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The View from the Cheap Seats

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The View from the Cheap Seats

Written by: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
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About this listen

An enthralling collection of nonfiction pieces on myriad topics - from art and artists to dreams, myths, and memories to comics, films, and literature - observed in award-winning number-one New York Times best-selling Neil Gaiman's probing, amusing, and distinctive style.

An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his fiction. Now The View from the Cheap Seats brings together, for the first time ever, more than 60 works of his outstanding nonfiction on topics and people close to his heart.

As Neil explains, "This book is not 'the complete nonfiction of Neil Gaiman'. It is, instead, a motley bunch of speeches and articles, introductions and essays. Some of them are serious, and some of them are frivolous, and some of them are earnest, and some of them I wrote to try to make people listen."

In prose that's analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, Neil explores a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to) authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts his experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Neil ponders the truth of fiction and the power of stories (and why we tell them) and offers his own profiles of and insights into writers who have influenced him, including C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Diana Wynne Jones, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, James Thurber, and his dear friend, Terry Pratchett. He offers unlikely perspectives on subjects as diverse as The Bride of Frankenstein, Doctor Who, Batman, Tori Amos, Lou Reed, They Might Be Giants, and Amanda Palmer. And he includes a moving essay on the plight of Syrian refugees in a United Nations camp in Jordan.

Illuminating and incisive, witty and wise, The View from the Cheap Seats explores some of the issues, subjects, and people that matter most to Neil Gaiman - and offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most beloved and influential writers of our time.

©2016 Neil Gaiman (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
Essays Memoirs, Diaries & Correspondence Nonfiction Fantasy Fiction
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What listeners say about The View from the Cheap Seats

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Simply Winderful

No one writes about stories as does Neil Gaiman. His love for his craft is evident, and made better only by the rhythmic cadence of his personal narration. Thank you for writing wonderful stories and thank you for writing beautifully about stories.

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Gaiman should narrate all the books

I love listening to Gaiman speak. No matter the subject, he is just a wonderful person to listen to.

I especially loved the section of the book where he spoke of authors that inspired him, particularly about Dianna Wynne Jones.

I didn't love all his essays but it was a cozy listen all the same.

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Narrative Voice, Making Art

As a writer in progress, hearing Gaiman speak about his experiences, the books he loved, the people he’s known, the influences and realities and interactions and his acute intelligence as he reveals the nature of fantasy and science fiction and dreams. A beautiful collection filled with friends.

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So happy I got this

Amazing, inspiring. Couldn’t stop listening. 👍
I didn’t realize how much I wound up enjoying this. I recommend it’s a great listen.

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Just could not get into it.

The writing is repetitive and just drags on. The book appeared interesting but I stopped listening after the 7th chapter and tried to find a chapter that was interesting. No luck.

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1 person found this helpful