blackwell is also known as Element Girl, but her life isn’t easy, since while she possess remarkable abilities, this comes with a price of grotesque features provoking that she doesn’t want to socialize and the most desperate choice, suicide isn’t on the table since due her powers, she is invulnerable to any human weapon.
Our lovely smiling Death is in the same floor of Urania’s apartment. She feels Urania’s sadness. But Death doesn’t provoke demises, she is only there to accompany those destined to die. However, she may have some idea...
March 4, 2020
Re-read, 3/3/20:
All of these stories are wonderful, but I think I preferred the monk and the fox story best this time. A close second is Midsummer Night's Dream. For all the right reasons. :)
Original review:
This is a fairly short volume, but each story is tight and delightful. This is where I remember the Sandman comics coming into its own, and Morpheus himself hardly had any role in them. It's all about stories. Stories about stories. Of course, I can make the same argument about the entire run of the series, but like I said, this is where it comes into its own.
A kidnapped muse gets freed by her old lover. A cat's dreaming of a new and free world. What the Fae court really felt about A Midsummer Night's Dream. A world of masks.
None of these short descriptions really do any of it justice. Dream gets revenge on an artist that rapes Calliope for his success, and the revenge is so damn sweet it bears repeating a thousand times. You want ideas? I'll give you ideas... muahahaha... :) The cat's dream was of overturning the rule of man, while remembering that cats once DID rule man, but man dreamt of a new world with more of it's kind and changed the nature of reality. Can't cats bring themselves to reverse reality in the same way? It brings a whole new spin on the adage, "To herd cats."
But it was the story about the Shakespearian production that takes the cake. Dream invites the entire Fae court to watch Will and his entire cast of players in a private production of the famous play, becoming a dream within a dream within a dream in a real sense, and because Puck, well, shenanigans ensue. There was sadness and longing, and it was nearly, but not quite, 4th walled. I think this one was my favourite.
The mythbuilding is truly great stuff. :)
All of these stories are wonderful, but I think I preferred the monk and the fox story best this time. A close second is Midsummer Night's Dream. For all the right reasons. :)
Original review:
This is a fairly short volume, but each story is tight and delightful. This is where I remember the Sandman comics coming into its own, and Morpheus himself hardly had any role in them. It's all about stories. Stories about stories. Of course, I can make the same argument about the entire run of the series, but like I said, this is where it comes into its own.
A kidnapped muse gets freed by her old lover. A cat's dreaming of a new and free world. What the Fae court really felt about A Midsummer Night's Dream. A world of masks.
None of these short descriptions really do any of it justice. Dream gets revenge on an artist that rapes Calliope for his success, and the revenge is so damn sweet it bears repeating a thousand times. You want ideas? I'll give you ideas... muahahaha... :) The cat's dream was of overturning the rule of man, while remembering that cats once DID rule man, but man dreamt of a new world with more of it's kind and changed the nature of reality. Can't cats bring themselves to reverse reality in the same way? It brings a whole new spin on the adage, "To herd cats."
But it was the story about the Shakespearian production that takes the cake. Dream invites the entire Fae court to watch Will and his entire cast of players in a private production of the famous play, becoming a dream within a dream within a dream in a real sense, and because Puck, well, shenanigans ensue. There was sadness and longing, and it was nearly, but not quite, 4th walled. I think this one was my favourite.
The mythbuilding is truly great stuff. :)
December 20, 2018
"I only have two kinds of dreams: the bad and the terrible. Bad dreams I can cope with. They're just nightmares, and they end eventually. The terrible dreams are the good dreams."
Dream Country is composed of four independent short stories with no real continuation from the previous volume. The stories are centred around both imprisonment - whether that's physical or mental - and dreams, with the only connection to the previous volumes being the presence of characters we've already been introduced to, like Morpheus and Death.
Calliope is the story of a frustrated writer who is struggling to write his second book. He acquires one of the Muses of Greek mythology and keeps her captive. His inspiration comes back to him, but will it come at a cost? A seemingly feminist piece from Gaiman that really made me think - it's basically about how these two men violently rape Calliope and steal her creativity to fulfil their own wishes of success.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats is a fantastic short story that is more focused on the potential that a dream can hold. A purebred Siamese cat unexpectedly gives birth to a pack of mutts and her owners aren't too happy about this, so they drown the poor kittens! :( The Siamese cat is clearly heartbroken and goes on a spiritual journey as a means to work out why her children were taken away - whilst doing so she encounters The Lord of Dreams, who tells her a fable. Goddamn, this was excellent storytelling! And a very powerful tale too. It perfectly depicts how it takes a certain number of people acting together at the same time to rise up and fight for something that they believe in. By far my favourite story in the collection.
A Midsummer Night's Dream... can you guess what one this was about?! It's a depiction of the very first performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream before an audience of very bizarre creatures. This was probably my least favourite issue in this volume, but I'm blaming this on remembering NOTHING about this play from school. I've no doubt I was missing out on cool little references - perhaps a crash course on the play would have fared me well! It was still pretty funny at times and I will never not be in awe of Gaiman's imagination.
Facade centres around a neglected character from the DC Universe - Element Girl. Again, I feel like perhaps this was slightly lost on me because I am not a DC fan. It was still incredibly enjoyable but I wonder again if I was missing out on little things! It's a very sad story as our protagonist lives quite a meagre existence, not leaving the house due to her unusual appearance. It's gotten to the point where she no longer wants to live but is unable to kill herself. Maybe there is someone who can help her with this?? Enter Death.
This was a brilliant volume. Each story was so unique and distinct from the others, but you can certainly see the themes that connect them all. Excited for what comes next! 4 stars.
Dream Country is composed of four independent short stories with no real continuation from the previous volume. The stories are centred around both imprisonment - whether that's physical or mental - and dreams, with the only connection to the previous volumes being the presence of characters we've already been introduced to, like Morpheus and Death.
Calliope is the story of a frustrated writer who is struggling to write his second book. He acquires one of the Muses of Greek mythology and keeps her captive. His inspiration comes back to him, but will it come at a cost? A seemingly feminist piece from Gaiman that really made me think - it's basically about how these two men violently rape Calliope and steal her creativity to fulfil their own wishes of success.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats is a fantastic short story that is more focused on the potential that a dream can hold. A purebred Siamese cat unexpectedly gives birth to a pack of mutts and her owners aren't too happy about this, so they drown the poor kittens! :( The Siamese cat is clearly heartbroken and goes on a spiritual journey as a means to work out why her children were taken away - whilst doing so she encounters The Lord of Dreams, who tells her a fable. Goddamn, this was excellent storytelling! And a very powerful tale too. It perfectly depicts how it takes a certain number of people acting together at the same time to rise up and fight for something that they believe in. By far my favourite story in the collection.
A Midsummer Night's Dream... can you guess what one this was about?! It's a depiction of the very first performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream before an audience of very bizarre creatures. This was probably my least favourite issue in this volume, but I'm blaming this on remembering NOTHING about this play from school. I've no doubt I was missing out on cool little references - perhaps a crash course on the play would have fared me well! It was still pretty funny at times and I will never not be in awe of Gaiman's imagination.
Facade centres around a neglected character from the DC Universe - Element Girl. Again, I feel like perhaps this was slightly lost on me because I am not a DC fan. It was still incredibly enjoyable but I wonder again if I was missing out on little things! It's a very sad story as our protagonist lives quite a meagre existence, not leaving the house due to her unusual appearance. It's gotten to the point where she no longer wants to live but is unable to kill herself. Maybe there is someone who can help her with this?? Enter Death.
This was a brilliant volume. Each story was so unique and distinct from the others, but you can certainly see the themes that connect them all. Excited for what comes next! 4 stars.
July 15, 2020
7/15/20: Rereading this one in the summer of 2020. In midsummer, actually, in conjunction with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, reading it, hearing it, and seeing a filmed production of it (soon). I did this because of the great issue in this volume focused on Midsummer Night's Dream. So it is really good to do this, as the play within a play from Shakespeare extends here to another frame; in other words, Dream watches the play within a play, and they all speak to each other.
10/17/14: Original review based on a second reading . This is volume three, which features four short stand-alone stories, including "Calliope," which involves the imprisonment of one of the nine muses by a struggling writer; "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," with yes, actual cats who were once ruling the world over humans, who were once larger and more powerful, until humans in kind of romantic Occupy fashion collectively dream to create a reversal of power; "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which deservedly won the World Fantasy Story award, the only graphic story at that point to win, a story of what comes of the deal Dream made with Shakespeare, and as Gaiman has it, Midsummer is one of the two plays Will wrote for Dream, and then "Facade" which is the most horror-connected one, where we, get to meet up with Death again, the delightful Death girl, who is so refreshingly straightforward and not grim in the least. But of the four, the clear masterpiece is Midsummer, really terrific.
Anyway, I though the four stories were linked by themes of disguise/facade and reversals, the exchange and reversal of power and of course dream, the importance of imagination to the production of the human, and also the human cost of that work of imagination. Calliope has that encounter with Death that is moving, and we learn of Shakespeare's young son Hamnet, who dies at an early age, but later Shakespeare writes Hamlet, of course. Midsummer is about disguises and reversals of fortune and facades and love and magic and language and there are elements of all this throughout this volume, which is a kind of tribute to Shakespeare and the imagination and fantasy.
The shady deal Calliope makes to enslave a muse for his own purpose contrasts with the deal Dream makes with Shakespeare to get these amazing plays written. I saw connections weaving their way through all four stories, lovely, layered, ambitious work and not at all in this instance show-offy or pretentious. Classic fantasy, paying tribute to fantasy across the centuries.
Again, I liked this much better than the first times I read it. This is loads better than the average comic work; it is epic in its reach and grasp. We now begin to get the feel of a comics masterwork.
10/17/14: Original review based on a second reading . This is volume three, which features four short stand-alone stories, including "Calliope," which involves the imprisonment of one of the nine muses by a struggling writer; "A Dream of a Thousand Cats," with yes, actual cats who were once ruling the world over humans, who were once larger and more powerful, until humans in kind of romantic Occupy fashion collectively dream to create a reversal of power; "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which deservedly won the World Fantasy Story award, the only graphic story at that point to win, a story of what comes of the deal Dream made with Shakespeare, and as Gaiman has it, Midsummer is one of the two plays Will wrote for Dream, and then "Facade" which is the most horror-connected one, where we, get to meet up with Death again, the delightful Death girl, who is so refreshingly straightforward and not grim in the least. But of the four, the clear masterpiece is Midsummer, really terrific.
Anyway, I though the four stories were linked by themes of disguise/facade and reversals, the exchange and reversal of power and of course dream, the importance of imagination to the production of the human, and also the human cost of that work of imagination. Calliope has that encounter with Death that is moving, and we learn of Shakespeare's young son Hamnet, who dies at an early age, but later Shakespeare writes Hamlet, of course. Midsummer is about disguises and reversals of fortune and facades and love and magic and language and there are elements of all this throughout this volume, which is a kind of tribute to Shakespeare and the imagination and fantasy.
The shady deal Calliope makes to enslave a muse for his own purpose contrasts with the deal Dream makes with Shakespeare to get these amazing plays written. I saw connections weaving their way through all four stories, lovely, layered, ambitious work and not at all in this instance show-offy or pretentious. Classic fantasy, paying tribute to fantasy across the centuries.
Again, I liked this much better than the first times I read it. This is loads better than the average comic work; it is epic in its reach and grasp. We now begin to get the feel of a comics masterwork.
May 31, 2024
The third volume of the Sandman series takes a break from the main storyline, focusing instead on four short stories that illustrate the depths of humanity's... depravity? Yeah, let's go with that.
We have:
- a writer, who traps a muse in his attic for decades on end
- a cat, that dedicates her life to spreading the truth about the power of dreams
- Shakespeare's first showing of a Midsummer's Dream to an audience of faeries
- the struggles of a retired superhero, who can no longer do the job
Click image for full size.
I very much liked the second and fourth stories, being able to empathize quite a bit with the characters. I even appreciated the art style, insofar as it matched the overall atmosphere. Well, to be fair, I honestly found the 2nd story's art beautiful.
Now the muse's story was decent, but rather predictable. Something about its dreary beginnings made it clear that things would end badly for the writer.
As for the Midsummer Night: it had some of the most beautiful art from the series, but I didn't get its point. Faeries are cruel? Humans are much too naive? Shakespeare was a "glutton"? I was expecting a much more clear cut conclusion.
The last part came bearing an intriguing surprise: a look behind the scenes for creating a comic book story. Well, Callypso (the muse's story) in particular. I liked the idea, but in the end I found it quite boring to read through the entire screenplay and associated notes. Moreso as some of these notes were almost impossible to read, the way they were overlapping the main text.
Despite Gaiman's promises of boredom, I would've probably been more interested to see behind the scenes of Midsummer's Night's creation. Maybe I would've understood it better.
Score: 3.3/5 stars
Objectively speaking, there was quite a bit that I liked in this volume, both story and art-wise. Unfortunately, that didn't really make me like the book as a whole, but rather appreciate its promise. If I had to decide on buying the volume based on this reading experience, I would most probably give it a pass.
============
Review of volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Review of volume 2: The Doll's House
Review of volume 4: Season of Mists
Review of volume 5: A Game of You
Review of volume 6: Fables & Reflections
Review of volume 7: Brief Lives
Review of volume 8: World's End
We have:
- a writer, who traps a muse in his attic for decades on end
- a cat, that dedicates her life to spreading the truth about the power of dreams
- Shakespeare's first showing of a Midsummer's Dream to an audience of faeries
- the struggles of a retired superhero, who can no longer do the job
Click image for full size.
I very much liked the second and fourth stories, being able to empathize quite a bit with the characters. I even appreciated the art style, insofar as it matched the overall atmosphere. Well, to be fair, I honestly found the 2nd story's art beautiful.
Now the muse's story was decent, but rather predictable. Something about its dreary beginnings made it clear that things would end badly for the writer.
As for the Midsummer Night: it had some of the most beautiful art from the series, but I didn't get its point. Faeries are cruel? Humans are much too naive? Shakespeare was a "glutton"? I was expecting a much more clear cut conclusion.
The last part came bearing an intriguing surprise: a look behind the scenes for creating a comic book story. Well, Callypso (the muse's story) in particular. I liked the idea, but in the end I found it quite boring to read through the entire screenplay and associated notes. Moreso as some of these notes were almost impossible to read, the way they were overlapping the main text.
Despite Gaiman's promises of boredom, I would've probably been more interested to see behind the scenes of Midsummer's Night's creation. Maybe I would've understood it better.
Score: 3.3/5 stars
Objectively speaking, there was quite a bit that I liked in this volume, both story and art-wise. Unfortunately, that didn't really make me like the book as a whole, but rather appreciate its promise. If I had to decide on buying the volume based on this reading experience, I would most probably give it a pass.
============
Review of volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Review of volume 2: The Doll's House
Review of volume 4: Season of Mists
Review of volume 5: A Game of You
Review of volume 6: Fables & Reflections
Review of volume 7: Brief Lives
Review of volume 8: World's End
July 28, 2020
Four unrelated stories where Morpheus takes a back seat, appearing as a supporting character in each one. Surprisingly A Midsummer Night's Dream which is the only comic to win a World Fantasy award was not my favorite story this go around. I thought Caliope and Dream of a Thousand Cats worked best. Kudos to Gaiman for resurrecting another forgotten DC character in Element Woman even though Facade wasn't my favorite story.
January 31, 2021
Un tomo diferente.
↳ "No es necesario que las cosas hayan pasado para ser verdad. Los cuentos y los sueños son las verdades sombrías que perdurarán cuando los simples hechos sean polvo y cenizas, y se olviden."
Esta tercera parte de Sandman, es una especie de receso al hilo argumental principal. Presenta cuatro historias autoconclusivas e independientes entre sí, que sirven para mostrar y ampliar el universo onírico de nuestro querido protagonista, Sueño.
En líneas generales, son cuatro historias disfrutables.
En primer lugar "Calíope", que me gustó mucho, trata sobre una de las musas de la mitología griega atrapada y arrastrada a servir a un humano que no hace más que explotarla. Le sigue "Un sueño de mil gatos", que me hizo acordar a la saga Gatos Guerreros, ya que, literalmente, tiene a los gatos como protagonista hablando sobre el poder del soñar, lo amé. Por otro lado, los dos últimos, me interesaron pero no me atraparon lo suficiente; "Sueño de una noche de verano" donde Shakespeare tiene que presentar su obra ante un público inusual (cuando leí esto fue like: ¿¡literalmente están haciendo a Shakespeare un personaje de este cómic!?), y "Fachada", donde una metamorfa tiene problemas al lidiar con su apariencia (la aparición de Muerte fue muy gratificante).
Después de la increíble segunda entrega que me dejó con ganas de más, este tomo se me hizo fuera de lugar, quizá sea demasiado temprano para mí en hacer una pausa; de todas formas sé que muchos de los elementos dados en estas historias jugarán luego un papel en el futuro de la serie de alguna forma.
↳ "No es necesario que las cosas hayan pasado para ser verdad. Los cuentos y los sueños son las verdades sombrías que perdurarán cuando los simples hechos sean polvo y cenizas, y se olviden."
Esta tercera parte de Sandman, es una especie de receso al hilo argumental principal. Presenta cuatro historias autoconclusivas e independientes entre sí, que sirven para mostrar y ampliar el universo onírico de nuestro querido protagonista, Sueño.
En líneas generales, son cuatro historias disfrutables.
En primer lugar "Calíope", que me gustó mucho, trata sobre una de las musas de la mitología griega atrapada y arrastrada a servir a un humano que no hace más que explotarla. Le sigue "Un sueño de mil gatos", que me hizo acordar a la saga Gatos Guerreros, ya que, literalmente, tiene a los gatos como protagonista hablando sobre el poder del soñar, lo amé. Por otro lado, los dos últimos, me interesaron pero no me atraparon lo suficiente; "Sueño de una noche de verano" donde Shakespeare tiene que presentar su obra ante un público inusual (cuando leí esto fue like: ¿¡literalmente están haciendo a Shakespeare un personaje de este cómic!?), y "Fachada", donde una metamorfa tiene problemas al lidiar con su apariencia (la aparición de Muerte fue muy gratificante).
Después de la increíble segunda entrega que me dejó con ganas de más, este tomo se me hizo fuera de lugar, quizá sea demasiado temprano para mí en hacer una pausa; de todas formas sé que muchos de los elementos dados en estas historias jugarán luego un papel en el futuro de la serie de alguna forma.
August 23, 2018
All right...starting to feel it now. I'm digging it. Let's keep this Dream train rolling, Gaiman. Onto Vol. 4.
February 17, 2015
I’ve been re-reading a lot of books that I enjoyed years ago recently and it’s been very rewarding for the most part, rediscovering books I loved all over again. Unfortunately Sandman - a series I really liked the first time round - is not among them and it’s so disappointing! What I remember of Sandman was that the first two volumes weren’t that great (and that checks out) but that the series starts to take off in this third volume, Dream Country, and… it doesn’t. It’s basically stuck in the mud for the third time.
Unlike the last two books which were lengthy narratives, Dream Country is a series of four thematically linked short stories with Dream and Death making cameos but not taking centre stage. I almost gave up this re-read after the first few pages where we see a woman getting raped. Wow, this was darker than I remembered! If I never see another rape in a comic, it’ll be too soon.
That story is Calliope where a desperate author attempts to overcome writer’s block by taking the physical manifestation of Homer’s muse back to his house, locking her in a room, and raping her for years. Turns out rape is just what he needs because he becomes a terrific success - except he doesn’t realise that Calliope is Morpheus’ ex. And the Dream King has very recent unpleasant memories of being held against his will…
I suppose it’s a noteworthy story for giving the reader more of Morpheus’ life story - he has a son, he had a partner - and it sets up one of the book’s two main themes: disguise/deception. But I felt the writer’s success was contrived and unconvincing and the story overall deeply repulsive. Not a good start at all and it may have coloured my overall perception of the book for the worse.
The second story is a whimsical fable of talking cats, one of whom recounts the story of how they once ruled the world until the humans dreamed that they were the rulers and reversed the roles. It’s cute and underlines the series theme of the power of dreams, and this volume’s other major theme of power displacement, but it’s kinda forgettable. It’s also the first time we see Morpheus live up to his name, shape-shifting from his human-ish form into a Dream cat, showing that he is Dream for all beings, not just humans.
The World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the third and best story of the book. It’s 1593 and Will Shakespeare and his troupe of actors, Lord Strange’s Men, are in the provinces, about to perform Shakespeare’s Dream for the first time - and in front of a unique audience of faerie folk, guests of the Dream King himself.
I’m quite surprised that this is the second story in the book where a writer has had their abilities gifted to them by an ethereal presence. It annoys me a bit that Neil Gaiman is, in a way, undercutting humanity’s achievements by saying this - it’s just so reductive! And, though I can appreciate the clever way that Gaiman basically retells the Dream during the performance of the Dream (with Dream in the audience), it still felt like a pretty flat story.
But I am a huge fan of Charles Vess’ art and his Robin Goodfellow was wonderfully creepy (think a smaller Grinch-esque figure with a twisted mindset). And that scene between the Lady Titania (the real Faerie Queene) and Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, was especially chilling, as she hints of a plan to abduct him to her realm. In real life, Hamnet would die three years later aged 11 and a few years after that Shakespeare would write Hamlet, but the suggestion that Titania stole him away to live amongst the faeriefolk is both charming and horrifying at once - a brilliant writerly flourish from Gaiman.
The fourth and final story closes out the volume on the same miserable tone it opened with as Urania Blackwell aka DC superhero and Metamorpho-lookalike Element Girl sits alone in a flat, depressed and suicidal. Yup, this is the sad death of a minor superhero! Yeesh…
Goth chick Death makes a cameo that lightens the mood a bit but otherwise this wasn’t that great a story either. Again it hits the themes of power transference and deception (she can change her appearance using different elements), but that unshakeable gloomy tone is hard to like. This came out in the early 90s and it’s clear we’re still feeling the after effects of Alan Moore’s Watchmen where all superheroes must be dark and gritty beyond belief. I’m just not into that.
On the whole I wasn’t that impressed with Gaiman’s work in this book. Midsummer is the only story worth reading while the others range from horrible to miserable to lightweight. Charles Vess’ artwork is great and, though I didn’t love it, there’s nothing wrong with Kelley Jones, Colleen Doran and Malcolm Jones III’s work here. I almost want to stop re-reading the series now and preserve my fond memories of the later books - what if the rest of Sandman is as average as the first three volumes are? Eh, in this instance I’ll take reality over dreams - onwards!
(By the way, if you like Vess’ art and faerie stories, check out Susanna Clarke’s The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, illustrated by Vess with a corking collection of tales by Clarke!)
Unlike the last two books which were lengthy narratives, Dream Country is a series of four thematically linked short stories with Dream and Death making cameos but not taking centre stage. I almost gave up this re-read after the first few pages where we see a woman getting raped. Wow, this was darker than I remembered! If I never see another rape in a comic, it’ll be too soon.
That story is Calliope where a desperate author attempts to overcome writer’s block by taking the physical manifestation of Homer’s muse back to his house, locking her in a room, and raping her for years. Turns out rape is just what he needs because he becomes a terrific success - except he doesn’t realise that Calliope is Morpheus’ ex. And the Dream King has very recent unpleasant memories of being held against his will…
I suppose it’s a noteworthy story for giving the reader more of Morpheus’ life story - he has a son, he had a partner - and it sets up one of the book’s two main themes: disguise/deception. But I felt the writer’s success was contrived and unconvincing and the story overall deeply repulsive. Not a good start at all and it may have coloured my overall perception of the book for the worse.
The second story is a whimsical fable of talking cats, one of whom recounts the story of how they once ruled the world until the humans dreamed that they were the rulers and reversed the roles. It’s cute and underlines the series theme of the power of dreams, and this volume’s other major theme of power displacement, but it’s kinda forgettable. It’s also the first time we see Morpheus live up to his name, shape-shifting from his human-ish form into a Dream cat, showing that he is Dream for all beings, not just humans.
The World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the third and best story of the book. It’s 1593 and Will Shakespeare and his troupe of actors, Lord Strange’s Men, are in the provinces, about to perform Shakespeare’s Dream for the first time - and in front of a unique audience of faerie folk, guests of the Dream King himself.
I’m quite surprised that this is the second story in the book where a writer has had their abilities gifted to them by an ethereal presence. It annoys me a bit that Neil Gaiman is, in a way, undercutting humanity’s achievements by saying this - it’s just so reductive! And, though I can appreciate the clever way that Gaiman basically retells the Dream during the performance of the Dream (with Dream in the audience), it still felt like a pretty flat story.
But I am a huge fan of Charles Vess’ art and his Robin Goodfellow was wonderfully creepy (think a smaller Grinch-esque figure with a twisted mindset). And that scene between the Lady Titania (the real Faerie Queene) and Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, was especially chilling, as she hints of a plan to abduct him to her realm. In real life, Hamnet would die three years later aged 11 and a few years after that Shakespeare would write Hamlet, but the suggestion that Titania stole him away to live amongst the faeriefolk is both charming and horrifying at once - a brilliant writerly flourish from Gaiman.
The fourth and final story closes out the volume on the same miserable tone it opened with as Urania Blackwell aka DC superhero and Metamorpho-lookalike Element Girl sits alone in a flat, depressed and suicidal. Yup, this is the sad death of a minor superhero! Yeesh…
Goth chick Death makes a cameo that lightens the mood a bit but otherwise this wasn’t that great a story either. Again it hits the themes of power transference and deception (she can change her appearance using different elements), but that unshakeable gloomy tone is hard to like. This came out in the early 90s and it’s clear we’re still feeling the after effects of Alan Moore’s Watchmen where all superheroes must be dark and gritty beyond belief. I’m just not into that.
On the whole I wasn’t that impressed with Gaiman’s work in this book. Midsummer is the only story worth reading while the others range from horrible to miserable to lightweight. Charles Vess’ artwork is great and, though I didn’t love it, there’s nothing wrong with Kelley Jones, Colleen Doran and Malcolm Jones III’s work here. I almost want to stop re-reading the series now and preserve my fond memories of the later books - what if the rest of Sandman is as average as the first three volumes are? Eh, in this instance I’ll take reality over dreams - onwards!
(By the way, if you like Vess’ art and faerie stories, check out Susanna Clarke’s The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, illustrated by Vess with a corking collection of tales by Clarke!)
March 3, 2020
This 3rd volume in the series is another collection of individual stories combined by that red thread that are dreams.
The first story details a writer's exploits of the muse Calliope ().
The second story tells of the power of dreams - how they can shape the world, become reality ().
The third is the story of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which happens to be one of my favourite Shakespeare plays - only this one is performed for the actual Auberon and Titania.
The fourth and last story showed us a former CIA agent after she had travelled to a pyramid to get turned into a superhuman - another dream gone wrong ().
Morpheus, if he appears at all, is only a minor character in the stories of this collection. The point being that he mustn't necessarily be the main acteur in order to impact our lives. He has a past and he will have a future and in between are all the encounters with all kinds of beings (humans, cats, fairy folk). But there would be no world without dreams.
Personally, while this is more a book to give you a bit of a feeling for Morpheus and some of his reasonings, I liked all the stories collected here despite them not driving any plot forward.
The art is still nothing beautiful or special and I honestly can't wait for that to change but especially considering the weird and otherwordly sceneries and creatures shown once again, the more abstract art style isn't completely inapt.
Can't wait to read more of Dream and his siblings though.
The first story details a writer's exploits of the muse Calliope ().
The second story tells of the power of dreams - how they can shape the world, become reality ().
The third is the story of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which happens to be one of my favourite Shakespeare plays - only this one is performed for the actual Auberon and Titania.
The fourth and last story showed us a former CIA agent after she had travelled to a pyramid to get turned into a superhuman - another dream gone wrong ().
Morpheus, if he appears at all, is only a minor character in the stories of this collection. The point being that he mustn't necessarily be the main acteur in order to impact our lives. He has a past and he will have a future and in between are all the encounters with all kinds of beings (humans, cats, fairy folk). But there would be no world without dreams.
Personally, while this is more a book to give you a bit of a feeling for Morpheus and some of his reasonings, I liked all the stories collected here despite them not driving any plot forward.
The art is still nothing beautiful or special and I honestly can't wait for that to change but especially considering the weird and otherwordly sceneries and creatures shown once again, the more abstract art style isn't completely inapt.
Can't wait to read more of Dream and his siblings though.
December 24, 2020
This was an interesting collection. Four short, dark and wonderful standalone stories.
The order I liked most to least:
A Midsummer Night´s Dream *****
A Dream of a Thousand Cats ****
Calliope ****
Façade ****
I must admit, I had to go and watch the play for the Shakespears play to fully appreciate Gaiman's take on the tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was wonderful.
The order I liked most to least:
A Midsummer Night´s Dream *****
A Dream of a Thousand Cats ****
Calliope ****
Façade ****
I must admit, I had to go and watch the play for the Shakespears play to fully appreciate Gaiman's take on the tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was wonderful.
“But he did not understand the price. Mortals never do. They only see the prize, their heart's desire, their dream... But the price of getting what you want, is getting what you once wanted.”I'm loving The Sandman series so far and I hear it only gets better - now that should be a delight!
May 14, 2015
An intermezzo between two longer story arcs, composed of four stand-alone issues. Part of the appeal for me is in the quality of work from the guest artists, Charles Vess and Kelley Jones in particular, but the main attraction remains in the creative writing of Gaiman.
17 - Calliope - is a story about a muse from ancient Greece, a prisoner of the mortal plane where she is enslaved and abused by a writer who wants fame and fortune.
18 - A Dream of a Thousand Cats - a story for cat lovers everywhere, one in which Morpheus takes the form of a black cat and inspires the animal kingdom to emancipate themselves from a form of slavery to humans through the power of dreams
19 - A Midsummer Night Dream is my favorite in the collection and continues an idea already introduced in Men of Good Fortune : that two of Shakespeare plays were inspired and sponsored by Morpheus. Here we participate in the first performance of the famous play, held in a meadow for the Lords and Ladies of Fairyland.
20 - Facade is the closest Gaiman comes to a classic superhero origin story, puting a dark twist on the saviour of the world mythos, showing the alienation and the psychological pressure of being a 'freak' in the eyes of the normal people.
I hope I will meet some of these characters in later issues. Even if they prove to be one-night-stands, their stories have depth and showcase the themes I am becoming already familiar with : the alternative history, the deconstruction of the superhero character, the use of mythical creatures in a contemporary environment.
17 - Calliope - is a story about a muse from ancient Greece, a prisoner of the mortal plane where she is enslaved and abused by a writer who wants fame and fortune.
18 - A Dream of a Thousand Cats - a story for cat lovers everywhere, one in which Morpheus takes the form of a black cat and inspires the animal kingdom to emancipate themselves from a form of slavery to humans through the power of dreams
19 - A Midsummer Night Dream is my favorite in the collection and continues an idea already introduced in Men of Good Fortune : that two of Shakespeare plays were inspired and sponsored by Morpheus. Here we participate in the first performance of the famous play, held in a meadow for the Lords and Ladies of Fairyland.
20 - Facade is the closest Gaiman comes to a classic superhero origin story, puting a dark twist on the saviour of the world mythos, showing the alienation and the psychological pressure of being a 'freak' in the eyes of the normal people.
I hope I will meet some of these characters in later issues. Even if they prove to be one-night-stands, their stories have depth and showcase the themes I am becoming already familiar with : the alternative history, the deconstruction of the superhero character, the use of mythical creatures in a contemporary environment.
April 1, 2021
Still digging the series!
I'll keep on dreaming along, nightmares and all.
For me, Dream Country wasn't as strong as the first two.
I did like the multiple stories in this volume that shows different dream scenarios.
The creativity and madness that comes from Neil Gaiman boggles my mind.
I wish I could come up with ideas that infuse fantasy, famous people from the past, urban tales and past Gods/legends into some sort of hodgepodge of goodness.
He does it in a seamless way that feels like a dream.
Get it...hahaha
Looking forward to getting to the next in the series!
I'll keep on dreaming along, nightmares and all.
For me, Dream Country wasn't as strong as the first two.
I did like the multiple stories in this volume that shows different dream scenarios.
The creativity and madness that comes from Neil Gaiman boggles my mind.
I wish I could come up with ideas that infuse fantasy, famous people from the past, urban tales and past Gods/legends into some sort of hodgepodge of goodness.
He does it in a seamless way that feels like a dream.
Get it...hahaha
Looking forward to getting to the next in the series!
July 21, 2022
این جلد اون انسجام جلد قبلو نداشت و چهارتا داستان کوتاه جدا از هم بود. چپتر اخر که کاملا مختص مرگ بود و خود مورفیوس حضوری نداشت. گرچه از این بابت اصلا شکایتی ندارم :)
با این حال همچنان روایتش شدیدا جذاب بود. مخصوصا چپتر رویای نیمه شب تابستان.
پ.ن.: اکت اول کتاب صوتی تا پایان این جلد رو پوشش میداد و شدیدا خوب بود. البته کتاب صوتی که نه، گرافیک آدیو بود. صدای کاراکترا و موسیقی که گهگاهی پخش میشد حین اجرا صحنهها واقعا خوب بود. شدیدا توصیه میشه همراه خوندن کمیک گوش داده بشه.
با این حال همچنان روایتش شدیدا جذاب بود. مخصوصا چپتر رویای نیمه شب تابستان.
پ.ن.: اکت اول کتاب صوتی تا پایان این جلد رو پوشش میداد و شدیدا خوب بود. البته کتاب صوتی که نه، گرافیک آدیو بود. صدای کاراکترا و موسیقی که گهگاهی پخش میشد حین اجرا صحنهها واقعا خوب بود. شدیدا توصیه میشه همراه خوندن کمیک گوش داده بشه.
December 15, 2011
Every time I read a volume of Sandman, I desperately hope I'll love it. Then I get a sinking feeling as I read and find myself bored and unimpressed, and I start to fear that someone is going to show up at my door and revoke my nerd card. Because everyone loves Sandman. You can't be a nerd without adoring this series, whether or not you like any other graphic novel series. I...do not adore this series.
It seemed like it took me ages to get through the Midsummer Night's Dream section of this book in particular--I was bored out of my mind. My major issue with the series as a whole is that I don't connect with the recurring characters. I find myself latching onto minor secondary characters who appear for just a brief time, and then I'm supremely disappointed that they don't reappear. Dream bores me to tears. The art is pretty cool, I guess, if you read for art, but I'm definitely a words and story person, so that doesn't really carry much weight with me.
Now that I've forced myself through three volumes, I think I can definitively say that this series is not for me. I've given it several tries, and I just don't like it.
Please don't take my nerd card away.
It seemed like it took me ages to get through the Midsummer Night's Dream section of this book in particular--I was bored out of my mind. My major issue with the series as a whole is that I don't connect with the recurring characters. I find myself latching onto minor secondary characters who appear for just a brief time, and then I'm supremely disappointed that they don't reappear. Dream bores me to tears. The art is pretty cool, I guess, if you read for art, but I'm definitely a words and story person, so that doesn't really carry much weight with me.
Now that I've forced myself through three volumes, I think I can definitively say that this series is not for me. I've given it several tries, and I just don't like it.
Please don't take my nerd card away.
August 10, 2019
Dream Country is the third volume of Neil Gaiman’s excellent Sandman series.
This one is the least thematic so far, with four random and loosely connected vignettes, and connected only by Gaiman’s ongoing storyline of Dream and his fellow siblings The Endless.
With tributes to fable, mythology, legend and plenty of original imagination, this one may be the most Bradburyesque offering of the lot.
This one is the least thematic so far, with four random and loosely connected vignettes, and connected only by Gaiman’s ongoing storyline of Dream and his fellow siblings The Endless.
With tributes to fable, mythology, legend and plenty of original imagination, this one may be the most Bradburyesque offering of the lot.
August 19, 2021
این جلد هم دوباره شد مثل جلد اول. سه تا داستان مستقل رو داره میگه و من نمیفهمم هدفشون چیه، چه ارتباطی دارن، چی میخوان بگن،...
امیدوارم جلد بعدی بهتر باشه
امیدوارم جلد بعدی بهتر باشه
June 13, 2022
Interlude.
March 28, 2021
Wow! This series just gets better and better.
Dream Country is comprised of 4 unique stories.
Calliope: A muse is imprisoned and brutalized by a writer bent on fame and fortune.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats: Who could have imagined a tale about a cat's journey to revelation would be so compelling?
A Midsummer Night's Dream: We met William Shakespeare in an issue in The Doll's House where he made a deal with Dream. In A Midsummer Night's Dream he returns to begin fulfilling his end of the bargain, and put on a show in front of a very special audience.
Façade: We have a pleasure of meeting Death once again in this narrative of an immortal wishing to end her life.
Dream is a minor character in this collection, so I thought I wouldn't enjoy it as much. But I was wrong. Each story is wonderfully fascinating. I think Calliope and A Dream of a Thousand Cats are my favorites but they were all exceptional.
Excellent collection! I can't wait to start the 4th book.
Dream Country is comprised of 4 unique stories.
Calliope: A muse is imprisoned and brutalized by a writer bent on fame and fortune.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats: Who could have imagined a tale about a cat's journey to revelation would be so compelling?
A Midsummer Night's Dream: We met William Shakespeare in an issue in The Doll's House where he made a deal with Dream. In A Midsummer Night's Dream he returns to begin fulfilling his end of the bargain, and put on a show in front of a very special audience.
Façade: We have a pleasure of meeting Death once again in this narrative of an immortal wishing to end her life.
Dream is a minor character in this collection, so I thought I wouldn't enjoy it as much. But I was wrong. Each story is wonderfully fascinating. I think Calliope and A Dream of a Thousand Cats are my favorites but they were all exceptional.
Excellent collection! I can't wait to start the 4th book.
September 29, 2020
Half the length of the previous volumes, this book contains four done-in-one-issue stories from various viewpoints and set at various different times in history. Mostly heartbreaking but laced with a tissue of hope.
The stories are all 5 star-worthy but the art, as ever, is somewhat variable in quality, running up and down the scale from 3 to 5 stars. Overall, I'm giving this a 4 and moving on to the next volume. Great stuff.
The stories are all 5 star-worthy but the art, as ever, is somewhat variable in quality, running up and down the scale from 3 to 5 stars. Overall, I'm giving this a 4 and moving on to the next volume. Great stuff.
April 23, 2020
This one might be my favourite volume so far. [Prtf]
January 25, 2021
“When the first living thing existed, I was there waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.”
― Neil Gaiman, Dream Country
I loved all four of these short stories, each in different ways.
Calliope
I seems to terrible to say I enjoyed this, since it is about the kidnapping and repeated rape of the muse Calliope. I suppose enjoy is not quite the right word -- but it was compelling, awful, brilliant and uncomfortable. Which seems to describe The Sandman in general so far --- and I mean that in the most complimentary tone possible! However, I can also see why many of my Goodreads friends don't really like this series that much. It's a lot, and while I am looking at the 1000's of pages I have left to read in the series with excitement, it seems like a great deal to read if you haven't clicked with it yet.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats
I loved this. Beautiful, funny, entirely cat focused. I've walked past my sleeping cat several times since finishing this and now regard her with more suspicion than I did before. This, along with Coraline, and the author information from Stardust makes me think Neil Gaiman probably likes cats. Or at least has a healthy respect for them.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
We return to Shakespeare, and this time Dream has brought friends. I was thrilled when I saw Charles Vess had done the artwork. It was brilliant.
“Writers are liars, my dear, surely you know that by now? And yet, things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.”
“But he did not understand the price. Mortals never do. They only see the prize, their heart's desire, their dream... But the price of getting what you want, is getting what you once wanted.”
Façade
“You people always hold onto old identities, old faces and masks, long after they've served their purpose. But you've got to learn to throw things away eventually.”
I had already seen much of Death's excellent moments from this comic online, but it was nice to read it in the proper context. She's the best, and I think this story was my favourite.
― Neil Gaiman, Dream Country
I loved all four of these short stories, each in different ways.
Calliope
I seems to terrible to say I enjoyed this, since it is about the kidnapping and repeated rape of the muse Calliope. I suppose enjoy is not quite the right word -- but it was compelling, awful, brilliant and uncomfortable. Which seems to describe The Sandman in general so far --- and I mean that in the most complimentary tone possible! However, I can also see why many of my Goodreads friends don't really like this series that much. It's a lot, and while I am looking at the 1000's of pages I have left to read in the series with excitement, it seems like a great deal to read if you haven't clicked with it yet.
A Dream of a Thousand Cats
I loved this. Beautiful, funny, entirely cat focused. I've walked past my sleeping cat several times since finishing this and now regard her with more suspicion than I did before. This, along with Coraline, and the author information from Stardust makes me think Neil Gaiman probably likes cats. Or at least has a healthy respect for them.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
We return to Shakespeare, and this time Dream has brought friends. I was thrilled when I saw Charles Vess had done the artwork. It was brilliant.
“Writers are liars, my dear, surely you know that by now? And yet, things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.”
“But he did not understand the price. Mortals never do. They only see the prize, their heart's desire, their dream... But the price of getting what you want, is getting what you once wanted.”
Façade
“You people always hold onto old identities, old faces and masks, long after they've served their purpose. But you've got to learn to throw things away eventually.”
I had already seen much of Death's excellent moments from this comic online, but it was nice to read it in the proper context. She's the best, and I think this story was my favourite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
"Los sueños dan forma al mundo."
3.5★
The Sandman #3: País de Sueños está compuesto por cuatro historias cortas, las cuales se alejan del hilo principal pero sirven para conocer un poco mejor el fantástico mundo onírico que ha creado Gaiman.
1. Calíope nos presenta la historia de una de las musas de la mitología griega, quien es atrapada (al igual que Sueño) y, además, esclavizada por despiadados humanos. Este relato ha sido Gaiman en estado puro y el que más me ha gustado del tomo.
2. Un sueño de mil gatos es bizarro, oscuro y emotivo. La historia nos muestra a una gata predicando, hablando sobre sus vivencias y el poder que se oculta en los sueños. Hay una pequeña parte que me hizo derramar algunas lágrimas, probablemente por cuánto me gustan los gatos.
3. Sueño de una noche de verano nos presenta a un escritor, Will Shekespear, que debe presentar su obra más reciente a un público poco habitual. Y bueno, tan sólo con el título se sabe a quién hace referencia y a qué obra... Gaiman sigue demostrando que es de los mejores al tomar una historia y personajes, y darle su propia interpretación.
4. Fachada tiene como protagonista a una metamorfa con problemas para aceptar su apariencia, y aparece otro de los Eternos, lo cual me ha gustado.
"Pero aun en el vacío de la nada más absoluta, cuando ya no sabía por qué avanzaba ni qué buscaba, seguí adelante."
En este tomo, Gaiman se mantiene fiel a su estilo sombrío que se me hace muy atractivo. Las ilustraciones han estado a la altura de las demás entregas. Estoy ansiosa por continuar con la historia que sigue el hilo principal.
March 25, 2020
'...sonra uyanıyorum, kendimle yüzleşiyorum.
Ve hala buradayım.
...bu gerçekten korkunç.'
(karantinada ben shfjdkdjgks)
İkinci okuyuşum. Yine ilk üçün içinde en iyisi olduğunu düşünüyorum...
Ve hala buradayım.
...bu gerçekten korkunç.'
(karantinada ben shfjdkdjgks)
İkinci okuyuşum. Yine ilk üçün içinde en iyisi olduğunu düşünüyorum...
May 1, 2016
The Dream Country contains 4 stand alone stories and Morpheus is mentioned only as a side character in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which won The World Fantasy Award.
Even though that story won a big award, it was not my favorite in the collection- I much preferred both Calliope and Facade. In Calliope, a man discovers and abuses his muse and in Facade we learn a lot about the faces we wear and the sister of Morpheus, Death, plays a role. How can an immortal commit suicide? If Death doesn't know, who does?
The second story, A Dream of a Thousand Cats was unique, but also brought with it the theme that Gaiman brings up in American Gods-how much do our beliefs shape the world around us? How is reality altered by our dreams and beliefs? On top of that, there's lots of cool cats. What's not to like?
The artwork in this volume was evocative-especially in Calliope. At the end of this volume, a script of Calliope was included-which was a cool peek behind how Neil Gaiman and the artists put an issue together. I didn't realize how much control over the panels the author had-for some reason I thought the author focused on the story only and then the artist's created their own versions of the author's vision, but that's not the case here. I learned a lot by perusing the script.
Overall, I didn't like the artwork in this volume as much as I did in The Doll's House, (volume 2.) However, I think the stories in this volume were just as good, if not better than that issue. So I hemmed and hawed and came up with a 4 star rating. I might up it to 4.5 over the next day or so as I reflect on these excellent tales.
Highly recommended for fans of Neil Gaiman, especially fans of American Gods!
*A big thanks goes out to my local library, as I couldn't afford to buy all of these issues right now. They kindly sent copies from around my state to my local branch and I think that's super cool.*
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