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

The marvelous creations found in Fragile Things showcase the unparalleled invention and storytelling brillianceas well as the terrifyingly dark and entertaining sense of humorof the incomparable Neil Gaiman.

By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most original writers of our time.In Selections from Fragile Things, Volume 4 you will find the following stories and poems, sure to thrill and amaze.Harlequin ValentineA Harlequins heart may be easily given, but how will the object of his affection treat his delicate organ?LocksIn Gaimans poem a man attempts to tell his daughter the tale of Goldilocks despite her interjections.The Problem of SusanA student interviews a professor of childrens fiction for a scholarly article, but when the discussion lands on C.

S. Lewis Narnia the conversation becomes quite personal.InstructionsReal life advice, in poetry form, on what to do if you find yourself in the middle of a fairy tale.How Do You Think It FeelsAn affair with a younger woman leaves a man so despondent that he goes to extraordinary measures to protect his heart from future pain.My LifeThe monologue of a rather mangled sock monkey telling the story of his life, egged on by a couple of beers chased with whiskey.Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire TarotScenes inspired by a supernatural tarot deck whose cards betray surreal and somewhat blood-thirsty characters.Feeders and EatersAt a greasy all-night caf a man runs into an old acquaintance, now a shriveled version of his once-handsome self.

The man cannot escape the gruesome story of his friends deterioration involving a cat and an old woman with unnaturally long hair.Diseasemakers CroupAn imaginary disease in which the afflicted create imaginary diseases, Diseasemakers Croup takes hypochondria to a new level.