Free Downloads The View From The Cheap Seats CD: Selected Nonfiction
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, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman’s probing, amusing, and distinctive style.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 and make people listen.”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.
Audio CD
Publisher: HarperAudio (May 31, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062417193
ISBN-13: 978-0062417190
Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.5 x 5.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #267,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #36 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Essays & Correspondence > Speeches #190 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Literature #651 in Books > Books on CD > Literature & Fiction > General
Not every writer—not even many literary greats—could pull off a book like this. It’s a collection of random speeches, front matter from books (not his own), liner notes, and the occasional eulogy for individuals living and dead. While the book is organized into sections on topics like other authors, comic books, films, and music, it seems that organization derives organically from the topics on which Neil Gaiman is asked to comment--rather than a desire to tighten the book’s theme.If you’re a Neil Gaiman fanboy/girl, you’ll need no excuse to read anything that he puts out (even though--if that is the case--you’ll probably have read much of this before in separate outings.) So the question is why the rest of us—who may enjoy Gaiman’s writing tremendously but who don’t qualify as fanboys / fangirls—should read this. The reason that it’s worth reading is that Neil Gaiman is funny, has a way of framing ideas that makes them thought-provoking and interesting, and frequently writes quotable bits of text that are essentially brain candy.The book’s title comes from an essay on Gaiman’s experience attending the Oscars from the upper balcony. As mentioned, the book is divided into thematic sections--ten of them to be precise. The book starts with “Some Things I Believe,” which presents speeches on the virtue of reading, libraries, books, and bookstores. The next section discusses people he has known and worked with—largely writers and graphic artists. Then Gaiman offers thoughts on the nature of science fiction, again mostly through book forwards on seminal works from the genre. There is a section on films and Gaiman’s experience with them—several of his works have been made into films and many others have been considered.
The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman is a very highly recommended collection of various nonfiction speeches, essays, and introductions.Gaiman organizes the various sixty nonfiction pieces into ten categories including: Some Things I Believe; Some People I Have Known; Introductions and Musings: Science Fiction; Films and Movies and Me; On Comics and Some of the People Who Make Them; Introductions and Contradictions; Music and the People Who Make It; On Stardust and Fairy Tales: Make Good Art; The View From the Cheap Seats: Real Things.For anyone who has never read any of Gaiman's nonfiction pieces before this, you are in for a real treat should you pick up The View from the Cheap Seats. Gaiman shines here on many far reaching subjects and the plethora of material in these selected pieces should cover the interests of and appeal to a wide variety of people. There are some recurring themes that will resonate especially with readers, artists of all types, and those interested in literacy and the arts.Most people already know Gaiman is an incredible writer. This collection expands that well deserved adoration to his nonfiction pieces. I predict readers will find themselves checking back and rereading some of these pieces over the years, which is a recommendation in itself.I especially love several pieces included in this collection. The 2013 Reading Agency Lecture had several paragraphs I flagged on children, the importance of reading and how well meaning adults can easily destroy a child's love of reading:"You don't discourage children from reading because you feel they are reading the wrong thing." If you are at all involved with libraries, or education you're going to love the first section on some things Gaiman believes.
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction The View from the Cheap Seats CD: Selected Nonfiction Seats: New York: 180 Seating Plans to New York Metro Area Theatres Third Edition (Seats New York) Burnt Orange Planner, Agenda, Organizer for Students, (Undated) Large 8.5 X 11, Weekly View, Monthly View, Yearly View Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats Child Labor: A Global View (A World View of Social Issues) Bologna Annual '98: Nonfiction (Bologna Annual: Nonfiction) My Unsentimental Education (Crux: The Georgia Series in Literary Nonfiction) (Crux: The Georgia Series in Literary Nonfiction Ser.) Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America) Selected Shorts: Food Fictions (Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story) Selected Shorts: New American Stories (Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story) Selected Shorts: Baseball (Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story) Selected Shorts: Lots of Laughs! (Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story) (v. XVIII) Cheap Chic: Hundreds of Money-Saving Hints to Create Your Own Great Look Niche Sites With Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: Niche Market Research, Cheap Domain Name & Web Hosting, Model For Google AdSense, ClickBank, SellHealth, CJ & LinkShare (Online Business Series) Vegan with a Vengeance, 10th Anniversary Edition: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap PETA'S Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School The $5 a Meal College Vegetarian Cookbook: Good, Cheap Vegetarian Recipes for When You Need to Eat (Everything Books)
