The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman

The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This volume deals with the story of Rose Walker, a young girl who is destined to be a dream vortex - an attractor for bad dreams and nightmares, with potentially disastrous consequences if left unchecked. She moves into a house with a strange collection of people and then tries to track down her brother who is being held captive by some rather nasty step parents and has retreated into a dream world of his own. Meanwhile, the many and varied serial killers of America are drawing together for a convention in a motel somewhere in small town USA ...

As well as the main thread, there is an introductory chapter that adds to the mythology of Morpheus, the king of dreams, and an excellent standalone story of a man in the 13th century who makes a decision not to die. Morpheus is intrigued and agrees to meet the man once every hundred years to see if he regrets his choice.

Sandman is the very antithesis of the superhero genre. The stories deal with mythology and legend, and the character of Morpheus can often act in a cruel and peremptory manner, putting the order and responsibilities of his kingdom of dreams above any concern for the human realm. That said, the introductory story and the the story of the immortal man both reveal new sides to the Sandman's complex character.

Excellent stuff.

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