Rating: 
Summary: "It is our madness that will keep us sane"
Review: Well Neil- you did it again- after hooking us with the Sandman series you got us again. I must admit- that this book is not for the ordinary reader- one must have a modicum of insanity to fully appreciate the stories written therein. The stories were well written (I especially like "The Murder Story") and it leaves one thinking for days on end. A good story does not end after you have read it- a good story is one that sticks to your mind, and in re-reading it- it becomes a different one from the first time you read it.
Rating: 
Summary: A retread of things I've enjoyed before
Review: Ordinarily, almost everything of Neil's gets 5 stars. I love the stories in this book. I love "Troll Bridge" and "Chivalry" and "Looking For The Girl." The thing is, I read Angels And Visitations ages ago, and before that I read a Datlow/Windling anthology or five, so I've read "Troll Bridge" half a dozen times. And "Babycakes." And "Virus." And even though this collection has more stuff in it, and more comments, and I liked "When We Went To See The End Of The World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11 1/4" very much, it doesn't make up for it. I want to see the new stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Smoke and Mirrors is an excellent collection by Gaiman. Some of the better stories are Murder Mysteries, Snow Glass Apples, Troll Bridge and Chrivaly. Some of the stories seem to be a hybrid of Bradbury and Kafka. Really fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant
Review: I loved every single story in this book. They all deserve five stars. And I'm not just saying that because I know Neil (hi Neil, BTW, it's Kat here). My favourite was Chivalry, especially the bit where she *gives him back the apple*. I'm not saying any more than that because it would spoil it, but that section alone would lift the story into top-grade, if the rest didn't. It's not exactly predictable, but it's a very human reaction, and it had me in tears. Nicholas Was... is another great one, and I'll never think of the Christmas story in the same way again after reading it. Just get this book and read it now, and tell all your friends to do the same!
Rating: 
Summary: I had to drag...
Review: ... myself through the book.This is the first of Neil's books that I'm reading. This book is a collection of his short stories and a few of which I find quite creative, such as "Changes" and "The White Road". The story in the prologue meant to be a wedding gift got me pretty hyped about the rest of the book. I am not a fan of werewolf stories, and his shots at a couple didn't win me over. I'd failed to appreciate "The Goldfish pool and other stories", which I think dragged for too long. I'm left with about 80 pages of the book and I'm no longer interested in reading more. I feel that some of the stories needed to be further developed, such as "One life, furnished in early Moorcock", which left me wondering, what is the story going on about? Such was also the sentiment for the above mentioned "Goldfish" story. Chill factor, pretty low, but I think the characters must have slipped into my subconscious, for I had a couple of spooky dreams after I read the books before going to sleep. Read this in your spare time only.
Rating:
Summary: he shoots ... he scores!
Review: Loved "Neverwhere" - a really fun idea, skilfully wrought (though sadly butchered into a truly Godawful TV adaptation), also "Good Omens" and (especially) Gaiman's rendition of the Mr. Punch mythos. I don't read a lot of fiction, but I'm definitely drawn to dark fantasy; Neil Gaiman ranks alongside Steven King as a storyteller and nearly matches Clive Barker as a wordsmith. "Smoke and Mirrors" = very cool stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Gaiman is Like a Fine Wine
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. I am not a short story person but Gaiman's short stories hook me. I think for those of you who didn't like the stories should think of them as a fine, vintage wine. You should not try to read them expecting every element to instantly tickle your senses but savor them for many minutes. And then I guarantee you will see things in them you missed.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirations? Conversations? Exultations!
Review: It's so rare for a writer to be able to write about being a writer and not make it sound like he's tooting his own horn. What's more, the Introduction got me out of my two-year writing slump and back in the saddle again! You'll go places you never dreamed existed and get to peak in on Gaiman's multi-faceted universe. He's almost like a writer doing impressions of other writers - and he admits to it, which is even more endearing. As anthologies go, this one flows and leaves the reader higher than when he or she began. It's NOT for children - although the first story, "Chivalry", is appropriate for anyone of any age. I even read it to my kids!
Rating: 
Summary: a couple of gems, but most stories read like stephen king
Review: I like Gaiman's work, but the works in this book were too slight for my liking. Many of the short stories/poems come off sounding like well-written Stephen King stories. They are either too slight, or exist merely to shock the reader with the twist ending. But there are a couple of gems (both of them the longer stories)- like "the goldfish pool and other stories" (a lovely and tender story mocking the LA movie business) and "murder mysteries" (a story about the angel Lucifer's fall), both of which are vintage gaiman. Seems to me someone was trying to capitalise on Gaiman's popularity, but some of these stories were better off left uncollected.
Rating:
Summary: Gaiman wrote this?
Review: I read this book--bought it in hardcover, in fact--because I loved Neverwhere. I was surprised to find out that more often than not, the stories here are pretty annoying. Either they don't make sense, or they're just plain boring. I just finished Stardust, and it was every bit as good as Neverwhere, or even better. Guess you win some and lose some.
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