Over the last few months, since the libraries closed physically, I have been borrowing on line, through BorrowBox. I download an audiobook to listen to in bed. I can’t always get what I want, but recently I’ve been able to listen to two Neil Gaiman books, The Sleeper And The Spindle
and Fortunately, The Milk, both of which I’ve read with great delight, and reviewed on this blog.
The audiobook of The Sleeper And The Spindle is a cross between a book and a play. It has a narrator reading the story and a cast doing the dialogue bits. Somehow, it works. In case you aren’t familiar with this book, it’s a beautifully illustrated sequel to not one but two fairytales. The heroine is Snow White, now a queen, about to marry her prince. But three dwarves turn up at her palace to report something weird is going on. People are falling asleep. It’s not affecting them and possibly won’t affect her, as she has spent a year sleeping in that glass coffin - will she come and investigate with them? And she does. And they find strange things... It’s really just a short story, but was a beautiful book, with the Riddell art, and makes a lovely audiobook.
Fortunately, The Milk is read by the author. He is hilarious! I really feel a bit jealous that he can not only write but do readings that make you want to rush out and buy the book. Check out my review for the details of what the print book is like. I think this one is the American cover, a bit of a disappointment as the Chris Riddell cover showed the father who went out for milk for the kids’ cereal and had many adventures(well, he says he did! The kids don’t believe him). The father was drawn to look like Neil Gaiman himself.
Anyway, if you belong to a local library and can’t get there due to the virus, you could do worse than download BorrowBox and see if these two books are in the audiobook catalogue.
Or you can buy them online!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I’m now listening to Neil read his book Norse Mythology.
Though the libraries hand reopened here in southern New York, I also do much of my borrowing virtually.
ReplyDeleteThese sound terrific. I few authors have recorded their own audiobooks to good effect. I have actually never read Neil Gaiman but I really need to give him a try.
Funny, my wife was saying yesterday that there should be sequels to fairytales. I told her someone probably thought about it already.
ReplyDeleteBrian, thanks, they ARE terrific! Do discover Neil Gaiman, you won’t regret it. I think you might enjoy American Gods and Anansi Boys, but they are all good.
ReplyDeleteGuillaume, tell your wife about Jim C Hines. His Princess series is all about what happened after the fairytale endings. Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty all play roles and they aren’t what you might think. The Little Mermaid killed her prince and went insane. Cinderella has to deal with this to save the life of her decent and kind mother in law.
During the conversation I told her about... Charles Perreault. He wrote a "sequel" to Sleeping Beauty within the tale itself, when Sleeping Beauty and her children are threatened by her mother-in-law, who turned out to be an ogress for some reason. The Grimm Brothers' version of Little Red Riding Hood also has a sequel of sorts within the tale, after the events we all know.
DeleteI've never actually read any Neil Gaimain either, except for his co-authorship of "Good Omens." Incidentally, I'm reaching the mini-series which is now playing on cable TV. Love Michael Sheen and David Tennant in those iconic roles!
ReplyDeleteWe have "Fortunately the Milk". I enjoyed it as much as the Barbarians. I did hear they were making a movie but I believe they'd signed Johnny Depp, so that's probably not going to happen now!
ReplyDeleteA MOVIE? Really? Well, if they did ever do one it would have to be with Neil Gaiman himself. If we had to have an actor and it was a few years ago, maybe Robin Williams. But preferred - the author! Why not? He reads beautifully and he has had walk-on roles in radio plays.
ReplyDeleteHi Guillaume! I do remember the Perrault Sleeping Beauty with the ogress mother in law. I don’t recall the Grimm Little Red Riding Hood, must check it out again on the Surlalune web site.
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