The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction Paperback – May 16, 2017

When I first saw Neil Gaiman in person, he was saying this: "The next time someone tells you about comics as the hot investment item of the nineties, do me a favor, and tell them about the tulips."This was the end of his 1993 speech to a room full of comic shop owners and sellers who were experiencing an unprecedented boom in their business - comics were selling as they never had before, and were seen as great investments. Neil's speech was about tulips, and about good comics, and about history and economy. But mostly, it was about tulips.It was a warning: Don't get complacent with the current scenario. We've seen this sort of thing before, and it didn't end well. Focus on selling good comics, the comics you love, and the future will be the brighter for it. "Remember what it is you're selling people," he implored. It was a strangely controversial speech, and was not well-received by many of those in attendance.I thought it was brilliant. As an introduction to Neil Gaiman the man, beyond the visionary author behind Sandman, it's hard to imagine a better way to come to understand how he views the world around him. Neil was charming and witty and humble, but also strangely wise. He brought an obscure historical analogy about tulips, as described in a century-old book about popular delusions, into a room full of people enjoying their success in a modern medium, and he warned them of what the tulips had to say about the comics industry. For those listening, he made his point perfectly. For those listening, he was an inspiration to do better. Sadly, not everyone was listening.The text of Neil's 1993 speech is reprinted in 'The View from the Cheap Seats.' It's one of many such speeches, introductions, articles, and musings you'll find in these pages, and here's the thing: they're all like that. All are written with wit and with wisdom, in a voice that is similar to the one you hear in Neil's fictions, but more distinctly him. There's a natural humility and warmth that exudes each piece, and with each one, you learn a little more about the things he's seen, what he loves, and who he is. Like that 1993 speech, each piece reveals an aspect of the man behind the fiction - these pieces read like a conversation, the good kind of conversation that keeps you up until the grey hours of the morning because you don't want it to end.We see his love of literature, of course, and get a sense of the authors who shaped him as a writer and as a reader. We hear about people he's known and people he's worked with. We experience the change of a deeply British author who moves to midwestern America. We see his love of music and musicians, films and filmmakers, art and artists, and comic books. Of course, comic books.Often in these little glimpses of his mind and heart, Neil is unabashedly enthusiastic. He gets to expound upon and explain why he loves the tales of Lord Dunsany, the comics of Will Eisner, the experience of working with Charles Vess. And these are delightful to read. But there is also the strange melancholy of Neil in attendance at the Oscars, on the first anniversary of the death of his father, and the barely-contained rage against the impending death of old friends. For their insight into Gaiman the man, and their insights into our own brief lives, these pieces are no less valuable than the jubilant ones.If you're already a fan of Neil Gaiman, there's a good chance you've seen (or heard) some of these pieces already, as I had. As this collection spans over 25 years of material, there's an even better chance that you'll find something new, something you'd never even known about, that will surprise and delight you. Opening these pages is a little like meeting Neil for the first time, over and over again, and that is an experience not to be missed.25 years ago, I was fortunate to meet Neil in person, on the same night he gave his speech, and to have a few minutes to talk to him. I remember that he was wearing sunglasses, even though we were indoors, and that he smiled. I don't remember what either of us said, but I remember that he seemed kind, and more than a little surprised at all the attention he was getting. I hope I told him how much I appreciated his work on Sandman, and how much I enjoyed and was inspired by the speech he shared with us.But, just in case I failed to do so: Neil, you were brilliant. I won't forget about the tulips.

Well this was wonderful and boring and inspiring and tedious all at different times. I'd read many parts before, so it's a mixed bag. It was one of those Kindle deals that I can never pass up (until recently when I installed the library extension and forced myself to use the darn thing finally.) I'm going to get through them! So 1 down, who knows how many to go.Neil Gaiman (whose name I always misspell) is always charming, smart, interesting and wise. I did get more added to my TBR shelf from him, and I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the end of the book much more than the middle - where he picks authors and discusses them. It's funny, since I just -- like a week or two ago -- adored his introduction to Fahrenheit 451 on a reread. It was critical to me being able to get around some issues I had with the book and actually brought me much more joy on that read. Yet, on reading the same words here, it felt dull and flat. It's a book introduction, and it works best with the book. This happens to many of the introductions - especially if I hadn't read the book or wasn't familiar with the work in question. (Actually, I have started reading introductions twice: once before and once I've finished, because they always mean more to me after the book.)I loved his writing on music, but that's because we have extremely similar taste in music, so I had some idea of what he was typing, some investment already. (In fact, I first learned of Gaiman via music circles long before I ever delved into his books.) Much as I adore Stephen King's writing, I don't know him as a person, so warm talks about personal life don't do much for me. Though I now know Terry Pratchett loved chocolate, I would have appreciated more about his work that I could relate to (instead of, because there was obviously a lot about Pratchett.) This may also be an idiosyncratic personal tic. I've recently been aware that I care far less about a celebrity's personal life than many other people.There are some really wonderful bits in this book, and like any book of introductions, essays, speeches and other stuff collected over a lifetime of work, some less wonderful bits. Nothing is bad, and it's practical to skip things unless you have a touch of OCD like me and would feel like you "cheated."This one is worth a read, probably more like a box of chocolates than as a cover-to-cover endeavor. Pick one, savor it, then put the box away for another time. I've got a few more of these books on my Kindle from Gaiman, so I'll know better in future.

My favorite authorLucid and captivatingExtremely intelligentAlways a good read

Nun ja, was man gerne liest ist sehr subjektiv. Ich liebe es. Alle die Fiction erwarten sind hier nicht gut beraten. Es sind Essays. Das Cover des Taschenbuches, das mir zugesendet wurde ist ein anderes als auf der Abbildung - noch schöner finde ich.

Se scrivo per capire chi sono, mi pare evidente che poi debba leggere quello che ho scritto. Non posso leggere, se non ho scritto. Ma per scrivere devo pensare. Se non penso, non posso né leggere né scrivere. Penso allora a quanto forse è felice chi è analfabeta ...

I loved all the small notes, articles and essays on topics as varied as Gaiman's thinking style, favourite authors, etc. There's even a morbid section on How did Amanda Palmer die? I found it funny and invigorating at the same time.I found this book on a day when I felt very low, and by the morning things had started to look up. Just like it says on the cover.

Si te gusta la obra de Gaiman, encontrarás que este libro tiene muchos pequeños pedazos que la complementan, una carta de amor del escritor a todo aquello que le inspira a crear.