• Fragile Things

  • By: Neil Gaiman
  • Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
  • Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (3,454 ratings)

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Fragile Things  By  cover art

Fragile Things

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
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Publisher's summary

A mysterious circus terrifies an audience for one extraordinary performance before disappearing into the night, taking one of the spectators along with it.

In a novella set two years after the events of American Gods, Shadow pays a visit to an ancient Scottish mansion, and finds himself trapped in a game of murder and monsters.

In a Hugo Award-winning short story set in a strangely altered Victorian England, the great detective Sherlock Holmes must solve a most unsettling royal murder.

Two teenage boys crash a party and meet the girls of their dreams and nightmares.

In a Locus Award-winning tale, the members of an excusive epicurean club lament that they've eaten everything that can be eaten, with the exception of a legendary, rare, and exceedingly dangerous Egyptian bird.

Such marvelous creations and more, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction, can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his entertaining (and dark) sense of humor. By turns delightful, disturbing, and diverting, Fragile Things is a gift of literary enchantment from one of the most unique writers of our time.

©2006 Neil Gaiman (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

  • Locus Award, Best Collection, 2007
  • Audie Award Finalist, Short Stories, Collections, 2007

Featured Article: The Best Short Story Audiobooks to Immerse Yourself In Now


Short stories have had a huge impact on the canon of great literature. In fact, some of history's most revered novelists—Ernest Hemingway, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Louisa May Alcott among them—wrote short stories, which make excellent introductions to their work. Plus, these bite-size listens are the perfect way to get a big dose of literary inspiration even when you’re short on time. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of listens.

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What listeners say about Fragile Things

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Pretty good

This collection of short stories was pretty good. Not as good as Trigger Warning, which I would recommend more highly.

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fantastic collection

This is a great short story collection. I was especially happy to hear a bit more of the American Gods story

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american gods novella

the American Gods novella is a great. not a boring story in the whole book. worth the listen

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Exceeded my expectations!

I’m not a fan of short stories. I want a book to take me away for 15 or 20 hours or more! Lol
I have to say though, this collection was a surprise favorite. Each story was satisfying and thought provoking. One of the very best authors alive today!

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As always, Gaiman hypnotizes

I like all of these but LOVE a few of them. A Study In Emerald, Keepsakes and Treasures, How Do You Think It Feels, How To Talk To Girls, Sunbird, Goliath, and Monarch of the Glen are some of the best short stories I've ever read and I'm very fond of reading short stories so I've had experience. Gaiman's prose is unparalleled and each story transports and exhilerates and most of them leave you feeling uneasy (in the best way) as though perhaps magic and the supernatural really do exist.

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Best compilation!

It’s a perfect compilation of Gaiman’s stories and also a perfect intro to his work! Can’t recommend it enough

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Awesome

Great stories by a great author. Plus Neil Gaiman narrates which makes it even better. I highly recommend it to any Gaiman fans.

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Absolutely amazing

Neil Gaiman is one of the best writers of my time. He never fails to bring amazing works of writing to life.

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amazing!

amazing story and narration. Neil has once again captivated me. ba b b b b

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Wonderful entertainment

Thank you, dearest Neil! Such terrific stories, Beautifully told, I'm biased, I love all your stories! Really enjoyed Sandman

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