|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
“Like a more impish version of Dr. Seuss’s ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Gaiman’s book offers riddling advice that could be for young or old.” (New York Times Book Review )
“ Young readers should relish the chimerical vision while older Gaiman fans should grasp the underlying suggestion that the compass used to navigate fairy tales can also guide us in the real world” (Publishers Weekly )
“A magical, incantatory poem. It could be instructions for a child, a writer, a newly minted adult or an elder. It strikes immediately at the place where stories live and provides a feast of archetypes. ” (Kirkus Reviews )
“ Young readers should relish the chimerical vision while older Gaiman fans should grasp the underlying suggestion that the compass used to navigate fairy tales can also guide us in the real world” (Publishers Weekly )
“A magical, incantatory poem. It could be instructions for a child, a writer, a newly minted adult or an elder. It strikes immediately at the place where stories live and provides a feast of archetypes. ” (Kirkus Reviews )
Book Description
Trust Dreams.
Trust your heart,
and trust your story.
A renowned storyteller whose words have transported readers to magical realms and an acclaimed illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes guide a traveler safely through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar . . .
. . . and home again.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to have a magical adventure,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Instructions (Hardcover)
Don't deny it. Everybody has had fantasies of wandering into another world, or at least a magically-enhanced pocket of our own -- and Neil Gaiman is an expert on both. His "Instructions" is a delicately illustrated, whimsical little picture book that takes you on a guided tour of a fantasy world, and Charles Vess' delicate, elegant illustrations mesh perfectly with Gaiman's words."Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before. Say please before you open the latch, go through, and walk down the path." Gaiman follows a cat-man in vaguely medieval clothes as he follows the various instructions. Obviously he starts off going through a mysterious door in a stone wall, which leads him into a world of ogres, palaces, wild woods, magic wells, princesses and red dragons. Moreover, he gives you tips on the proper places to go and what you should do when you get there. For instance, he informs you what giant animals you are going to ride, what you shouldn't do (example: touch an imp doorknocker), and precisely what to say to whomever you meet. Technically "Instructions" is a children's picture book, but it feels more like a whimsical poem with equally charming illustrations. Gaiman manages to make you feel like you wandered into a slightly tongue-in-cheek fairy tale and are just an observer rather than a full participant. It's a little like he's taking you by the hand and showing you the most interesting sights of the Fairy Tale World -- including some of the darker edges, like a haunted wood full of imps, or the incarnations of the year's months. And Charles Vess' illustrations really give the book a magical air -- lots of gnarled trees, crows, clinging flowering vines, floating mists, green tinged forests and golden skies. His art tends to be rather delicate and full of dusty, vibrant colors -- and it often gives you the feeling that it's about to spill off the page. "Instructions" is a pretty mundane name for a charming little picture book, with a lovely concept and even lovelier drawings. Lovely for the imaginative kid, and maybe a few adults as well.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfil & Charming,
By
This review is from: Instructions (Hardcover)
This book took me completely by surprise. I was expecting something darker, with more of a twist. But Gaiman once again gives us something new and different. On the dust jacket it says it is for 'All Ages', and it really is. It is instructions given as you journey out in life and come back home. It is magical, whimsical, enjoyable and fun. Wonderfully illustrated and written, the words of Gaimen and art of Vess present a single story that complement each other completely.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews) 34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An illustrated poem, suitable for children (or adults),
By T. Simons - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Instructions (Hardcover)
This book contains a set of instructions for wanderers into the realms of Faerie. Those instructions come in the form of an evocative poem, written by Neil Gaiman, and illustrated by the illusively charming drawings of Charles Vess (who has some experience depicting those lands beyond the fields we know, having also illustrated Gaiman's _Stardust_ and Susanna Clarke's _The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories_, among many other works).This will be classified as a "children's book," and it is, but it's also an adult's book and a reader's book; something that I expect will charm anyone who's ever read a fairy tale. "Walk through the house. Take nothing. Eat nothing. However, if any creature tells you that it hungers, feed it. If it tells you that it is dirty, clean it. If it cries to you that it hurts, if you can, ease its pain." 15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uniquely Neil Gaiman...,
By M. Jacobsen "I am not young enough to know ev... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Instructions (Hardcover)
First things first: this is a poem, not a children's bedtime story as the cover art might suggest. I just wanted everyone to know that before they buy. That said, it is an absolutely charming poem about how to survive in a fairy tale and is fabulously well-done by Neil Gaiman. Fans of his work (the latest award-winner being his novel The Graveyard Book) will instantly recognize his invention on these pages. It's really quite charming and the illustrations are wonderful. If you're looking at this for your kids, it's appropriate for those who are old enough to understand the concept of entering a fairy tale, at least in my opinion....my four year old certainly understands it (and enjoys it!).If you're a Gaiman fan like myself, this is a must-have for your collection. 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to have a magical adventure,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Instructions (Hardcover)
Don't deny it. Everybody has had fantasies of wandering into another world, or at least a magically-enhanced pocket of our own -- and Neil Gaiman is an expert on both. His "Instructions" is a delicately illustrated, whimsical little picture book that takes you on a guided tour of a fantasy world, and Charles Vess' delicate, elegant illustrations mesh perfectly with Gaiman's words."Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before. Say please before you open the latch, go through, and walk down the path." Gaiman follows a cat-man in vaguely medieval clothes as he follows the various instructions. Obviously he starts off going through a mysterious door in a stone wall, which leads him into a world of ogres, palaces, wild woods, magic wells, princesses and red dragons. Moreover, he gives you tips on the proper places to go and what you should do when you get there. For instance, he informs you what giant animals you are going to ride, what you shouldn't do (example: touch an imp doorknocker), and precisely what to say to whomever you meet. Technically "Instructions" is a children's picture book, but it feels more like a whimsical poem with equally charming illustrations. Gaiman manages to make you feel like you wandered into a slightly tongue-in-cheek fairy tale and are just an observer rather than a full participant. It's a little like he's taking you by the hand and showing you the most interesting sights of the Fairy Tale World -- including some of the darker edges, like a haunted wood full of imps, or the incarnations of the year's months. And Charles Vess' illustrations really give the book a magical air -- lots of gnarled trees, crows, clinging flowering vines, floating mists, green tinged forests and golden skies. His art tends to be rather delicate and full of dusty, vibrant colors -- and it often gives you the feeling that it's about to spill off the page. "Instructions" is a pretty mundane name for a charming little picture book, with a lovely concept and even lovelier drawings. Lovely for the imaginative kid, and maybe a few adults as well. |
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
