Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories

by Neil Gaiman

Note: this is not the graphic novel version.

Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories by Sunday Times bestselling writer Neil Gaiman is a tie-in edition to the unique Sky Arts series starring a host of British acting talent led by Tom Hughes and Johnny Vegas. Characteristically dark and strange, these four stories were originally published in Gaiman's popular short-story collections, Fragile Things and Smoke and Mirrors. 'Gaiman is... a treasure-house of story' - Stephen King.

'Let me tell you a story. No, wait, one's not enough. I'll begin again...'

'Foreign Parts', a story of loneliness and identity, and, perhaps, the joys of making your own way in the world.

'Feeders & Eaters', an eerie tale drawn from a nightmare the author had in his twenties.

'Closing Time', a ghostly story within a story, whispered in the quiet of the night.

'Looking For The Girl', a tale that spans a lifetime, originally commissioned by Penthouse for their 20th anniversary issue.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Comics, Fiction, Fantasy, Collections

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2016

Reviews

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art of it was good, however, trigger warning for the death of a cat, even if it's a supernatural cat, because it's a bit graphic. 2.5 ⭐ rounded up.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got bored after the third story and didn’t feel like finishing the fourth one. I don’t know if it’s because they are provided in a comic book form or what, but I didn’t enjoy the stories much. The artwork was nice, though....
This is all COMPLETELY UNHEARD OF, where Neil GAIMAN is concerned... with me.
3 stars.

[laqueus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this, but...(and I know this is nitpicking and I should just be reviewing what I thought of the book itself) I started getting really annoyed after the word "brought" was used for the second time instead of the word "bought". Once I can deal with, but after that it starts to annoy me. I know I'm getting annoyed and angry really easily at little things that shouldn't bother me, just because that's how I'm feeling right now. But I wish copyeditors and authors or (whoever's job it is to check it over before printing) would do a better job of checking for basic things like spelling mistakes or grammar. I've even found in a couple of books, that a character's name had been completely changed to something similar (Larry to Lewis) for a page or two and then changed back again? Weird. I know it's not that important to some people, and it definitely doesnt change the way I feel about the actual story, but I just think if I can find them without even looking for them, then the person who does it for a living or is responsible, should be able to do a better job. This is by no means the first time I've found a mistake or mistakes in a book, and I'm probably having this rant, because I've noticed quite a lot in most of the books I've read lately, and it finally got to be too much.
That said, this was a cool way to read these stories in a different way, and I'm looking forward to the adaptation.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful dark stories

I've read these stories before they're in Smoke and Mirrors a wonderful dark collection from Gaiman.
This is 4 stories from there dark and edgy that makes you want to check around corners!

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

September 2024
Did not even make it to the end of the first story. Really not what I've come to expect from Neil Gaiman and I don't really want to be reading about certain things. DNF: 10/47 pages read

December 2024
Come on, this is only 47 pages long, I can do this and I did!
Foreign Parts is very weird (in a bad way); Feeders and Eaters is creepy and suspenseful (in a good way); Closing Time is quite enigmatic (in a good way); and Looking for the Girl gives you an insight into the author's mind (in a bad way).

Conclusion
These were okay but Neil Gaiman has written better. They also hit differently following recent revelations about the author.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always creepy.... Always wonderfully hair-raising.

[Stephanie Cleaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always utterly wonderful!

Nobody spirits me away to a different world in quite the same way Neil Gaiman does, and this series of short stories offers exactly the same kind of escape.

What I love most, and I think most NG readers will attest to this, is the fact that he always twists the story so it walks close enough to reality to touch it, but just slightly outside.. the magical.. fantastical... it is sometimes a little disturbing, often utterly charming.

This book is a true standalone, you need no prior character knowledge to enjoy it fully, so you can jump straight in!

Enjoy!!

[Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains the following stories / Poems all from Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders, with graphic novel version Likely Stories reviewed here.

[Public Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll read anything by Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite living writers. I didn't even realize that I had read some of these stories already in Smoke and Mirrors! I love the bleeding between his short stories and graphic novels. Never not entertaining.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never thought I’d say this about a Gaiman’s book, but really not my cup of tea. I don’t know why but I didn’t felt connected with any of the stories and I didn’t see the background of fairy tale I always find in his books. All of them, except this one

[Hugh Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short bites of Gaiman's imagination. Think I prefer his longer works though.

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are very creepy, and the artwork is impressive. They stories are very short, but Gaiman manages to do a lot with only a little space.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gratuitous animal cruelty. Fuck that.

[Susan Katz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not up to the Neil Gaiman standard!

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Gaiman succeeds in hooking me into his stories. I thoroughly enjoy both the tale, and the visuals.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are pretty open ended stories. My fave was the second one.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best Gaiman, but still Gaiman. Good art. Bits of gratuitous gore, but nothing exceptional.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not my favorite Gaiman

[Cody Sawyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting little stories in this one. Nothing great but worth the read.

[Jeff Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd, disconnected, feels like just a bunch of spare parts all thrown into the same drawer. But sometimes you find cool little trinkets in the junk drawer.

[Deyth Banger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's brutal to give 4 stars out of 5... 5 out of 5 should be choice... the stories are going to keep you awake... for a very long time. This here stories aren't just some kind of fantasy or a lie... it's what's the truth behind each wall.

Notes:

"Wow... First time on Neil Gainman work... and it's mind blow... even and TV movies and series can be found on the internet and to be watched...

So far the first story is going like some kind of comedy.

- No horror!
- Some normal routine stuff... - or almost normal!"

"It's going like a real horror!
...

Paranoia..."

"Just finished 1 - story!"

"Now on

Feeders and Eaters"

"The stories are more likely people on their worst and best times... starting at worst level and going as hope to get better...

That was the first story... the second story again goes something like that."

"Short stories are the stories which show us our trueself... in few minutes... not going very deeper neither and not very on the top... somewhere on the middle."

"The second story was... like let's have a cup of tea or coffe and let me tell you one story..."

"And another and another story... one scary other not scary...

...."

"Wow... what a shock... what a truth..."



...

Neil Gaiman does one incredible thing... he takes us into the darkness.... deep...deep... inside... and he leaves us there!

[Whatthelog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read all of these before. I think they’re in ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, but I don’t have my copy on me to make sure. This was pretty disappointing, because I had assumed that they would be new stories.

They’re good ones, don’t get me wrong. But not new.

(I’m still probably going to watch the TV versions of them, though. I’m always interested in book-to-screen adaptations.)