The reason I give this four stars is because there are better books in the series, and though more immersive than Preludes and Nocturnes, it still only scratches the surface of the dazzling work of fiction that is Neil Gaiman's Sandman. In every way provocative and entertaining, The Doll's House will likely spur you on to continue devouring this dark fantasy epic.


A big step forward   September 5, 2003
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

It is finally with this collection that Gaiman demonstrates his (immense) potential and the Sandman series deserves its acclaimed reputation. Gone are the awkward - and sometimes boring- story arcs and borrowed characters from other titles. takes place almost entirely in a parrallel universe constructed by the imagination of the narrator: a fascinating place where dream and day are closely intermeshed. Each narrative in the collection adeptly stands on its own, unlike some stories in the previous collection (), which seemed to demand a prior knowledge of the DC comic universe; an unfortunate circumstance, really, seeing that none of these references had the complexity and originality of Gaiman's own creations. is ample proof that Gaiman works best with an empty canvass.

I generally agree with many of the other reviews that complement the complexity of the characters, or applaud Gaiman's ability to tell a great story. However, one feature of the Sandman series that is often overlooked is Gaiman's wicked sense of humour. Indeed, Gaiman is often at his funniest when he really has no right to be - when describing moments of horror. In "24 Hours" adeptly balanced horror with humour, and Gaiman does the same in this collection with "Collectors," a story which concentrates almost exclusively on serial killers. While, on the surface, mass murder wouldn't appear to be particularly amusing, Gaiman contrives a scenario where famous serial killers attend a "Cereal" convention at a hotel. The story is a hilarious send-up of the features of conventions as well as the cult of serial killers. His usage of humour at such times is a brilliant rhetorical tool that questions and interrogates what is funny. Unlike other writers in the genre, Gaiman skilfully uses humour to underpin the motifs of many of his narratives.

At times, however, the narrative seems to assume that we're on the same page as Gaiman, and able to navigate our way throughout his universe as adroitly as him. Complex ideas are barely explained, or not explained at all. Although some of my difficulties were resolved near the end of the collection (especially what constitutes a "dream vortex"), others never were. Whether this was a failure on my part or a flaw of the narration, I can't tell for certain. Perhaps the narrative was even meant to disorient and overwhelm us, as strangers in a strange dream.

That small (potential) criticism aside, this is great literature, no mere comic book. Gaiman transcends the graphic novel medium with this collection and delivers a terrific and brilliant read.