"So it goes."

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.