M is for Magic
by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins, 2008
260 Pages
Young Adult
This book looks and smells just like a Ray Bradbury anthology. Each story is a poem, even the shortest of stories bringing out the emotional intensity of childhood and the imagination of exploring a new trail through the woods. In the dark.
The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Jack Horner solves the mystery of Humpty Dumpty’s death, written in thick noir description from beginning to end. This reminds me of Ted Arnold and Steve Metzger’s Detective Blue
Troll Bridge
A boy tricks a troll into not eating him by promising to come back when he’s older and a bit more to bite. The shock comes when he realizes he has returned to the very same bridge later in life. Will the troll eat his life?
Don’t Ask Jack
Just four pages convey a sinister childhood memory of a toy no one wants to play with because it whispers secrets in the night. It is amazing how Gaiman can summarize entire lifetimes in so few words and deliver it credibly.
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
At an interstellar Knickerbocker Club, a tale is told of a man, a rogue, who has gained some notoriety for selling the galactic equivalent of the Brooklyn Bridge. The character describes the setup, and then pauses. Like a Sherlock Holmes story, if you can’t catch the grift about to fall, (you won’t,) he spells it out for you at the end.
October in the Chair
A story is told by each of the twelve, and this is October’s tale. It is about a boy called “Runt” who makes a Best Friend, Forever.
Chivalry
An elderly woman is offered diverse exotic treasures by Sir Galahad when she finds the Sangreal at the local thrift shop. (A lesson in Zen that one might also find at Lake Wobegone or on a taxi ride one Night on Earth.)
Mrs. Whitaker found the Holy Grail; it was under a fur coat.
The Price
This is my favorite story in the book. Ever wonder why cats spend so much time on the front porch? An adopted stray cat protects its family no matter the cost. Though it’s a tough road, don’t worry. The cat holds his own. For now…
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Two boys crash a party hoping to meet some teenage girls. One is very shy, while his friend is charismatic. The funny thing is, all the folks at this house are exchange students.
This story was recently released as a free E-book coupled with a sample from Gaiman’s new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel
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Sunbird
An epicurean club (that’s people who love to try new foods,) having eaten everything else there is to eat, seeks out the Sunbird of Sun Town (in Cairo). The most senior member is able to lure it to them, but neglects to mention the preparation for eating it.
The Witch’s Headstone
This is an excerpt from The Graveyard Book, but it stands on its own in the same way that pieces of Ray Bradbury’s From the Dust Returned appeared in countless anthologies, each single chapter standing as its own fireside tale. This was the most emotional part of the book, and I question whether this poetic tryst might just be better taken without the rest of the book to frame it.
A living boy named Nobody, who lives in a cemetery and receives lessons in invisibility, meets a dead witch’s ghost and they take on both The Sleer and an evil pawnbroker.
Instructions
A poem, (or epitaph, perhaps.) A timeless letter of advice for those about to embark on a journey.