Smoke and Mirrors...

...is the title of another Neil Gaiman book I picked up at Borders this weekend. This one is a collection of "Short Stories and Illusions" as the subtitle says. So far, I have read the first three selections, each of which has the virtue of being literary and entertaining, which keeps my nerdy little brain very happy.

The first is a story about an ordinary elderly woman who finds the Holy Grail under an old fur coat at a second hand store, and purchases it, knowing what it is, only because she thinks it would look good on the mantelpiece. Amazingly, her ordinary life, and her apparent determination to live it as such, is no further disturbed when a young knight, complete with shining armor, shows up at her front door, looking for it. Not exactly what one thinks of as a Grail adventure, but Neil Gaiman specializes in the delightfully unexpected.

The volume also contains a rather twisted version of the Santa Claus story, in only 100 words, excluding the title, and a story of a Black Cat who, rather than bringing bad luck, as might be expected, risks his own life to save a family from evil.

Maybe one of these days I'll post some more detailed comments about some of these little gems. In the meantime, I recommend having a read. :)