Rating: 
Summary: Gaiman-the new master of the short story
Review: Every now and then a reviewer uses the words "every now and then" to start a review. It usually is followed by a glimmering review of a very artsy, very bad book. With this book, though, it is completely appropriate. It is appropriate to say that every now and then a story collection comes along that will, in the end, change the way we read short stories. The last time this happened was, perhaps, King's "Night Shift." Before that, pick any Ray Bradbury collection.But Gaiman's collection is both and more put into one. "Smoke and Mirrors" is absolute masterpiece and seems like it would satisfy almost any avid reader's tastes. There is the humor, social commentary, poetry of all kinds and even a few examples of remarkably tasteful erotica included in this timeless collection. The dark side of the reader is revealed in a reassuring and, at the same time, frightening way. Reading Gaiman is not mere recreation, it is experience. This reviewer did not take long to complete these pages, despite a relatively busy work schedule. When it was over, it leaves disappointment that stems from the fact that the book was over, finished. Yet it is a fulfilling, and wonderful experience. It is not bogged down by "trying to make a point," despite the points it does make on the reader. It is simply telling a story, and the reader takes it as he or she wishes. This, in the end, is the essence of writing, and Gaiman has mastered it perfectly. The stories are diverse; humor and dark, poetry and prose. However, no matter which story you read one thing remains constant: Gaiman's superb ability in the art of storytelling. Writing short stories is an art of the most refined form, and Gaiman has done more than lead the art form or change the art form. He has transcended it and made it his own. Every now and then a story collection comes along that will, in the end, change literature. Here and now, that collection is "Smoke and Mirrors."
Rating: 
Summary: 9/10
Review: I give it a nine out of ten. What I liked about it:
Neil Gaiman is a terrific author. The stories were mostly crisp and kept me interested.
I enjoyed the change of pace between the tales.
The different ideas and possible universes presented were great. In order to get a ten:
A couple of the stories should have been left out. They were not the same caliber as the others in the book.
Rating:
Summary: The Pocket Gaiman
Review: I may not think that all pieces herein are his best work, but it's a relatively good introduction to Neil Gaiman if you've never heard of him or read his post-SANDMAN work. SMOKE AND MIRRORS is one of the very few books that have a "reserved spot" on my bedside table and travel bag. Need a quick read before hitting the sack, while waiting in the airport, while lying on the beach? Open it up and choose a story, a poem, a sestina. I've lost count of how many times I've re-read SMOKE AND MIRRORS, but remember where I've taken it and what new insight it always gives me. It could be "the black cat" of your literary life....
Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately is missing Gaiman's most important work
Review: Having of course been born in the twenty-fourth century and then thrust backwards through time after stumbling upon a temporal fissure, I have read this book. We had to study one of Gaiman's infamous (as yet unpublished) short stories in school as part of a classical literature course -- Eighty One Things To Do With An Uncooked Lobster And How A Cuckoo Clock Was Involved, which is the sixth piece in this collection. It is a most satisfactory collection, my only fault with it is that Gaiman's most famous piece, The Crimes And Times Of The Marquess Of Starlington And How The Cuckoo Clock Got Its Revenge, which was banned in eighteen countries (including all forty-five states of the US and all twenty-four privatized counties of the United Kingdom -- six of which were then owned by the Starbucks corporation) and the composition of which later lead to Gaiman's arrest and imprisonment in 2026, is not present in this early volume of his work. However, it's good to see Amazon taking the initiative in carrying FuturStock (items taken back through time using Time-Switch technologies), especially during an era when the Time Machine was still under wraps by the CIA and SIS. Truly, Amazon chose their stock wisely, too. The importance of Gaiman's works and their effect on the worlds of literature, metathermodynamical studies and, of course, politics and religion simply cannot be overstated. Gaiman is a God, and was declared such in 2015 (long before this publication's release) by the Gaimanites, who later overthrew the Muslims as having the world's most widely practiced religion. No wonder Gaiman's face alone is such a beaming icon to lovers of True Art And Reasonably Compromised Christianity in the 24th century. Buy this book, you'll be glad you did when it arrives twenty years later.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! This book is going to ROCK!
Review: Wow. I haven't read this book, but that won't stop me from reviewing it: when I read this it is going to be AWESOME.
Rating:
Summary: A Must for Fans of Dark Fantasy or Contemporary Classics
Review: Neil Gaiman is quickly becoming one of the world's most recognized and revered authors, and with good reason. His stories are fantastical, but not to the point that they are merely escapist enteratinment. When one reads a work by Gaiman, they come back into the real world and look at it differently, through smoke tinted glasses if you will.
Every story in here is good, but some are better than others.
-"Chivalry" is, as Gaiman himself says, a very friendly story. It's very funny and much lighter than his other works.
-"Tastings" is not so much fantasy as it is eroticism, but it's different than what you would expect. There is more to this story than sex.
-"Snow, Glass, Apples" is a very disturbing take on the Snow White mythology. A very chilling read that makes you see the Disney film in new light.
-"Murder Mysteries" is one the best short stories ever written. Not only is it intricately plotted, but it also has a resonating message that anyone could find inspiration in, and if not inspiration then despair.
-"The Price" is my personal favorite along with "Murder Mysteries". It takes a whole new spin on the good vs. evil motif, has a twist that will throw you for a loop, and really makes you appreciate things you might perceive as normal, and in some cases annoying.
-"The Wedding Present", the story Gaiman hides in the introduction, is chilling and thought provoking. My next favorite of the collection.
This is a great book and should be on the shelf of everybody who loves a good read.
Rating:
Summary: So much better than Neverwhere
Review: In "Neverwhere" Gaiman seriously bit off more than he could chew. But in this book of short stories, Gaiman's intensely creative ideas and fantastic imagination are perfect for the art that is the short story. I like how he puts two entirely unrelated ideas together. Like his opening tale of an old woman who finds the Holy Grail at her local thrift shop and is pursued by a handsome Knight of the Table Round (Yes, somehow he is from the past) who desperately wants the cup so he can complete his quest. You won't believe what he offers her in the way of exchange! These stories are so cool, I highly recommend this book!
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