Dream Country
May. 9th, 2020 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzfishThe slimmest of the Sandman trades, just four standalone issues (plus the script for "Calliope" if you're into that.) May as well take them one at a time.
"Calliope"
Left an ugly taste in my mouth. It's a well-drawn, well-told story about a man who inherits a kidnapped Muse who's been raped repeatedly for the last sixty years, and continues that until he's forcibly stopped.
"A Dream of a Thousand Cats"
I remembered this as my favourite single story. On reread it's... fun, and slight, and only outstays its welcome by a little bit. Though the line "Little one, I would like to see anyone — prophet, king or God — persuade a thousand cats to do anything at the same time" is still great. Kelley Jones's art works well here, too. I dunno. Enjoyable but vaguely disappointing, or maybe I was still irritable after "Calliope."
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Charles Vess's illustrations, and Shakespeare, and the fae. There's really not much chance I wouldn't like this one despite my overexposure to the Dream in high school. (Every year I went to a student Shakespeare festival with seven other schools, for a half-hour performance each; every year at least three of them did something from the Dream.)
There's a good chance this was my introduction to Charles Vess. I still like his art, quite a bit.
"Facade"
It's always nice to see Death, but... this one just didn't do much for me. Eh. Can't all be winners.
"Calliope"
Left an ugly taste in my mouth. It's a well-drawn, well-told story about a man who inherits a kidnapped Muse who's been raped repeatedly for the last sixty years, and continues that until he's forcibly stopped.
"A Dream of a Thousand Cats"
I remembered this as my favourite single story. On reread it's... fun, and slight, and only outstays its welcome by a little bit. Though the line "Little one, I would like to see anyone — prophet, king or God — persuade a thousand cats to do anything at the same time" is still great. Kelley Jones's art works well here, too. I dunno. Enjoyable but vaguely disappointing, or maybe I was still irritable after "Calliope."
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Charles Vess's illustrations, and Shakespeare, and the fae. There's really not much chance I wouldn't like this one despite my overexposure to the Dream in high school. (Every year I went to a student Shakespeare festival with seven other schools, for a half-hour performance each; every year at least three of them did something from the Dream.)
There's a good chance this was my introduction to Charles Vess. I still like his art, quite a bit.
"Facade"
It's always nice to see Death, but... this one just didn't do much for me. Eh. Can't all be winners.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-10 04:06 am (UTC)Dream the world. Not this pallid shadow of reality. Dream the world the way it truly is.