Title: BRIEF LIVES
Author: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Jill Thompson and Vince Locke
Series: book seven of Sandman
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Publication Year: 1994, as collected edition. Originally published monthly, in single magazine form.
Pages: 256
Status: keeper

A couple of years back, my favourite independent bookstore hosted one of the two best GRAVEYARD BOOK-themed parties in North America. Consequently, Neil Gaiman came to visit.

I spent some small time hmming and hawing over which of Mr. Gaiman’s books I wanted to get signed, should I make it to the front of what was sure to be a massive line. I already had a signed copy of STARDUST--a lucky bargain book find--so one of the Sandman volumes made the most sense. Then I realized I needn’t waste any more of my time on the problem, because BRIEF LIVES was it. It’s my favourite. When I last reread SANDMAN, back in August of 2008, it was the only book that retained its 5-star rating. I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d change; a single area where I felt Mr. Gaiman and the artists had missed an opportunity.

I still can’t.

What don't I love about it? I adore the writing, of course. The art is lovely. The lettering continues to be a hidden treat. And the story…!

The story is deceptively simple. I can easily sum it up in six words: Dream and Delirium search for Destruction. And yet, it really isn’t. It’s a culmination; the point at which everything that happened in the last six volumes, every little way that Dream changed, every small hint, comes together. There are still unresolved elements, of course, but this is the beginning of the end. This is the turning point.

You’ve gotta know there are consequences for seeking out Destruction. I mean, really.

I shall say no more, though. Y’all want to discover this story for yourselves.

Moving on:

I love the contrast between Dream and Delirium. I know she doesn't like people laughing at her, but I can’t help but giggle at the back-and-forth between them. She's adorable and funny and utterly tragic. He's stern and grim and, despite Delirium's belief to the contrary, I really do think he treats even her most random mumblings quite seriously. (Which isn’t to say he never teases her by doing so.) They're also complete opposites. He's tall; she's short. He's black and white; she's a riot of colour. He's collected; she's scattered. They complement each other very well.

Destruction, now, proves worth the long wait. I can never decide whether I like him as much as Death and Delirium or just a little bit more. Either way, he’s among my favourite characters. I mean, the guy has spent the past three hundred years creating things, even though he's shite at it--assuming, of course, that his marvelously snarky talking dog can be believed. And he may have abandoned his function, but the story proves he can’t be entirely rid of it.

I wonder, too, how much humanity’s capacity for destruction has been hampered by his absence. In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, we saw the impact Dream’s imprisonment had on the world. Destruction’s absence is voluntary, sure, but it’s still an absence. He hasn’t done anything Destructiony in centuries. Most of his family doesn't even call him "Destruction" anymore, since he's abandoned his function. He's just "our brother" or "the prodigal," so far as they're concerned. Hmm.

Also? I’m not entirely sure I’d trust any of those cathedrals and canals he’s helped build. Just saying.

I suppose you could read this as a stand-alone, but I really don't see why you' d want to. It's so much better when you've had the build-up; when you've spent six books wondering just what went down with Destruction; when you've watched Dream change in the aftermath of his captivity. I'm hard-pressed to find anything to nitpick over, let alone lambast. It comes together beautifully. Every piece slots into place with an almost audible click.

It's the sort of reading I hope and pray for, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

5 stars – loved it to the point of incoherence

Strange Asides:

I like it when other stories have shades of BRIEF LIVES. Part of the reason I like both FIREFLY and MÉLUSINE is that they remind me of BRIEF LIVES in one key respect: they're both about siblings, one sane and one not, who undertake a journey togther.

Also, MÉLUSINE features a Greece-like country populated by red-haired, yellow-eyed people. Destruction is a red-haired, yellow-eyed person who currently lives in Greece. Coincidence?

Yeah. Probably. It still makes me happy.

Age Breakdown:

Everyone’s older than me. Dear Team Immortality: I love you.

Other Reviews:

Bibliofreakblog
"Fiddle-de-dee's not English (also covers WORLD'S END)
Once Upon A Bookshelf

If I've missed yours, please let me know so I can link to it.





Back In the Day:

• One Year Ago: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


• Two Years Ago: nada


• Three Years Ago: 31 Tales of Terror: Day 13, Thieves & Kings: Apprentices, Part One by Mark Oakley and The Night Watch by Sarah Waters