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Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four: 9 Short Fictions and Wonders
Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four: 9 Short Fictions and Wonders
Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four: 9 Short Fictions and Wonders
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Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four: 9 Short Fictions and Wonders

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About this ebook

“A prodigiously imaginative collection.”

New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice

 

“Dazzling tales from a master of the fantastic.”
Washington Post Book World

 

Fragile Things is a sterling collection of exceptional tales from Neil Gaiman, multiple award-winning (the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Newberry, and Eisner Awards, to name just a few), #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and the groundbreaking Sandman graphic novel series. A uniquely imaginative creator of wonders whose unique storytelling genius has been acclaimed by a host of literary luminaries from Norman Mailer to Stephen King, Gaiman’s astonishing powers are on glorious displays in Fragile Things. Enter and be amazed!

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 3, 2009
ISBN9780061847356
Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four: 9 Short Fictions and Wonders
Author

Neil Gaiman

NEIL GAIMAN was awarded the Newbery and Carnegie Medals for The Graveyard Book. His other books for younger readers include Coraline (which was made into an Academy-Award-nominated film) and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (which wasn’t). Born in England, he has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. You can learn more at www.mousecircus.com.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another Gaiman. I am slowly working my way through them all. I was over halfway through this book of short stories when I got the audio book and started over. There's something about the author reading his own words that makes them more meaningful. Plus, I'm a sucker for British male narrators.

    Anyways, this collection is very diverse, with poems and funny ones and mystery ones and ones I'd never read before, and everything with that little (or huge) twist I've come to expect. There are some, like "The Problem of Susan" that I'm not very happy about, but I know they will stick with me as only the best sci-fi short stories can. You know that creepy way Bradbury or Twilight Zone stories come back to haunt you every time you hear about virtual reality or fly on an airplane? Only this one is about children's books. There are some, like the novella featuring Shadow, the main character from American Gods, that are just plain good stories. They hit all the right buttons and leave you with a feeling that something amazing just happened but you missed how the magic trick happened. If I ever have a long road trip, I'm putting this back in the queue for sure.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Some excellent shorts. My favorites was shadows.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another pick-up-put-down-pick-up-again collection of short stories.....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Love it, love it, love it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I tend to prefer my supernatural fiction "vintage", by which I understand that it should be written before 1950 and/or in the style of the classic ghost, gothic or horror story. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the occasional foray into the "New Weird". In December 2014 I had read with pleasure China Mieville's "Looking for Jake and Other Stories". Over Christmas this year I opted for another anthology of short fiction: Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. I can't say I know these two authors well enough to compare them but, if forced to do so, I'd say Mieville strikes me as grittier and more politically committed, his style owing as much to noir and thriller genres as to the tradition of supernatural fiction. On the other hand, Gaiman seems more fascinated by the world of faerie, folk tale and myth; by the sometimes subtle, sometimes shocking intrusion of the weird into everyday life. Another recurrent inspiration in this collection appears to be the act of "writing" and "creating" itself. Not only is the anthology preceded by an introduction in which Gaiman explains the genesis of each of the pieces, but some of the stories themselves are either *about* writing, writers and storytellers, or else reinterpret known literary works. For instance, in the opening story - "A Study in Emerald" - the worlds of Conan Doyle and Lovecraft combine as Sherlock Holmes is placed in an alternative 19th Century ruled by "Old One" Queen Victoria. It's the sort of divertissement which shouldn't work but ultimately does. "The Problem of Susan" presents a more disturbing and abstruse reinterpretation of characters from the Chronicles of Narnia. "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" veers between parody and pastiche and features an author living in a typical candle-lit Gothic world of crumbling castles and stormy nights who is suffering from a particularly acute case of writer's block. A critic described this tale as "facetious nonsense" (which it probably is), but it is hilarious - after all, parody has always been an element of the Gothic tradition. A highlight of the collection is "October in the Chair", in which, at a story-telling reunion between the months of the year, October relates the tale of a bullied boy who befriends a ghost. A prototype for The Graveyard Book , it is touching and unsettling at the same time.In other tales we meet child zombies, haunted playrooms, beautiful aliens and magical instruments. There is a return of "Shadow" from "American Gods" in the novella "Monarch of the Glen", where the protagonist finds himself pitted against a Grendel-like monster of old. In this story there is also a cameo appearance by the repulsive "Mr Smith and Mr Alice", who also get their own story - "Keepsakes and Treasures" is violent, quite revolting but strangely fascinating.With such a varied anthology there will be entries which do not work for you. In my case, I didn't particularly like the poetry and there were stories which lost me because they seemed to lack an internal logic. Gaiman points out that supernatural tales are rarely "story-shaped", so others may actually relish the feeling of being "bewildered" by a seemingly illogical tale. I don't.I must make a mental note to venture into "New Weird" more often - possibly starting with some of Gaiman's and Mieville's full-length novels.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Didn't like too many of these short stories or poems which surprised me since I do enjoy Neil Gaimen's books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A splendid collection from one of my authors. Will give mini-synopses/reviews of the stories.

    A Study in Emerald - Wow! I don't know if I've ever read a better short story in my life. Written for an anthology of stories where the world of Sherlock Holmes meets the world of H.P. Lovecraft, Gaiman's take gives The Ancient Ones the sanity-crumbling horror I'm used to and gives Holmes the brilliant see-everything-at-once deductive skills that we expect. A best-of-both-worlds story that's scary, thrilling, and surprising.

    The Fairy Reel -

    October in the Chair

    The Hidden Chamber

    Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire

    The Flints of Memory Lane

    Closing Time

    Going Wodwo

    Bitter Grounds

    Other People

    Keepsakes and Treasures

    Good Boys Deserve Favors

    The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

    Strange Little Girls

    Harlequin Valentine

    Locks

    The Problem of Susan

    Instructions

    How Do You Think It Feels?

    My Life

    Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

    Feeders and Eaters

    Diseasemaker's Croup

    In the End

    Goliath

    Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky

    How to Talk to Girls at Parties

    The Day the Saucers Came

    Sunbird

    Inventing Aladdin

    The Monarch of the Glen
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A bunch of short stories and poems which concludes with a novella. I don't tend to read a lot of short fiction but have been picking at this one for quite a while. For me it was quite a mixed bag so far as quality goes but you can't argue with the quantity as there are nearly 30 entries included in this collection.. There are also introductions to each piece located in a separate section at the beginning of the book. My favourites were Monarch of the Glen (the novella which features Shadow from American Gods), Sunbird (a club set on sampling all the world's gastronomic delights), Bitter Grounds (Ghost story with voodoo element), Keepsakes and Treasures (Introduces a couple of villains who also appear in the novella) and The Hidden Chamber (possibly the creepiest poem I've ever read). Most of the rest were at least enjoyable to a certain extent even if some were instantly forgettable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really just love listening to Neil Gaiman read, whether I'm actually paying attention to the story or not. Short stories have never been my favorite medium, but there were several interesting ones in here, and combined with Neil's performance, I enjoyed this. My biggest problem in looking back at the list of stories is not really being able to say which ones were my favorites, because I'm not entirely sure which ones they were! lol! I'm pretty sure that Bitter Grounds was one with an Anthropology/Voodoo/Missing Person spin. Also there was another that had a Matrix-esque premise of the world you feel is real actually being a simulation that I liked quite a bit.

    I think at some point I would like to read this physically, since I retain them better when I'm reading visually than when I'm listening, but I will always listen to Neil reading, always. :)

    I'm counting this in for Award Winning Challenge as a couple of the stories in this collection are award winners or mentions.

    Study in Emerald
    short story : 2004 Hugo W
    novelette : 2004 Locus W

    The Monarch of the Glen
    novelette : 2004 Locus/2

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it!Proper review to follow.Why did I read it? Well, I had listened to two other books by Neil Gaiman: one being a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, "Good Omens"; and the other being the 10th anniversary edition of "American Gods", which I truly enjoyed. Given this was a selection of short stories, and prose, I thought it would be entertaining for my commute. And, so it was!What's it about? Bizarre tales, short stories, the odd poem, and, finally, a little epilogue to "American Gods". A rather odd collection, though nicely set out, which I imagine can be dipped in an out of at random (if you have the hard copy, and aren't listening to Neil Gaiman narrate them himself). Tales of mythical creatures, legends, and some snatched from fragments of folklore. Included are stories from Neil Gaiman's early writings revised, edited and included here; one is a birthday gift to his daughter; and each is a wonder tale.What did I like? Every, single story, and poem. Really, I did! This collection kept me engaged, wanting to listen to every word, and not miss a moment. Neil Gaiman is a writer of the odd, the unusual, the supernatural, the otherworlds and so his tales have twists not found in other stories, but once found in the myths of old.There is a sense of humour to be found in the works, as well. Sometimes authors forget to include this in darker tales, but life, or indeed fantasy, is not just one dimensional - or shouldn't be. Neil Gaiman incorporates the whole of life, death, and everything in between in these tales.Neil Gaiman is also rather good at narrating his own work. This author knows how to bring a story to life, and doesn't seem to falter in his delivery. It's kind of refreshing to hear an author read his own words, even if you will never hear him do so live.The audio version, provided by Audible, was clear, and without fault.What didn't I like? Nope. Can't think of anything.Would I recommend it? Oh yes! To anyone who has read Neil Gaiman's other works, or even those of Terry Pratchett. If you want to read something a little different, this is it. I'll definitely be listening again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    fantasy fiction horror anthology favorites
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fragile Things is a diverse collection of stories and poems by Neil Gaiman. Showcasing his ability to write in a wide variety of voices, genres and styles, one doesn't get bored with this collection. There were several stories and poems here that made an impression on me:A Study in Emerald is a mash-up of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. In Gaiman's hands it works extraordinarily well - he even throws in some great twists. This is a very strong story, one of my favourites.October in the Chair features the months of the year telling stories. October's story is about a little boy who is picked on by his older brothers and runs away from home, only to befriend a ghost. This is a theme that has appeared in Gaiman's other work - The Graveyard Book, and one of the Sandman stories. This is a great tale, though sad.The Hidden Chamber is a poem about a modern Bluebeard who's empty house still holds dark secrets.Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire is a very funny story about a frustrated writer. He is determined to write great, literary fiction that reflects life, but the world he lives in seems to be straight out of a supernatural Gothic horror story. His secret passion is for fantasy fiction - stories that tell of such escapist fantasies as stockbrokers, taxis and soap commercials. Closing Time is a story that gives me the chills every time I read it. I first read it several years ago and it has stuck stubbornly in my head ever since. Four little boys find an abandoned playhouse with a demonic imp knocker . . . Bitter Grounds starts off as the story of a man trying to escape his life. He assumes the life of an anthropology professor on his way to a convention in New Orleans, to present his paper on the Haitian coffee girls - who may have been Voodoo zombies. Keepsakes and Treasures is a disturbing story, to say the least, but it certainly leaves an impression. Here, Gaiman writes in the voice of a thoroughly unlikeable character - a mobster and pedophile who works for a very, very rich man known as "Mr. Alice." Mr. Alice wants the most beautiful man in the world for his lover - a mythical being called the "Treasure of the Shahinai." The Shahinai themselves are a legendary race who's only evidence for existence is a few lines in ancient writings, but what Mr. Alice wants, he gets. I wouldn't say this is one of my favourite stories, but the imagery and the mythology in it stuck in my head.The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch features a mysterious and occult circus. A group of friends go there, trying to entertain a stern and unfriendly guest, but the show becomes steadily more fantastic and bizarre. Not everyone in their group goes home after the show is done.In Harlequin's Valentine the Harlequin pines for his Columbine and nails his bleeding heart to Missy's door, but she turns the tables on him in a surprising and satisfying way.The Problem of Susan - another of Gaiman's short stories that stuck in my head very strongly for years after the first time I read it - The Problem of Susan revisits C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia from an adult perspective. For those who don't know/remember, in the final Narnia book, The Last Battle, the character Susan is excluded from the 'happily-ever-after' in Narnia that all the other young heroes get to enjoy. Gaiman has the guts to write a dark!Aslan - an amazing and powerful story. Goliath was originally written as a companion for the first Matrix movie, but regardless of whether you have seen the movie or not, this is a very good science fiction story. I thought Gaiman did an amazing job weaving in the world of the Matrix films and bringing them to life. The collection closes with a novella-length sequel to American Gods, titled The Monarch of the Glen which features Shadow traveling in Scotland where he is hired by a mysterious little man to act as a bouncer for a strange private party.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great collection of short stories from Neil Gaiman. I was a bit underwhelmed by "The Problem with Susan," possibly just because I've heard it praised so highly, but even average Gaiman is beautifully crafted.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book, though not as much as Smoke & Mirrors. It was interesting to read the history of how each story had been conceived (or at least, for what purpose it was written).The stories were all of good quality, but none really stood out.Recommended for fans of Neil Gaiman.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (short stories) - some better than others from good to very good

    Ah, it seemed such a good idea when I was wandering round Penicuik Library: two books by two of my favourite authors. Only when I got home did I realise that both were Short Stories. Now I like short stories, but you can't sit and read them continuously, you need to read a novel for that. So, this took me some time to finish.

    As you would expect with Neil Gaiman, each of the stories was quirky and interesting, some appealed more than others, all were worth reading. Of course, all lacked depth/substance because some of them were only a few pages long. I particularly enjoyed the return of Shadow from American Gods: it was nice to see how he progressed post novel! It was also one of the longer stories and therefore had time to develop. In fact I think the ones I enjoyed the most were the longer stories for that very reason. Having said that, I did enjoy the poems.

    In general, this is one of the collections that proves Pauline's dislike of the genre. some interesting ideas, but not enough development to really capture the imagination.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love short fiction and I love Neil Gaiman. What an unbeatable combination this book provides.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very enjoyable collection, although a number of the pieces aren't really stories, just atmospheric literary pieces. I most enjoyed "Feeders and Eaters", "Goliath", and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties"
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent collection, though I wish that the American Gods novella had come first. It's my little OCD that I have to read everything in order. I also enjoyed the explinations at the beginning of how each story or poem came to be. "The Problem of Susan" spurred me on to re-read the entire Narnia series, though I'm already so irritated I don't know if I'll make it. (See review on The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fragile Things is a collection of short works of fiction and poems by Neil Gaiman, most of which have been previously published elsewhere. This is the fourth work by Gaiman that I have read; previously, I have read Coraline, Odd and the Frost Giants, and The Graveyard Book, all of which I was enchanted with. So, I must admit that as I was reading Fragile Things, I found myself a bit disappointed because I was having the most difficult time getting into the text.

    However, it wasn't really Gaiman's writing that the problem. I think the problem solely lies with the fact that I'm not a huge fan of short story collections. I do like short stories as a genre of writing, but I think when you collect them into a single text, they seem to lose some of their charm for me. Perhaps this is because I was trying to read the collection like you would a novel and simply could not get into a reading rhythm. I also found myself searching for a clear connection between one story to the next story of poem, and wasn't really finding any, which I think is part of what made getting into a reading rhythm more difficult. I found that when I picked up another book to read and would take longer breaks between the stories in Fragile Things that I actually enjoyed the book more.

    Some of the short stories were just okay for me, while some of them I absolutely loved, especially "October in the Chair", a story in which the months of the year are personified, "Bitter Grounds", "Strange Little Girls", and "Pages of a Journal Found in a Shoebox...". Overall, I enjoyed the poetry more than I did the stories as a whole. "The Fairy Reel" was, I think, my favorite poem. I say "I think" because it's difficult to choose which poem I actually liked the most. What I found with all of the writing is that Gaiman is a master of word play, and that there are little bits and snippets of every story or poem that are little jewel-like treasures that keep singing through my head at the most mundane moments of my day (i.e. washing dishes or loading the washing machine.) I think I'll have to go back and reread this collection again soon.

    Two of the parts of the book that I also enjoyed were the introduction to the text and the "Conversation with Neil Gaiman" that came at the end of my edition. Introductions are tricky little elements, I think. Often, I read an introduction to a text and wonder "Why did I bother?". But that wasn't the case with the introduction to Fragile Things. I found myself really interested in Gaiman's explanations of how each piece came to be or why it was written. "Strange Little Girls", for instance, was originally written to accompany Tori Amos' CD Strange Little Girls. So, this collection of 12 very short stories appeared as lines scattered throughout the CD booklet. "Harlequin Valentine" was a story inspired by the ticket-seller in a piece, a Ferris wheel, by Lisa Snellings-Clark and sculptor and artist.

    The "Conversation with Neil Gaiman" included at the end of my edition was also equally interesting as Gaiman addressed questions such as which of the pieces in this collection was his favorite and further explored how some of the pieces were written in addition to answering some questions about his writing and writing process in general.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very enjoyable read, except for two of the stories which I found rather distasteful. An Audible book which was read very capably by the author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Oshit! I didn't even know this existed 'til I was wikisurfing and came across a reference to The Monarch of the Glen! Sealed the deal rather quickly.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great collection of shorts by one of my favorite authors. Both skirting and combining such disparate genres as fairy tales, vampire stories (based on the tarot--how ingenious!), young adult fiction, poetry, horror, science fiction, and detective tales, all told from new, inventive directions.

    I really like how even the most distasteful, obnoxious characters have incredibly poignant moments in his stories. This was a fast, fun read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have never read anything by Gaiman before and probably will not try again. I liked the first story in the book, which is a Sherlock Holmes story, very much in style of the new Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. The stories are written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, though, I just looked it up. I read two or three more, but then I stopped, because they were not at all speaking to me. I may go back to them and read on later though.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    some great stories...some very strange, it is gaiman of course. i may have to reread some of this at a later date...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I can't help but pick a favorite here, which is "Keepsakes and Treasures." Mr. Smith and Mr. Alice are possibly the most two practical evil characters I've run across in fiction. There were many others I loved, too. Many of these stories felt like Gaiman was experimenting and stretching a bit.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm a little up in the air on this collection of short stories. Some I really enjoyed; some were just odd; some I did not even understand. Maybe the last was because I was listening to it on audio and not always completely focused on it. It left me wondering if I would want to read more Gaiman.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I feel like Neil Gaiman is one of those authors where most people either love him or hate him... but I only like him very, very much.
    Does that make any sense? Probably not.

    Anyway, there are some amazing stories here. There are also some that I could do without, like the short bits written for a Tori Amos album's liner notes. I could do without Tori Amos, too, but that's just me. I just don't agree with Neil on everything. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who do, though.

    I have to say, though, I got the warmest, fuzziest feeling when I read his introduction to "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" and he mentioned how much he enjoyed reading it for the first time at CBGB. I was like, "Oh, how nice! He appreciated my club, and I was there!" (He really is an excellent reader, and very personable.)

    I'd already read a few of these in other collections, but they were good enough that I didn't mind re-reading them at all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ahhh, Gaiman... you just can't go wrong there!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I could have done a more detailed review if I'd read this book more quickly (I actually listened to it on Audio over about two-months of bathroom floor fixing), but here's what I remember:

    An enjoyable collection of stories. I like Neil Gaiman, and I like short stories. These are the first of his short stories I've read, and I think I enjoyed every one of them.

    The ones that stick out in my memory include:

    Bitter Grounds: probably my favorite in the collection. There seemed to be SO much to it. I need to go back and reread it in actual book-form so I can properly wrap my head around everything it contained. I feel like it was a very tight and deep story. Neat.

    A Study in Emerald: Sherlock Holmes meets Chthulu. Ha! Why not? I love Sherlock Holmes, and this story brought him into a very strange world without sacrificing any of the logic and brilliance you expect from him.

    Sunbird: Another tight story, less deep but more fun than Bitter Grounds, with a satisfying conclusion.

    The American Gods novella was pretty good too.

    I won't comment on the less-strong contributions, because they've already completely slipped my mind. So! Short stories: yay!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I find myself really wanting to like Neil Gaiman -- he has so many loyal fans out there -- but I just can't say that I do. Granted, after reading other reviews, I don't think I've come upon his best works yet, and for that reason, I'll probably keep giving him a try before I completely give up. I've previously read The Anansi Boys (which was okay in my opinion) and now this short story collection. I'm not typically a huge fan of short stories, so this probably wasn't the best choice as a follow-up, but I had access to it on audio, so I went for it. As an audiobook itself, I had mixed feelings. Gaiman did do a superb job narrating his own stories. He has the type of voice that's made for audio. But I found my mind frequently wandering during these stories, and the formatting on audio was just a bit confusing. In this case, I may actually have enjoyed Fragile Things more in writing than on audio. So many of the stories just seemed to end suddenly, leaving the reader with a "Wha...??" feeling, and I assume that's part of Gaiman's style, but it just didn't work for me. I think I'll seek out Neverwhere, and if I can't appreciate that one, I'll move on. But like I said, I'm not quite ready to give up on Gaiman yet.

Book preview

Selections from Fragile Things, Volume Four - Neil Gaiman

Selections from Fragile Things

Volume 4

Neil Gaiman

For Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison,

and the late Robert Sheckley,

masters of the craft

Contents

Harlequin Valentine

Locks

The Problem of Susan

Instructions

How Do You Think It Feels?

My Life

Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

Feeders and Eaters

Diseasemaker’s Croup

About the Author

Other Books by Neil Gaiman

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

HARLEQUIN VALENTINE

It is February the fourteenth, at that hour of the morning when all the children have been taken to school and all the husbands have driven themselves to work or been dropped, steambreathing and greatcoated at the rail station at the edge of the town for the Great Commute, when I pin my heart to Missy’s front door. The heart is a deep dark red that is almost a brown, the color of liver. Then I knock on the door, sharply, rat-a-tat-tat!, and I grasp my wand, my stick, my oh-so-thrustable and beribboned lance and I vanish like cooling steam into the chilly air….

Missy opens the door. She looks tired.

My Columbine, I breathe, but she hears not a word. She turns her head, so she takes in the view from one side of the street to the other, but nothing moves. A truck rumbles in the distance. She walks back into the kitchen, and I dance, silent as a breeze, as a mouse, as a dream, into the kitchen beside her.

Missy takes a plastic sandwich bag from a paper box in the kitchen drawer, and a bottle of cleaning spray from under the sink. She pulls off two sections of paper towel from the roll on the kitchen counter. Then she walks back to the front door. She pulls the pin from the painted wood—it was my hatpin, which I had stumbled across…where? I turn the matter over in my head: in Gascony, perhaps? or Twickenham? or Prague?

The face on the end of the hatpin is that of a pale Pierrot.

She removes the pin from the heart, and puts the heart into the plastic sandwich bag. She wipes the blood from the door with a squirt of cleaning spray and a rub of paper towel, and she inserts the pin into her lapel, where the little white-faced August stares out at the cold world with his blind silver eyes and his grave silver lips. Naples. Now it comes back to me. I purchased the hatpin in Naples, from an old woman with one eye. She smoked a clay pipe. This was a long time ago.

Missy puts the cleaning utensils down on the kitchen table, then she thrusts her arms through the sleeves of her old blue coat, which was once her mother’s, does up the buttons, one, two, three, then she places the sandwich bag with the heart in it determinedly into her pocket and sets off down the street.

Secret, secret, quiet as a mouse I follow her, sometimes creeping, sometimes dancing, and she never sees me, not for a moment, just pulls her blue coat more tightly around her, and she walks through the little Kentucky town, and down the old road that leads past the cemetery.

The wind tugs at my hat, and I regret, for a moment, the loss of my hatpin. But I am in love, and this is Valentine’s Day. Sacrifices must be made.

Missy is remembering in her head the other times she has walked into the cemetery, through the tall iron cemetery gates: when her father died; and when they came here as kids at All Hallows’, the whole school mob and caboodle of them, partying and scaring each other; and when a secret lover was killed in a three-car pileup on the interstate, and she waited until the end of the funeral, when the day was all over and done with, and she came in the evening, just before sunset, and laid a white lily on the fresh grave.

Oh Missy, shall I sing the body and the blood of you, the lips and the eyes? A thousand hearts I would give you, as your valentine. Proudly I wave my staff in the air and dance, singing silently of the gloriousness of me, as we skip together down Cemetery Road.

A low gray building, and Missy pushes open the door. She says Hi and How’s it going to the girl at the desk who makes no intelligible reply, fresh out of school and filling in a crossword from a periodical filled with nothing but crosswords, page after page of them, and the girl would be making private phone calls on company time if only she had somebody to call, which she doesn’t, and, I see, plain as elephants, she never will. Her face is a mass of blotchy acne pustules and acne scars and she thinks it matters, and talks to nobody. I see her life spread out before me: she will die, unmarried and unmolested, of breast cancer in fifteen years’ time, and will be planted under a stone with her name on it in the meadow by Cemetery Road, and the first hands to have touched her breasts will have been those of the pathologist as he cuts out the cauliflowerlike

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