Fragile Things begins with a remarkable introduction that details the process and motivation behind each piece in this collection of Neil Gaiman’s short stories. I recommend reading these descriptions after finishing the rest of the book, since several shed too much light on what would have been otherwise utterly unpredictable stories. The “fragile things” that piece together this book reveal an impressive range from whimsical poems to boyhood traumas to haunting accounts of what may lay beyond human understanding. The characters and situations mostly follow this same pattern; there was no time throughout the entire book where I found myself thinking “Hey, this story is really similar to that one four or five pieces back.”
Neil Gaiman’s collection also left me with a nagging question. How does a writer know whether their creation is best put to use as a short story or as novel? The first piece, a detective story called A Study in Emerald, already saw this question take form. I found myself resentful as if a host had just introduced me to all these wonderful people at a party before showing me to the door fifteen minutes later. I was actually relieved when an intriguing character, known simply as Mr. Alice, made a brief appearance in a later story. Gaiman hints that these stories, these fragile things may not be so fragile. As a writer, I’m determined to explore where these intricate structures stand tall and where they collapse. I believe that Gaiman will be a useful guide on this journey, so I intend to pick that man’s brain by looking now to his novels.
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